Signs You’re Gluten Intolerant
More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.It is also estimated that as much as 15% of the US population is gluten intolerant. Could you be one of them?
Does Turkey Make You Sleepy
Does science back up claims that eating a turkey dinner or having a turkey sandwich for lunch makes us sleepier than eating other foods?
A report published in the journal BMJ on myths associated with food found that turkey doesnt make you especially drowsy. The claims that turkey makes you tired come from the fact that turkey contains levels of sleep-inducing tryptophan. However, according to the researchers, turkey contains the same amount of tryptophan as chicken and minced beef. Food like pork, cheese, and some dairy products contain more tryptophan.15
The researchers summarized that eating large Thanksgiving meals or Christmas meals with turkey, stuffing, and desserts would naturally induce more drowsiness because of the high protein and carbohydrate content. The wine accompanying the meal may also play a role in feeling drowsiness.
Is Wheat Making Us Sick
The truth is, health professionals really dont know. Anyone who claims to have the definitive answer is probably comfortable jumping to conclusions on the basis of some early research. Im not. In the literature, there are dozens of options emerging on our bodys relationship with carbohydrates, the components of grains and how, when times get tough, eating grains might lead to dis-ease. And you know what? Our bodies are not test tubes: each one of us has our own individual prescription for health and happiness. Your best friend might adore meat but you feel better as a vegetarian. You might enjoy feasting on raw nuts while your neighbour has a terrible allergy to them. So why are we so quick to try and create a single, reductionist answer to our ills?
Probably because so many of us are feeling unwell. And we are sick and tired of being sick and tired. The trouble is, once we feel terrible, investigations become a chicken-and-egg scenario: is the food making you sick or is it because some imbalance occurred in your body that now it doesnt handle the food you eat as well? It is incredibly difficult to get to the root cause of many chronic digestive concerns. If you are curious as to whether wheat is to blame, take a look at some of the reasons why wheat may be causing you to feel unwelland why you might falsely be blaming gluten when something else is at the heart of your tummy troubles.
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Is There A Test To See If Gluten Makes You Tired
To best way to determine whether gluten is causing your fatigue is via laboratory testing. There are many food sensitivity tests on the market and not all are created equal. In fact, at the time of this writing, there is only one lab known to offer a comprehensive test for gluten sensitivity.
Testing is an objective means of determining whether a reaction to gluten exists. Labs will identify if your immune system is reacting to particular foods. In order for a test to be accurate, you need to eat the food being tested for about thirty days before doing the test.
Why is there only one lab that offers comprehensive testing for gluten?
Thats because grains consist of much more than just gluten. Gluten is one specific protein in wheat which is the most common form of ingestion. However, wheat contains other proteins for example, gliadin. For a more exhaustive look at all the proteins and peptides found in wheat, please see this post.
You can react to one or any combination of proteins. As you are a unique individual, the way you react to wheat is likely different than anyone else . Accurate testing must look for a comprehensive array of wheat proteins and peptides.
If your lab results show you have a sensitivity to gluten you can safely assume that yes, gluten is contributing to your fatigue. At this point you should switch to a gluten-free diet.
Causes Of Wheat Intolerance
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Why Does Bread Make You Feel Tired
One of the main reasons you are likely to feel tired after eating white bread is the quick release of insulin triggered by refined grains.
This prompts amino acids such as tryptophan to stay in your blood and enter your brain.
As a result, more serotonin is produced, and you feel sleepy.
Heres more information on whether insulin can make you tired.
How To Reduce Gluten Intake
While people with celiac disease must exclude gluten from their diet as soon as a doctor has diagnosed the condition, many people with gluten intolerance slowly reduce the consumption of gluten, rather than cutting it out straightaway.
It can help if a person starts by including one gluten-free meal per day before slowly adding more.
It may not be beneficial for everyone with gluten intolerance to cut gluten out of their diet entirely, as peoples symptoms will vary in their severity.
Some people may be able to consume small amounts of gluten without experiencing any symptoms.
The majority of people with gluten intolerance, however, may want to eliminate gluten from their diet gradually.
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How Long Does Gluten Withdrawal Last
Everyone wants a specific answer regarding how long gluten withdrawal will last. The problem is that no specific answer can be given due to significant individual variation in: gluten consumption, physiology, lifestyles, and duration over which gluten was consumed. It also may make a difference as to whether you decided to taper your gluten or quit cold turkey.
Some people may not notice any major symptoms at all when stopping gluten. Most people feel noticeably better after 2 to 4 weeks of complete gluten discontinuation. Others may experience protracted cravings and withdrawals that persist for several months. It is very difficult for some people to give up diets with high gluten for numerous reasons such as: foods with gluten can be addicting, they can lead to temporary pleasure or mood boosts , and they can alter the way we metabolize food.
When going through gluten withdrawal, realize that your body needs to recalibrate its metabolism, gut biome, and other physiological functions. Therefore it may take awhile before all withdrawal symptoms to clear up and noticeably improve. Understand that many of these symptoms are a direct cause of eliminating the gluten-derived opioids from daily consumption.
Are Gluten Intolerance And Celiac Disease The Same Thing
Gluten intolerance and celiac disease are different. People with celiac disease have an autoimmune response to gluten. This means their bodies try to fight against gluten as if it were a virus. This reaction causes inflammation and damage to their digestive tracts. Celiac disease is the result of an abnormal gene. People with celiac disease also have high levels of certain antibodies in their blood, which are substances that fight gluten.
Gluten sensitivity and celiac disease cause a lot of the same symptoms. But people with gluten sensitivity dont have an abnormal gene or antibodies in their blood.
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Its Not A Fad Its An Epidemic
Ive read a few articles that suggested that Gluten Intolerance was just a fad. I wonder if they are suggesting that were faking it or that well be able to eat wheat again, once weve decided that it was just a silly fad. Maybe I just dont know what the word fad really means. Lets go over to dictionary.com and see how they define the word fad.
| fad | |
| an intense but short-lived fashion craze | |
| 2. | a personal idiosyncrasy or whim |
People are actually getting sick, so I cant see how it could just be a short lived craze. Were not just miraculously going to be able to eat wheat again, especially the over processed wheat that weve all been eating.
Dont you think the fact that so many of us are getting sick, makes it worth looking into or that its physical proof that our food system is tainted. I mean take a look around. We all know that our modern food system is adding poisonous pesticides and preservatives to our food. So why is it so hard to believe that this food could be making some of us sick. Do you think its just a coincidence? We all know someone who is Gluten Intolerant or Celiac. So why do people say things like oh, its just a fad or Shes probably just covering up an eating disorder.
The wheat we eat today isnt the same wheat that we ate years ago. For more on this subject check out this awesome article on www.grainstorm.com. It makes some great points about modern wheat. The article is titled Whats wrong with modern wheat , and goes on to say
Directions
Does Gluten Make You Tired
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If you are gluten intolerant, eating gluten can make you tired and lethargic and may cause nutrient deficiencies over time. Feeling tired after eating can also come from eating too much sugar or too many simple carbohydrates at one time. You might have a food allergy or intolerance to something other than gluten as well. If you think gluten is the culprit, try a gluten-free diet for two to four weeks to see if your symptoms improve.
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Whos At Risk For Gluten Fatigue
Between 1-3% of the general population has celiac disease. However, if you have a first-degree relative with celiac disease, the likelihood that you will develop celiac disease jumps to 10%. If thats you, be careful. youre at increased risk of many unwanted symptoms, including feeling tired after eating gluten.
Since one set of your genes comes from mom and the other from dad, you can have any one of many, many different gene combinations. Some of these genes predispose you to celiac disease. In fact, 98.4% of those with celiac disease have one of two specific genes. These same genes were found in almost 90% of first-degree relatives as well.
While we know the odds of developing celiac disease, we dont have enough evidence to determine how that may translate into developing a gluten sensitivity. However, preliminary research does seem to indicate there may be other genes that predispose you to gluten intolerance.
One study looked at the link between the genes that cause celiac disease and gluten sensitivities. The researchers found that only 56% of those diagnosed as gluten sensitive carried one of the celiac genes. This indicates that those genes are far less involved in the development of gluten sensitivity than they are in the development of celiac disease.
However, the genes did appear more often in those with gluten sensitivity than they did in the general population. Genes do play a role in gluten sensitivity its just not clear what role that is.
Summary: The Pros And Cons Of A Gluten
As with anything else, there are pros and cons to this diet you should also talk to your doctor before you try it. He may find that its completely unnecessary for you, in which case you should find a new health trend to follow. If however you feel that your symptoms are too much to ignore, you want to understand all of the pros and cons to this decision and way of life. Here are just a few to help you in evaluating if this is necessary, how beneficial it can be, how difficult it can be, and if it is truly necessary for you to follow.
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How To Determine If The Fatigue Is Due To Gluten
Finding out whether or not gluten is the cause behind your chronic fatigue is necessary because if it is gluten, you dont have to live through this misery if not, there could be another underlying condition behind it.
For those who suspect gluten intolerance to be the reason, a medical diagnosis can rule out the possibility of celiac disease. Celiac disease can be diagnosed with genetic testing, especially if a first-degree relative has it, and blood tests to detect antibodies against gluten.
A doctor can tell if the fatigue is gluten-induced due to non-celiac sensitivity by prescribing a strict gluten-free diet. You can try an elimination diet to observe glutens effects on your body without visiting a medical professional. However, reduced fatigue after going gluten-free does not always mean that you have a problem with gluten.
What About Genetic Testing
Genetic testing does not diagnose celiac disease. Remember, between 25-30% of the general population carry the very same genes that are linked to celiac disease. But celiac disease only affects 1-3% of the population. A genetic test merely lets you know if you have the genes associated with celiac disease. This does not mean you have celiac disease or that you will go on to develop it later in life.
Genetic testing does indicate whether or not youre at an increased risk of developing celiac disease or possibly gluten sensitivities. If you have these genes the chance that gluten is causing your fatigue is higher. If you do genetic testing like 23& me, and learn that you have the HLA DQ2 or DQ8 genes that most celiacs have, Id encourage you to adopt a gluten-free diet.
When to perform genetic testing
I recommend performing genetic testing if one of your first-degree relatives has celiac disease or the genes associated with celiac disease. This is especially important for children as they may not have any symptoms of celiac disease early in life. Genetic testing is also a great option for those already following a gluten-free diet.
Be aware that a celiac screen will only work if you are consuming gluten on a regular basis. The genetic test will work regardless of whether youre consuming gluten or not.
Genetic testing is also great if youve received a negative gluten sensitivity screen or a celiac screen but feel like your fatigue is improved on a gluten-free diet.
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