I get asked this a lot, and I can tell you that many that have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia that have eradicated gluten from their diets have experienced their symptoms lessening. So is there a link?

It’s clear that gluten sensitivities and other foods cause their own set of symptoms or may exacerbate the symptoms of fibromyalgia. But there is simply not enough research to determine if the two are totally related.

Since many of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia are similar to gluten intolerance (and even Celiac’s Disease) it is commonly misdiagnosed. Of course when this happens, and people remove the gluten from their diets, the symptoms often subside.
If you have Fibromyalgia or another auto-immune disorders, you may consider a trial of eliminating gluten from your diet and see if your symptoms improve. It’s not like the body needs gluten at all, and in the last few years, there’s been an explosion in foods that taste great and are completely gluten free, making eating gluten free easier than ever.

Kim Wirth is a registered nurse in Austin, Texas with significant experience helping people to live full lives without the presence of gluten in their diets. Send her questions at kwwirth@yahoo.com

There is little to no nutritional benefits whatsoever from anything made from refined white flour (in fact, Arnold Schwarzenegger called it “White Death”).  We already know that it (along with refined white sugar in mass quantities) is a leading cause of obesity and type II Diabetes over the long term. So if you’ve been thinking of eliminating these items from your diet, you’ll get nothing but support from me.

In some people (about 23 percent of the population), these foods cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, gas, bloating and diarrhea–and it doesn’t just come from refined white flour, it comes from whole grains as well (so if you’ve switched to whole grain wheat bread and still have these symptoms, think gluten-. sorry–but it still has gluten).

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, is the common denominator in most of the grain-based products we eat, such as cereals, breads, and pasta, and your body may have  a difficult time metabolizing the gluten in these foods.

It is not a true allergic response, and it does not cause permanent damage to the intestines. But it generally does worsen over time.
Simple gluten intolerance can be uncomfortable, but the symptoms typically don’t last long. The good news is that gluten intolerance is not a food allergy, and eating gluten does not usually cause damage – unless you have celiac disease.

Unfortunately, there is no reliable test for gluten intolerance, but there is for Celiac’s disease. If you suspect that your symptoms are caused by gluten,  you may consider a trial of simply eliminating it from your diet and see if they  subside.

If you’re symptoms are more severe, or you suspect that you may have Celiac’s disease, you might want to be tested by your doctor. Words of warning, Don’t eliminate gluten from your diet though, because if you do, the test will be inconclusive since the test requires gluten to be causing a reaction in your system for it to show up.

Kim Wirth is a registered nurse in Austin, Texas with significant experience helping people to live full lives without the presence of gluten in their diets. Send her questions at kwwirth@yahoo.com