Going Gluten free

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Going Gluten free

by Chris
(Hawke's Bay)

Someone told me it is harmful to go GL if you are not diagnosed as being intolerant to GL. Is this true

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Going Gluten free

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Oct 04, 2010
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Yes... and no
by: Theresa

Yes, it's not a good idea to go gluten-free if you haven't been diagnosed yet. The main reason for this is that there are two steps to being diagnosed, the first is a blood test and the second is a small bowel biopsy.
If you go gluten-free and THEN have a blood test/biopsy the results will not be accurate.
If you've got coeliacs; gluten actually damages your gut lining, but when you go gluten-free the gut has a chance to heal itself. So you can't actually be diagnosed while you're gluten-free as the small bowel biopsy is just to find damage to your gut lining.

I know, it sounds difficult. Why can't you just do a trial of a gluten-free diet?
Well, nobody is stopping you, but the thing is: you've got to be off gluten for at least three months before your body fully heals itself. Most people trial the diet for two weeks max and then go back to eating gluten because they didn't experience much improvement in health. Another element of this is that people don't know enough about the diet and are actually sneaking gluten in their foods without knowing it. :(

I recommend that you go to the Dr, chat with him/her about your thoughts and ensure that you get the blood tests done. It's your body, your fears and your life, don't let your Dr bully you into not having the tests done.
When the results come in, ask the nurse for a copy. I had a bit of trouble with mine, it was high enough to cause alarm but the Dr didn't contact me. It's best to take your health into your own hands at times. :)

Hope that helps, sorry for rambling on!

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