Gluten Free

[Jayjayvee]

I have IBS C. I kept a food diary for a while and identified a few random items I can't eat. I have no gall bladder, so am careful about too much fat. However I then tried gluten free and everything has calmed down. As long as I take lots of fluid, I'm OK with only minor pains. My question though is what do people think about gluten free? I read Tim Spectre's book and he was quite dismissive, saying Gluten intolerence is very rare. I plan to try gluten again soon whe. I feel brave enough.

[Luisa22]

Someone I know quite well says that gluten is always the worst thing anyone can eat, and will not go near it, even though she hasn't been diagnosed as coeliac. She says she has done research which has shown her NO-ONE should be eating gluten -for various health reasons not just gut related problems.

I beg to differ, because gluten containing foods habe never done me any harm, and are among my "safe" foods. I never feel unwell after eating them. It's had no bad effect on my gut, my general health, or energy.

I did try more than 8 weeks gluten free once, to test it. I found I was no better, and I was no worse when I decided to go back to eating it again.

But I would say that if you personally felt better, and better with your IBS C after giving up gluten, then that speaks for itself. By all means why not try an experiment and see if things go bad again when you reintroduce gluten. But it seems it's quite clear, and going without it is doing you good?

[Jayjayvee in reply to Luisa22]

Thankyou. I will try gluten again soon!!

[BabsyWabsy]

Gluten intolerance might be rare, but you may still have it. I agree with Luisa, if removing it from your diet works for you, why not? Could you have a problem with a particular cereal rather than gluten? For example, I am diagnosed with a wheat allergy, which came to light after some trial and error. Other cereals such as rye and barley don't affect me. The only way to pin it down is to try an elimination diet. Could you ask your GP for a referral to a registered dietician?

[xjrs]

Have you been tested for coeliac?

It may be the fructans in the wheat that you are reacting to rather than the gluten. However non coeliac gluten sensitivity does exist, but tends to be those with a specific gene.

Interestingly, I couldn't tolerate wheat until I tried Alflorex probiotic. I can now consume wholemeal bread and some other foods I had issues with without problem. It contains Bifdobacterium which helps to break down complex carbs.

I have done a lot of research into gluten free diets and the conclusion is that if you are not coeliac or you are not intolerant to fructans or gluten (or you are unable to make yourself more tolerant e.g. through probiotics), then gluten free diets aren't particularly healthy. Many gluten free products are considered ultra processed foods.

Being gluten free can alter the microbiome, decreasing bacterial diversity. This could be due to the fructans in wheat which act as a prebiotic for gut bacteria.

However, if it makes you symptomatic and you've tried to improve this without success, then there is no point in continuing with it.

[Jayjayvee in reply to xjrs]

Thanks xjrs. I wondered about fructans, but I eat strawberries and pears every day, so that seems unlikely. As I have started Ferocalm, maybe it's time to try gluten again. I agree with you about the processed food, which I try to avoid. I've noted the vegan food offerings in supermarkets are also highly processed. Many thanks.

[Annie1411]

Hi I suffer with IBS symptoms too..sometimes certain things trigger episodes, such as coffee, so I limit that. However I went gluten free a good 12 months ago, and it has really helped me. I do try the odd thing with gluten and so far that's been ok, so I guess it's how you feel yourself.its so tricky to pin point triggers....I do hope you find something that works for you..all the best.

[Jayjayvee in reply to Annie1411]

Thanks Annie 1411. We,are certainly all different. Judith

[MuppetChristmasCarol]

Hi 👋

I most definitely am highly intolerant of wheat/gluten and avoiding it makes my IBS almost disappear.

If I ate say a sandwich then when that gets to my bowel (couple of days later) my body just expels everything violently until I am empty. Two or three bowel movements in rapid succession until all that comes out is chewed food and water, as well as vomiting out anything in my stomach.

It hurts like heck, I shake, sweat and get really weak afterwards. As I can avoid this by just skipping wheat it would be daft to eat it.

I tend to just avoid wheat rather than substitute gluten free products but the nicest gluten free things I do eat are GF Bagels instead of bread and the occasional dark chocolate covered rice cakes instead of biscuits.

You will know your own body better than someone who doesn’t have a wheat/gluten sensitivity so if you feel it makes you worse then avoid it 🙂

Regards Jac

[Jayjayvee in reply to MuppetChristmasCarol]

Thanks Jac. That seems a good plan to only eat a little gf food when nothing else will do.

[Fizix12]

After trying everything else to help resolve my IBS symptoms, I reluctantly eliminated all gluten from my diet. Negative for Celiac disease, but my symptoms disappeared after going gluten-free. I stayed on it for 2 years before slowly adding gluten back into my diet, and found that my IBS symptoms did not return. Many studies show that gluten sensitivity is not always a life-long affliction. But, sometimes you need a break to calm down the inflammation it may cause in your body.

I think we all agree that the best thing to do is whatever works for YOU. Best of health!

[penelope2]

Hi. Just some facts.Gluten related conditions effect 1 in 10 of the population so not rare.

The Coeliac TG2 test will NOT pick up gluten sensitivity antibodies.

Gluten and dairy are high inflammatory foods.

The best test is to 100% avoid a particular food and then reintroduce it and see how you feel.

GF food from the FREE FROM aisle are generally highly processed and will contain what is called by some 'peusdo' grains that mimic Gluten to sensitive individuals.

Also emulsifiers, gums even containing ingredients that food manufacturers do not have to put on the label.

So it's very complicated and the only way for some to go GF is a pure, clean, non processed food diet. So lots of preparation and cooking.

This is just too much for some.

You need a great deal of perseverance and determination but if it is gluten you will be rewarded by having no ibs.

This will take time and depends on the individual and other factors.

It is not an exact science and doctors know little about functional medicine.

Good luck.

[Jayjayvee in reply to penelope2]

Thanks for the info Penelope2.I ate a wheat toasty a couple of days ago. First gluten/wheat in a couple of months. I woke in the night feeling uncomfortable and in the morning had a sore throat and felt feverish all day. Bowels were just a little looser than usual. Then this morning I tried Oatibix at breakfast and so far feel fine. I suspect as someone suggested that wheat may be my problem.

Fortunately I do cook fresh food and don't eat many snacks, so avoiding processed food hasn't been difficult. I'm going to try and avoid most gf food too, as they are mostly highly processed. If oats don't bother me, I shall look for an oat based bread.

It is great getting so much help from this community. Fingers crossed the oats don't bother me tonight!