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Misconceptions about Gluten Intolerance
Aug. 24th, 2011 03:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
literallyWhat are Some Common Misconceptions?
1. If a person doesn’t have celiac disease then they don’t need to remove gluten from their diet
2. The gold standard test for celiac disease diagnosis is an intestinal biopsy. If that is negative, there is no need for a gluten-free diet, regardless of blood testing or symptoms.
3. If their lab tests are negative (for either celiac or gluten sensitivity) then they are fine to continue eating gluten.
4. If a person has no digestive complaints and/or is not underweight, there is no reason to test them for gluten intolerance.
What is the Truth
1. If a person doesn’t have celiac disease, that doesn’t mean that they are not gluten sensitive. Gluten sensitivity affects a minimum of 10 times the number of people who have celiac disease. A conservative estimate puts that at 20 million Americans suffering with gluten sensitivity.
Considering it is known to decrease life expectancy, it is vital that we not miss the diagnosis of either of these debilitating conditions.
2. An intestinal biopsy is not a sensitive test. It requires marked damage of the small intestine before it shows positive. Dr Fasano, one of the leaders in celiac research, has stated quite recently that he too no longer considers it the gold standard; not even close. (That’s the two of us pictured at a conference.)
3. Even with the recent improvement of lab tests, we still suffer from a lack of sensitivity. The newest tests are a leap forward, but what really is the gold standard?
Many of us feel that it is embarking on a 30 day gluten-free diet. One must be 100% gluten-free for this to work – no cheating.
When done correctly, this free home test, can very clearly tell you what your body thinks about gluten.
4. All too often, doctors are locked into the notion that an individual with celiac disease will present with severe digestive problems. While that certainly can be the case, more often the individual has mild or absent digestive problems but instead complains of skin problems, fatigue, depression, migraines or joint pain, to name but a few.
It is truly maddening to hear that a doctor refused to test a patient solely because they did not have digestive problems or they were overweight – another misconception.
Rest of the great article on gluten intolerance and increasing doctor awareness here.
1. If a person doesn’t have celiac disease then they don’t need to remove gluten from their diet
2. The gold standard test for celiac disease diagnosis is an intestinal biopsy. If that is negative, there is no need for a gluten-free diet, regardless of blood testing or symptoms.
3. If their lab tests are negative (for either celiac or gluten sensitivity) then they are fine to continue eating gluten.
4. If a person has no digestive complaints and/or is not underweight, there is no reason to test them for gluten intolerance.
What is the Truth
1. If a person doesn’t have celiac disease, that doesn’t mean that they are not gluten sensitive. Gluten sensitivity affects a minimum of 10 times the number of people who have celiac disease. A conservative estimate puts that at 20 million Americans suffering with gluten sensitivity.
Considering it is known to decrease life expectancy, it is vital that we not miss the diagnosis of either of these debilitating conditions.
2. An intestinal biopsy is not a sensitive test. It requires marked damage of the small intestine before it shows positive. Dr Fasano, one of the leaders in celiac research, has stated quite recently that he too no longer considers it the gold standard; not even close. (That’s the two of us pictured at a conference.)
3. Even with the recent improvement of lab tests, we still suffer from a lack of sensitivity. The newest tests are a leap forward, but what really is the gold standard?
Many of us feel that it is embarking on a 30 day gluten-free diet. One must be 100% gluten-free for this to work – no cheating.
When done correctly, this free home test, can very clearly tell you what your body thinks about gluten.
4. All too often, doctors are locked into the notion that an individual with celiac disease will present with severe digestive problems. While that certainly can be the case, more often the individual has mild or absent digestive problems but instead complains of skin problems, fatigue, depression, migraines or joint pain, to name but a few.
It is truly maddening to hear that a doctor refused to test a patient solely because they did not have digestive problems or they were overweight – another misconception.
Rest of the great article on gluten intolerance and increasing doctor awareness here.
