 (Health.com) - Sarah Cooper was a new mom in her mid-20s, busily juggling her family and a career as an electrical engineer, when everything came to a halt. She lost all her energy. She developed acne. And she began experiencing gastrointestinal problems: bloating, diarrhea, cramping, constipation. Her doctors, thinking something must be missing from her diet, put her on various vitamins, none of which helped. "It was all I could do to go to work," she says. After years of failed treatments, Cooper's luck changed. She saw a doctor who suspected she might have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that can appear at any age and is caused by an intolerance to gluten. A protein found in wheat, barley, and rye (and countless food products - like bread and pasta - that contain those grains), gluten gradually damages the intestines of people with celiac disease, preventing the absorption of vitamins and minerals and setting off a slew of related health problems, which can include fatigue and bad skin. Read the rest of "Will a gluten-free diet improve your health?" on CNN Health. Previously – Gluten defined and When did G-free get all...sexy? |
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This is one of the best articles on gluten sensitivity and celiac disease I have read from a major media source. Excellent job! Very well done and researched! My hats off to you!
I have to say this. I was in a lot of pain. Terrible migraines that lasted days, joint pain, back, neck and shoulder pain, and I was exhausted beyond belief!!!...I was so depressed from being so sick that I decided that my life was not worth living but I had to live because of my daughters.
I exercised almost every day and I found some relief on it but it was not enough. One day that I woke up without the usual migraine I had a breakfast consisting in toasted whole wheat flour, milk and honey (south american breakfast). Less than 20 minutes later, I had a head splitting headache. That was my "Aha! " moment. I stopped eating anything with gluten and the relief came in a couple of days.
Two months later, I feel really good.... But if I, by mistake, have something with gluten in it, I'm sick for a week, so I have to be very careful. I read every label, I bring my own food if I'm away from home and I have informed my friends and family about it.
I had brainfog, so bad, some days I couldn't even think. I also have adult ADD. Since I am on a gluten free diet, the cloud was lifted and I am much more focus. I's been a blessing! My energy is back and I've lost some weight too because I am more conscious about what I eat.
I am so happy now, living pain free, that I don't even miss bread. less
No, you idiot. Celiac is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed diseases and doctors are just now getting with the program and testing for it.
It seems at if an allergy to gluten has popped up as if it's the latest trend. By why now? Why is it that now I purchase gluten-free prepared foods in my neighborhood, and more people are realizing that they have an allergy to gluten. Is this a case of matter over mind?
- Dimitri Snowen
"... more people are realizing that they have an allergy to gluten."
When you say "realizing" does that mean the people you're referring to FEEL like they're allergic or are they actually being tested for the disease? If they are merely "having feelings," then they should be tested instead of making false claims. That's a case of I-read-about-this-so-it-must-apply-to-me syndrome = hypochondria.
The fact is more gluten-free products are on the market now partly because of the potential to boost sales. Kudos to the companies who are putting out these products to actually HELP people with Celiac disease. In the 80's, egg-free products flooded grocery stores because of the increasing popularity of the "eggs are bad for me" scare and companies wanted to make a buck off the hype.
Celiac Disease is a real disease, as are thyroid diseases, allergies & diabetes to name a few. There are people being tested and diagnosed with these allergies or conditions – myself included – and they have every right to their claims. When you hear someone say, "I'm allergic to X", your first question should be, "Were you tested for it?"
If the answer is hesitation or a "no", then they don't have a leg to stand on.