Notable News – A few months back a study came out that found that the two most common (not to mention the most important!) types of healthy gut bacteria—Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli—were decreased in people on a gluten-free diet. My first thought was, “Oh great, now everyone is going to think the gluten-free diet is bad for you.” Not true!
The main difference between the gluten-free diet and the ‘normal’ diet in this study was the polysaccharide content (polysaccharides are just complex carbohydrates made of long chains of simple sugars). The gluten-free diet was lower in polysaccharides, which makes sense since polysaccharides often have a prebiotic effect. That means they nourish the good bacteria, or probiotics, and help them multiply, so a diet lower in polysaccharides might mean a decrease in the good bacteria that rely on them for food. But… THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD AVOID THE GLUTEN-FREE DIET!
The gluten-free diet is essential for people who are gluten-sensitive or have a gluten allergy. And today more and more people are discovering that they’re sensitive to gluten and feel better on a gluten-free diet. So what should you do if you’re on a gluten-free diet but worried about a change in your gut bacteria? That’s easy—probiotics!
I can’t say enough about how important probiotics are. Not only do they help balance the good and bad bacteria in our intestines to help with digestion and immunity, but they also help to strengthen the protective intestinal lining, which can become damaged due to inflammation in people who are gluten-sensitive (including those with celiac disease).
The decrease in polysaccharides found in this study might also mean that those following a gluten-free diet were not eating enough gluten-free grains, which means they weren’t eating enough fiber. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Here she goes again, talking about fiber,” but this is important! On top of playing a vital role in overall health and weight loss, fiber has a beneficial effect on our gut bacteria, so it’s essential that people on a gluten-free diet eat enough fiber.
So as the old saying goes, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water! The gluten-free diet has helped so many people—the key is simply staying informed about the best ways to maximize your health when avoiding gluten.
I have struggled over the last 10 years with a diagnose that I felt was wrong;fibromyalgia. Like many Fibromites we search for many ways not to have this syndrome. I have managed well for the last two years. That being said, I have come up with something that seems to be eluding me. I began having this weird rash on my breast,now for 6 years, so I had test run for fabric allergens such as elastic that has latex in it. I worked with a lab and had availble the free testing; so the allergist ran all kinds of test including a sprue panel; all these came back negative. He gave me a cream to use which only masked the itch and never really go rid of it. I used vaginal cream, medications for a fungus etc. Nothing helped but time.
As I sit here typing I have the rash once more only it has come back with a vengence. I have had it now for three months. It makes it hard to wear clothes.
I have a problem with my weight and no matter how hard I try I still gain and bloat. Now I wonder if fibromyalgia is what I have or is it really a gluten issue; even though every test came back negative.