Overview Of The Gluten Intolerance/sensitivity Trend
Before you start to evaluate your own personal reasons or situation, lets start by understanding what this diet is based upon. Simply put, a gluten-free diet is one that avoids the protein known as gluten. You probably never heard of that until this recent trend became well known. Now you hear all about gluten because this diet and gluten-free products are everywhere.
The gluten-free diet came to be to help those who truly suffer from Celiac disease to manage their often-challenging symptoms. Is this sounding familiar? If not, then you may be doing it for the wrong reasons, but lets read further. For those who truly suffer from the symptoms of Celiac disease, the protein gluten cant be properly digested or absorbed by the body. This is when it causes you so much discomfort and why gluten can become problematic.
Maintaining A Healthy Weight While Eating Gluten
People with celiac disease may experience weight gain after starting a gluten-free diet this initial weight gain indicates that their intestinal health is improving and they are more effectively absorbing nutrients. However, gaining too much weight can lead to multiple health problems. Read our tips and suggestions below to learn about maintaining a healthy weight while on the gluten-free diet.
Gaining weight after starting a gluten-free diet is common in people diagnosed with celiac disease.1,2 In fact, it is a sign that the intestinal lining is healing. However, if weight gain continues and leads to being overweight, other health concerns can arise, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. 3 Find answers to common questions about weight gain on the gluten-free diet below.
There are several factors that may lead to excess weight gain on the gluten-free diet:
The first step is to connect with a professional who can help. Working with a registered dietitian nutritionist has been shown to help patients adopt a healthier gluten-free diet and lose weight.7 If you are struggling with emotional issues related to celiac disease affecting your diet, ask for a referral to a clinician who specializes in this area.
Not Getting What Gluten Is
One client recently said, “I’m not really sure what gluten is, but I know it’s bad, right?”
Many people are a little in the dark about the issue at large. But to put it in a nutshell: gluten is a type of protein.
You find gluten in:
- other grains, like barley and rye
For people with celiac disease, consuming even small amounts of gluten triggers unwelcome symptoms, including belly pain and bloating.
Only about .5%-1% of the population has been diagnosed with celiac, although it may be underdiagnosed. Symptoms erupt when gluten causes the immune system to damage or destroy villi, the tiny, fingerlike structures that line the small intestine like a microscopic plush carpet.
Healthy villi absorb nutrients through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. When they become damaged, you can’t absorb nutrients as well, and you can develop chronic malnutrition, weight loss, and exhaustion.
Other symptoms may include bone or joint pain, depression, and skin problems. In people with this diagnosis, the only way to reverse the damage, and the accompanying symptoms, is to avoid gluten altogether.
People like me, who test negative for celiac disease, may be experiencing gluten intolerance or sensitivity.
That means that while you don’t have celiac, consuming gluten may causes you bothersome side effects.
Some side effects can include:
- flu-like feelings
- mental fogginess
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Why Some People Gain Weight
After being diagnosed with celiac disease, I thought I was going to lose at least 10 pounds. In fact, one of my friends told me I was lucky to have celiac disease because now I would become skinny.
I was quite disappointed to learn that not only didnt I lose weight after going gluten free, but I actually started to gain weight instead.
Apparently Im not alone. Approximately 81 percent of individuals with celiac disease gain weight on the gluten-free diet.
This led me to ponder this question: Why do so many people with celiac disease gain weight?
Gaining weight is good for those individuals with celiac disease who struggle to keep on weight, particularly more serious cases when the patient has suffered from years of devastating celiac symptoms such as chronic diarrhea, failure to thrive, and nutrient-depravity. In these scenarios, weight gain is a welcome result of the gluten-free diet.
However, for the rest of us with celiac disease who came to the party at an average weight, gaining weight after restricting gluten from our diets is downright devastating.
We feel so deprived of the foods we once ate with gusto, yet as a cruel twist of fate, were also stuck packing on the extra poundage. Why is this happening?
What Do Observational Studies In Humans Tell Us
If the consumption of wheat gluten causes overweight, one would expect a much higher prevalence of overweight in countries where the per capita consumption of wheat and gluten is higher , compared with countries where the consumption is low all else being equal. This appears not to be the case .
No relation between per capita wheat consumption and obesity estimations based on data from OMS, USDA, OCDE and Canimot. With permission modified from
Behrendt et al. observed a weak positive association between gluten intake and BW in females but a negative association in men in a crosssectional study of data from the UK Biobank. The authors referred to this as conflicting findings from the UK Biobank and concluded that all observed metabolic health associations related to gluten were weak and not clinically meaningful. Further, limiting gluten intake is unlikely to provide metabolic health benefits for a population in total.
No significant effect on BW was observed in a study in which virtually all dietary protein intake was exchanged for wheat gluten as the sole protein source for a duration of 50days . Although this study was of short duration and with a limited number of individuals it did show that a more than 5fold increase in daily wheat protein intake did not result in increased BW in any of the subjects. These data strongly indicate that very high levels of gluten intake over 50days were not associated with an increase in BW in any of the 12 individuals .
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The Problem With Muscle Deficiency
It is estimated that 60 of Americans are overweight or obese. There are literally hundreds of diseases and health issues related to being under muscled.
Because they are intrinsically related. The more grain we eat, the more insulin we release. The more insulin we release, the more cortisol we make. Both cortisol and insulin promote belly fat storage. Ergo gluten causes weight gain. The more fat we store the less muscle mass we have proportionately to our total body weight. When this happens, we have a tendency to start developing chronic degenerative problems like the following: accelerated aging, arthritis, heart disease, dementia, cancer
Loss of muscle leads to exercise complications, because a smaller muscle is tighter, more prone to injury, and accelerates cartilage wear and tear. Lack of exercise leads to less muscle tone and the cycle continues for 20 years and we find ourselves looking in the mirror wondering how we got so overweight. This, my friends, is one of the reasons why our health deteriorates. This is why so many Americans stay sick. Muscle loss weakens the immune system, limits our ability to move, wrecks our quality of life, and in the end kills us 20 years early.
Selected References:
Youre Ditching Wheat An Appetite Stimulant
Finally, your weight might go down after breaking up with gluten because, as Dr. William Davis says, wheat is a potent appetite stimulant.
He says wheat is highly addictive and eating just some of it triggers appetite-stimulating compounds in your brain that demand you eat more of it.
However, when you eliminate wheat, you eliminate the stimulant telling your brain to eat more wheat.
Dr. Davis writes on his website, Wheat is addictive in the sense that it comes to dominate thoughts and behaviors if you dont have any for several hours, you start to get nervous, foggy, tremulous, and start desperately seeking out another hit of crackers, bagels, or bread, even if its the few stale three-month-old crackers at the bottom of the box.
He adds, But the high of wheat is not like the high of heroine, morphine, or Oxycontin. This opiate, while it binds to the opiate receptors of the brain, doesnt make us high. It makes us hungry.
He says that a protein inside of wheat, gliadin, is capable of causing a person to consume an excess of 440 more calories per day.
That means if youre losing weight after losing wheat, it might be because youre no longer controlled by these intense cravings for wheat, and perhaps youre consuming 440 less calories per day as a result.
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Gluten Allergy May Cause Weight Gain
A good friend of mine suffered for many years with unexplained weight gain and painful indigestion. These problems persisted for so long with no diagnosis because it was so easy to attribute them to an unhealthy diet or just a finicky digestive system. After years of frustration my friend spent six months doing an elimination diet to find out if her symptoms were related to food allergies. To her surprise, when she eliminated gluten from her diet her symptoms stopped and at that moment she realized that she had been suffering from a gluten allergy all along. The irony of this is that my friend worked in a bakery.
Gluten, a protein that contained in wheat, barley and rye, can cause an allergy in some people and result in unexplained weight gain.
One of the most common ways that people find out that they have celiac disease, which is an allergy to gluten, is through the cravings that they experience. This may seem strange, but it has been documented by doctors around the world that people who experience an allergy to gluten will often feel cravings for foods that contain wheat, barley or rye. Unfortunately, the result of giving into these cravings can bring on some very unpleasant symptoms such as weight gain, as well as bloating, water retention, fatigue, flatulence and other indigestion-related symptoms.
Is There A Connection Between Gluten And Weight Loss
No. Theres absolutely no evidence that simply getting rid of gluten will result in weight loss. But if you eat a gluten-free diet you may make healthier food choices because youre more aware of how to read food labels.
Eating gluten-free often may cause you to eat more whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and lean meats. These diet changes are often healthier and lower in calories.
Ditching the double cheeseburger and fries for a gluten-free meal of salad, chicken breast, and potato is choosing a meal that is much lower in calories which can lead to weight loss over time, says DiGeronimo.
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What Is A Gluten
Following a gluten-free diet requires avoiding all forms of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is a staple in bread, pasta, cereals, and various packaged foods. Less obviously, it’s also found in medication and might be added into foods via flavorings or thickening agents.
People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten and must follow a lifelong gluten-free diet to manage symptoms and avoid damage to their small intestines. Other people follow a gluten-free diet because they’re sensitive to gluten. In other cases, people might go gluten-free because they find that avoiding gluten helps ease symptoms related to a wide range of other disorders from irritable bowel syndrome to eczema.
However, there’s little proof that a gluten-free diet benefits anyone other than those with specific gluten-related diseases.
When Gluten Intolerance Causes Weight Gain
With my disclaimer regarding how the gluten-free diet is not a weight-loss solution out of the way, there are real and seemingly counter-intuitive situations where weight gain and gluten intolerance appear to be related.
While it is less common, some people who suffer from unexplained weight gain, or who are overweight and having difficulty losing weight, may be suffering from some kind of gluten sensitivity. Gluten intolerance and weight gain can be closely related because a gluten sensitivity or intolerance has a direct impact on the digestive system. Although weight loss is usually the first thing that doctors will look for when diagnosing gluten intolerance, the opposite can also be an indicator.
Lets look at the gluten intolerance and weight gain connection. With the right information, you may be able to shed those unwanted pounds and treat an undiagnosed illness at the same time.
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Gluten Can Cause Universal Inflammation
Gluten sensitivity is a very real condition. It is different than celiac disease . Many are under the false impression that celiac disease is the worst manifestation of gluten sensitivity. It is not. There are about 190 medical conditions that gluten can cause or contribute to. Celiac is just one outcome of many possible outcomes for those who eat gluten. The diagram below illustrates some common disease outcomes of gluten ingestion over time.
Does Gluten Make You Fat
Analyzing a recent study that claimed that eating makes you fat
Principle Study: Wheat gluten intake increases weight gain and adiposity associated with reduced thermogenesis and energy expenditure in an animal model of obesity
Wheat was introduced to the human diet about 9,500 years ago in the Mediterranean region as part of the Neolithic Revolution, when humans began to transition from hunting and gathering food to settled agriculture. Today, worldwide wheat production is estimated at 723 million tonnes, and the average U.S. citizen consumes roughly 132 pounds of wheat per year.
Gluten is the main protein complex found in wheat and related grains such as rye and barley, making up about 80% of their total protein content. Gluten is a unique protein in that our bodies do not possess the enzymes necessary to break it down completely , allowing fragments of the gluten protein to persist in the small intestine. In susceptible individuals, this can trigger three main forms of gluten reactions: wheat allergy, celiac disease, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Gluten-free diets are clearly recommended for people with celiac disease or for people with gluten sensitivity. Yet, the popularity of gluten-free diets for the treatment of countless other health conditions has exploded in recent years. Sales of gluten-free foods grew 34% to nearly $1 billion over the last five years, and gluten avoidance is commonly advised for both weight loss and chronic conditions.
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Tips To Prevent Celiac Weight Gain
- Gluten-free foods are often calorie-dense, so follow serving suggestions as close as possible to avoid overeating.
- Fresh foods are often healthier and better for you than products that have been made gluten-free, so try to shop for natural foods as often as you can .
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- Foods high in fiber keep you fuller for longer, so try incorporating them within your meals. Coeliac UK has a range of options, how much you should be having, and tips for adding more to your diet.
- Since diagnosis, Ive found when I find gluten-free snacks that are tasty like cookies and chips, Im so much more excited than I was pre-diagnosis because I feel deprived of them. I enjoy unhealthy snacks now far more than I used to I took my options for granted before diagnosis.
- Visit a dietician. It can feel extremely overwhelming when youve just been diagnosed and hard to navigate whats best for you. Seeing a dietician who can help you plan meals and give you as much information as you need on your new lifestyle is extremely helpful.
- You know your body best. If you feel like you arent eating enough, or too much listen to what your body is telling you.
Is There Any Other Helpful Information You’d Like To Share With Our Readers
As with other pro-inflammatory foods, gluten consumption in folks with some form of gluten sensitivity is associated with heightened symptoms of depression and anxiety. If youre finding yourself in a low mood after eating wheat, youre not alone: in fact, this can be a common presenting symptom of gluten sensitivity. And it follows that in people with celiac disease, IBS, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, following a gluten-free diet is associated with significantly improved psychological wellbeing.
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Food Allergy Vs Food Sensitivity
Food allergies and food sensitivities are often lumped together when it comes to the symptoms experienced after eating certain foods. However, there are critical differences between the two.
If youve felt discomfort, bloating or lethargy after eating a particular food, then you may be experiencing sensitivity to a certain food.
Food sensitivities occur when the body is unable to digest certain compounds, especially proteins found in items like milk, eggs, wheat or soy. Once your body ingests these foods, you experience those uncomfortable symptoms.
A food allergy, on the other hand, is an immunologic response. When you eat something to which you are allergic, your immune system negatively responds to the allergen. Since its your immune systems job to protect the body, your immune system tries to fight the allergen by unleashing natural biochemicals that cause the allergic reaction you experience.
These reactions vary, but may include hives, rash, swelling or anaphylactic shock.
Food sensitivities tend to show symptoms later than food allergies. For example, if you eat or drink something to which you have a food sensitivity, you may not notice symptoms for up to 24-72 hours. With a food allergy, a reaction may be immediate.
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