Should YOU Eat Gluten Free?

Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye.

Non celiac gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance affects only about 6% of the American population.

Celiac disease affects another 1%. 

True wheat allergies affect only about .5% of the population (though the incidence is on the rise and it is children who have a higher proportion of wheat allergies).

This means that only about 7.5% of Americans cannot (or at least should not) eat wheat!

Symptoms of gluten intolerance are:

Abdominal pain.

Anemia.

Anxiety.

Bloating or gas.

Brain fog, or trouble concentrating.

Depression.

Diarrhea or constipation.

Fatigue

The easiest way to diagnose a gluten sensitivity or intolerance is with a blood test - however, insurance generally will not cover this test and you'll be out of pocket.

Another way to test is with a 30 day elimination diet! I personally find it is hard to stick to an elimination diet, plus - the bloodwork just made it real for me, as in I KNEW it wasn't in my head!!

There are many other reasons to avoid wheat and I'll touch on those in a future post!  

Fortunately, most people do not need to avoid wheat.