“Changes in your diet can alter your microbiome within one
to two days,” says Dr. Tom O’Bryan, an expert on wheat-related disorders, NCGS, celiac disease and their link to autoimmune diseases. “When you go on a gluten-free diet, you remove prebiotics that feed the good bacteria in your gut. Tis then causes the bad bacteria to flourish and reproduce, resulting in increased inflammation in your gut, a contributor to disease.” Tis makes sense as 70 to 80 percent of immune cells are present in the gut.
Effective Gluten-Free Dieting Whether a gluten-free diet is required because of a gluten- related disorder or by choice, it is essential to add prebiotic foods to replace the beneficial impacts lost when eliminating wheat and other grains. Prebiotic and probiotic supplements are a start, but consumption of vegetables is the key. “Probiotics are most effective when they are combined with a
high-fiber diet featuring a variety of vegetables,” says O’Bryan. He recommends at least one daily serving of root vegetables, such as rutabaga, turnip, parsnip, radish, carrot and sweet potato, and two daily servings of prebiotic foods like bananas, garlic, onion, asparagus, leafy green vegetables, legumes, artichoke, apples and cocoa. “I also recommend a forkful or more of fermented foods each day. Vary it up with some sauerkraut, kimchi, miso or fermented beets, or drink some kefir or kombucha.” “If you're experiencing digestive discomfort, give a healthy,
gluten-free diet a try for at least 30 days and assess how you feel,” recommends Michelle Ross, a board-certified nutrition specialist, licensed dietician and functional medicine practitioner. “My recommendation is to stay away from the gluten-free aisle. Te truth is many people that switch to a gluten-free diet oſten turn to processed gluten-free foods. Te focus should be on consuming whole, real, unprocessed foods.”
Finding Balance Even for those without gluten-related conditions, too much gluten can create its own health complications. In a 2015 study published in Nutrients, gliadin, a component of gluten, was administered to biopsies taken from the small intestines of healthy, celiac disease and NCGS patients. Te researchers found each group experienced increases in inflammatory markers and in markers of leaky gut, with the healthy group having the greatest increase in interleukin 10, a rapidly activated pro-inflammatory cytokine that defends the body against microbial invasion. For otherwise healthy people, finding a balance between
enough gluten to feed gut probiotics but not so much that it results in gut permeability issues is important. “If you decide to continue consuming gluten, opt for whole or minimally processed einkorn wheat, rye, barley, spelt and Kamut wheat,” says Ross. “Tese grains have not undergone hybridization and are not typically sprayed with glyphosate before harvesting. Additionally, consider consuming sprouted or fermented forms of these grains, as they can be more digestible.”
Deborah Bevilacqua is a journalist and contributor to Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation.
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