Do I need to be Gluten Free Forever?!

The choice to start a gluten free diet & then continue to be gluten free is dependant on a few factors. For some, going gluten free is a necessity due to genetics, autoimmune conditions, allergies, or other chronic diseases. For others, their choice to embark on a gluten free diet is prompted by the motivation to optimise their health, to accelerate their treatment plan, or to improve their gut function.

Whether you need to be gluten-free forever depends on your health, goals & conditions. Below are a few of the reasons for eliminate gluten from your diet:

1. Celiac Disease: This is an autoimmune disorder in which consuming gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye) causes damage to the small intestine. If you have celiac disease, you must remain on a gluten-free diet for life to avoid symptoms and prevent long-term health issues like malnutrition, osteoporosis, or even certain cancers.

2. Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: If you’ve been diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), it can be more variable. Some people may be able to reintroduce small amounts of gluten after a period of time, but others may feel best continuing to avoid gluten long-term.

3. Wheat Allergy: People with wheat allergies need to avoid wheat specifically but might be able to tolerate other gluten-containing grains like barley or rye.

4. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Some people with IBS may benefit from a gluten-free or low-gluten diet, but it’s not always a lifelong necessity. Reintroducing gluten in a controlled way after symptoms improve might be possible.

5. Autoimmune Conditions: Some individuals with autoimmune disorders, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or rheumatoid arthritis, may adopt a gluten-free diet to reduce inflammation, though the necessity and duration of the diet varies based on individual response.

6. Intestinal Permeability:  Research suggests that gluten can increase intestinal permeability (often referred to as “leaky gut”).  In an already compromised gut, the insult of gluten in the diet can lead to chronic low grade intestinal permeably This means that gluten in the diet can cause the lining of the gut to become more permeable and then gut is unable to repair this permeability as it normally would, allowing substances from the gut to pass across the epithelium and activate immune reactions. Intestinal permeability is linked to the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease such as Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, type one diabetes, and even IBS.

To experience the benefits of being gluten free, start with eliminating it for 3 months. Ultimately the choice to continue to be gluten free is up to you, but for most people, the benefits are incentive enough to stick with it!

If you want to learn more about your tolerance or intolerance of gluten, the great news with advances in stool testing your Merge Health Practitioner can assess your gut microbiome through stool testing for intestinal permeability, inflammation and other areas to see how beneficial and gluten free diet will be for you in the long term.

By Sarah Bakker

Merge Health Coach