05 Jan Gluten Free Diet is Not Necessarily Your Answer to Relieve Intestinal Distress
A gluten-free diet is a necessity for any one diagnosed with Celiac Disease. However, only a very small percentage of people actually have Celiac disease. Most of the popularity of the gluten free diet is related to the belief that it is a healthy alternative. That is not always the case or the best solution.
Gluten free products are not always so healthy. Many of the packaged products contain high amounts of calories, more fats and less fiber than the “real” foods they are trying to imitate. Gluten free products also tend to be low in essential vitamins and nutrients. Now some of that can be overcome by careful monitoring of food intake, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and taking supplements. Just be careful not to eat only package gluten free products.
It is highly recommended that you be properly tested for celiac disease by a health care professional. It may very well turn out that your gastric distress is irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, fructose malabsorption or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. All these conditions have symptoms that are similar to Celiac disease. If you have one of those conditions, self diagnosing and going on a gluten-free diet will not provide the long term relief that you are seeking.
Martin Baker
Metabolic Solutions, Inc / Gut-Chek