Gluten Free Food For Those With Gluten Sensitivity
by Mark Etinge
It's a fairly safe bet to say that most people who eat gluten free food are those diagnosed with celiac disease. However, over the years many people who have similar symptoms to those with celiac disease are not being diagnosed with it and doctors are not sure how to treat. Doctors are now beginning to realize that gluten intolerance represents a wide spectrum with celiac disease on the one extreme end.
An article on CNN.com discusses one woman's troubles to find a cure for her symptoms. Sarah Cooper was suffering with less severe symptoms than those with celiac disease. Although she tested negative for the disease, her doctor recommended she eat gluten free food anyway. After only a week of her new diet, she began to feel much healthier and better. The disease itself reportedly affects only 1% of the US population, but as many as 10% suffer from a non-celiac gluten intolerance. Dr. Daniel Leffler says, "Gluten is fairly indigestable in all people. There's probably some kind of gluten intolerance in all of us." Leffler estimates that about half of the people in the US who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome are also sensitive to gluten.
However it's hard to categorize people who fall into the rest of this no gluten spectrum because there is no test for it. If you test negative for celiac disease, there is no definitive way to test for mild gluten intolerance. The best course of action to take is to ask your doctor if you should try gluten free food regardless. If your symptoms quickly disappear, then you just may have your answer. If not, it's back to the diagnosis drawing board.
People with celiac disease need to be on a strict diet, following gluten free and wheat free recipes. It's hard to say how much gluten can be eaten though by people with just sensitivity. The best option is to try to restrict gluten as much as possible, just like people with celiac disease, in order to avoid getting sick or making the problem even worse. In the long run, your intestines will thank you and you'll feel much better. Why put your body through the risk? Luckily with the growing gluten free food market, people with gluten sensitivity will not find it as difficult to transition to a new diet and it's not as limited as one might think. You don't have to give up bread, just bread that's not labeled gluten free.
Eating gluten free foods is the only available treatment method and you should discuss your food options with a dietician to avoid hidden sources of gluten and so you don't miss out on vitamins and nutrients. Don't assume that you can ever return to a normal diet. If you're sensitive to gluten, you will be for life and need to eat right. But with so many companies offering gluten free food, you won't have to miss out on the foods you enjoy eating.
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