Gluten-free is a big buzz word at the moment as more brands are becoming aware of the problems it can cause and are looking for healthy alternatives. 

The wheat we consume nowadays is very different from that available 100 years ago and in this article, we'll look at what gluten is and discuss its relationship to celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Humankind's nutritional needs increased enormously during the 20th century due to the food shortage in the first half of the century (the result of two World Wars) and the rapid growth in world population in the second half of the century.

Consequently, scientists set out to develop new varieties of wheat that were hardier and resistant to weather changes and pests so production could increase. This lead to wheat that is far different from the ancient grains are ancestors consumer and produced a higher gluten content that is more difficult for us to digest.

In 1941, the Nutrition Society identified the need to increase wheat production and grow the worldwide wheat production by 500% by the end of the 20th century; and coincidentally it was around this time that celiac disease was first diagnosed and documented. While there isn’t hard evidence to support the claim, many experts think this rise in wheat consumption contributed considerably to the increase in diseases tied to gluten.

It is not only people with celiac disease that suffer from problems caused by wheat and gluten consumption, which is leading many to eliminate wheat and gluten from their diets completely. Those who do cut wheat and gluten report a fall in their unfavourable symptoms such as abdominal pain, irregular bowel habits, and diarrhoea or constipation.

New types of wheat have emerged due to increased demand and the increased industrial use of pesticides and fertilisers, which might play an important role in the reactions to gluten. Furthermore, the bread leavening process has shortened significantly, resulting in a higher concentration of toxic gluten peptides in many baked goods.

Celiac disease is varied and is dependent on the age of the individual. Diarrhoea is the symptom most commonly present in untreated celiac disease and effects 45-85% of patients. It is caused by the maldigestion and malabsorption of nutrients, and leads to watery stools with foul odour. In young children, prolonged symptoms of diarrhoea can invoke severe dehydration.

Anyone can suffer symptoms tied to gluten sensitivity without a diagnosis of Celiac. Nonceliac gluten sensitivity is characterised by symptoms such as abdominal pain, bowel irregularity (constipation, diarrhoea, or both) and bloating, while extraintestinal symptoms include 'brain fog' (impaired cognitive function, poor memory, decreased levels of alertness), headaches, fatigue, depression, numbness of limbs, dermatitis, and joint and muscle pain.

All these symptoms usually occur following the consumption of gluten-containing grains, and improve or disappear completely with the elimination of these grains from the diet.

How to protect yourself

Speak to your Doctor: Do you have a family member with Celiac disease? First degree family members 15- to 25 times more likely to develop celiac disease based on their genetics, compared with individuals  who do not have a first degree family member with a positive diagnosis of celiac disease.

Adopt a gluten free diet: The incomplete digestibility of gluten goes some way to explain why some individuals report improvements in general well-being after adopting a gluten-free diet. Additionally, gluten-containing cereals, particularly wheat, are a primary source of FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and monosaccharides and polyols) which are a class of poorly absorbed short-chain carbohydrates and polyols. The reduction or complete elimination of FODMAPs associated with the gluten-free diet may also explain why some individuals presenting with irritable bowel symptoms report improvements in their condition after adopting a gluten-free diet.

Summary

Both non-celiac gluten sensitivity and celiac disease are common conditions.

If you are not sure if you are affected by gluten its good to experiment for a few weeks and see how you feel. Eliminate all gluten-containing foods from your diet and then pay close attention to your energy levels, your digestion, any aches and pains you had, your mental clarity, sleep and even your skin health. 

You may not feel like you notice much change immediately but stick with it for at least two weeks to really see how you feel.

Pay close attention if you decide to reintroduce gluten to your diet to the same things and see if you notice any changes for the worse. It's sometimes easy to forget you always had a tight feeling stomach when it goes away but you often notice it when it comes back suddenly. 

Foods that should be avoided on a gluten-free diet (unless they are specifically labelled as 'gluten-free') include;

The elimination of processed foods and the inclusion of whole foods is a sensible approach to take when adopting a gluten-free diet. Foods that can be consumed on a gluten-free diet include;