A Media Article: Gluten-free diet treats medical conditions,not weight loss page

[Betorq]

Local health experts: gluten-free diet treats medical conditions, not weight loss | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Posted: September 26, 2012 - 5:04pm | Updated: September 27, 2012 - 12:22am By BRITTANY HOOVER AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

When Lubbock resident Robin Hawkins was diagnosed with celiac disease four years ago, she was dumbfounded.

Hawkins, a registered dietician and director of health and wellness for United Supermarkets, did not realize the food she ate was the root of her health issues.

She had experienced tiredness, skin rashes, severe migraines and severe stomach problems for years. Physicians believed her thyroid condition was causing the symptoms.

But after five years of wrong answers, an alternative physician in Dallas did some tests and found Hawkins had celiac disease. Eating the tiniest bit of gluten, or food cross-contaminated with gluten, was making her sick.

“I was completely shocked because I am a dietician, and I just didn’t realize what I was putting in my mouth was causing me so many problems,” Hawkins said. “It proved to me how important food is. Yes, I have celiac disease, but I’m so lucky I have a disease I control myself.
I choose what I eat. ... I need to read a label or check ingredients for every single thing I put in mouth.”

What is celiac disease?

Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The damage is caused by a reaction to eating gluten, which is found in grains like wheat, barley and rye.

The library’s website states the exact cause of the disease is unknown. The lining of the intestines contains areas called villi, which aid in the absorbtion of nutrients. When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products that contain gluten, their immune system reacts by damaging these villi.

This damage affects the ability to absorb nutrients properly. A person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food he or she eats.

Nearly one out of every 133 Americans suffers from celiac disease, according to a study by the The University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research in Baltimore. The disease can develop at any point in life, from infancy to late adulthood.

Why eat gluten free?

Nora Limas, a registered dietician with the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, said people with celiac disease are required to eat a gluten-free diet.

According to the Mayo Clinic, many healthy foods, such as beans, fresh eggs, fresh meats, fruits, vegetables and most dairy products are naturally gluten-free. Some grains and starches, like cornmeal, quinoa, rice and soy, can be part of a gluten-free diet.

Limas said she would not recommend a gluten-free diet for treating other health problems because it is so restrictive.

“There’s a lot of different foods that have gluten in them that you wouldn’t think had (gluten),” Limas said. “A lot of processed foods have gluten in them — all your breads, cereals, pastas, cakes. These are used by manufacturers to improve the taste, texture and structure of foods.”

People with a gluten intolerance also avoid the protein, Limas said. They may not be diagnosed with celiac
disease, but they still experience abdominal discomfort when they eat foods with gluten in them.

Covenant Health gastroenterologist Dr. William Shaver said he sometimes recommends avoiding wheat if a patient is having nonspecific symptoms such as bloating.

“I think generally as Americans, we spent all these years on low fat diets, and we all got fatter,” Shaver said.

“(There’s a growing belief) it’s the carbohydrates we eat. ... White bread is one. I think overall we’d be healthier if we ate a lot less wheats. I eat a lot less carbs anyway.”

Shopping gluten-free

Some gluten-free products are more expensive, Limas said.

Stacie Cobb, manager of the natural living department at Sprouts Farmers Market, said the store offers several gluten-free items, including pasta, cookies and baking mixes. Even condiments, vitamins and drinks are offered in a gluten-free variety, she said.

Most of Sprouts’ gluten-free customers are treating allergies or celiac disease, Cobb said. She has worked with the company for several years and said she has noticed a definite growth in gluten-free products and shoppers.

“I don’t know of very many people who say, ‘I’m going to go gluten-free this month,’ ” Cobb said. “It is very trendy. There’s a school of thought going around that the reason gluten intolerance is so prevalent now is because of how they grow wheat products. How they grow it is not responsible. They fill it with pesticides. They overtax the soils.”

‘Another fad diet’

Shaver said he also has heard the belief that wheat today is so genetically altered that it’s not good for the human body.

He said avoiding wheat for these reasons is not harmful to the body, but a full gluten-free diet is difficult to maintain.

Limas said she has some patients who have told her they are on a gluten-free diet to lose weight.

Eating gluten-free can be incorrectly associated with losing weight because the diet cuts down carbohydrates and processed foods, she said.

“It’s just another fad diet, really,” Limas said. “A lot of gluten-free products actually have more calories, more sugar, more fat to improve the taste. It’s really difficult to comply to the diet because there are so many products that have gluten in them. You have to take time out to read the ingredients. ...

“I think they associate ‘gluten-free’ with your typical products you see out there like ‘fat-free’ or ‘sugar-free.’ It’s
almost like they categorize it the same way. It’s really not something that’s going to help them lose weight.”

As a dietician, Hawkins said she can’t say eating gluten-free is scientifically proven to help with weight loss.
As a person with celiac disease, she said the gluten-free diet trend is frustrating. In restaurants, for instance, Hawkins can become sick if her salad includes traces of croutons, or if she eats from a plate that had a piece of bread on it.

“When people eat like that and go to a restaurant and eat gluten-free, the restaurant (can) get away with picking the croutons off,” she said. “It gives the restaurant a false sense of security when they don’t make them change their gloves or follow precautions.”

Although Limas understands how someone could lose weight on a gluten-free diet, she doesn’t recommend eating gluten-free for people who do not suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

“I just feel that gluten-free should be looked at as more as medical necessity for patients that have celiac disease,” she said. “If you’re trying to lose weight, try to cut back on your portions: exercise, deal with it the old fashion way. It’s really not a necessity to eliminate gluten from your diet if you don’t have a disease like celiac.”

To comment on this story:
brittany.hoover@lubbockonline.com • 766-8722
leesha.faulkner@lubbockonline.com • 766-8706

[healthy11]

The problem is that when people go gluten free they buy processed gluten free foods as stated in the article or eat high starch foods such as rice, potatoes, beans, corn, quinoa, etc. and then wonder why they don't lose weight. Of course it gets the label of a fad diet when the food industry produces a bunch of junk labeled "gluten-free".

I think it's a bad idea for anyone to eat grains, but for those who have celiacs and still eat grains that are gluten free is harmful as all grains have similar compunds or proteins (not sure if that's the correct term)... Nora Gedgaudas does a really good job of explaining this in her book. They are not doing anything for their health or their digestive system by eating gluten free grains and processed gluten-free products as we all know.

[tamo42]

I guess I'm old fashioned. When I see that many references to, "manufactured" I forget that we are actually talking about food.

[Hichamaustin]

A lot's of human who are prefer to make a good body perfection. Do dieting is not for the weight loss but that's also helpful to manage our body. If you are doing a regular time exercise and yoga are helpful to burn our unneeded fat and live a healthy life. Dieting play major role to easily live up unneeded body fat and reduce our weight.

[jenn26point2]

I guess I'm old fashioned. When I see that many references to, "manufactured" I forget that we are actually talking about food.

This made me chuckle.

[jenn26point2]

I like how every article I find about gluten free and how it's necessary for allergen issues but not for others says "Don't do it unless you have to b/c it's too hard". NO IT'S NOT too hard! WE, as in you and me, do it every day! I have done it since March... it's easy to go gluten-free and not worry about what's in food when you buy only whole, unprocessed foods.

However, I have been on a sugar binge for about 2 weeks, and learned today that Good & Plenty contains wheat. I promptly returned the bag... please, no lectures on why I should stop my sugar binge... I'm well aware.

[Chaohinon]

“I was completely shocked because I am a dietician, and I just didn’t realize what I was putting in my mouth was causing me so many problems,” Hawkins said.

[shep68]

“I was completely shocked because I am a dietician, and I just didn’t realize what I was putting in my mouth was causing me so many problems,” Hawkins said.

Yeah that line stood out to me too. I'm thinking I wouldn't want her as my dietician if she's only just now figuring out the food she eats has an effect on her health. Kind of makes me wonder about the profession as a whole to be honest. This article seems to be all over the place too. On the one hand we have the statement everyone would probably be better off eating less wheat and in the next it's all being called a "fad". Whatever; this fad has lost me 30 lbs and counting and gotten me off one pill and counting. Simple fact is most don't want to give up their cakes, cookies, pastas and toast and the so called experts don't want to challenge that desire.

[PaleoPanda]

I find there are coeliacs who have this attitude that nobody else should be gluten free if they're not coeliac and it somehow negates the seriousness of coeliac disease if other people who "only" have an intolerance go gluten free.

As a coeliac, I think the more people who are gluten free opens up our choices, encourages restaurants to provide gluten free options (which are quite often also grain free) and educates people about the food possibilities beyond wheat based junk. I really don't see gluten free as the exclusive domain of coeliacs, and in my experience, restaurants when asked to prepare food gluten free do so - I do not say that I am coeliac, I simply say that I cannot eat gluten, and if they tell me they cannot accommodate that, I don't eat there!

A "traditional" gluten free diet for those with coeliac disease is, as the article says, pretty unhealthy, because gluten free substitutes are high GI refined grain based junk, with lots of added preservatives and sugar and PUFAs. So it's right in saying that adopting that sort of diet for weight loss would be akin to going on the cabbage soup diet to cure gas.

I also get annoyed when people say how difficult the gluten free diet is. No, it's not! Cook from scratch, don't buy processed rubbish. Preferably, don't bring the stuff in your house, but if you live with gluten eaters, ensure their food is prepared away from yours, and uses separate utensils, and is kept in a separate cupboard in sealed containers. If you eat out, ensure the restaurant understands how to prepare gluten free food and can accommodate you. Gluten free is only difficult if people feel deprived by the lack of gluten, and even the medical profession persists in giving coeliacs the message that they are "different" and that they are being deprived of something by not being able to eat it.

The more people who reject overprocessed gluten based junk, the less "different" coeliacs will be, and the more choice we will have. I say bring on the gluten dodgers!