Gluten and CD

[prplkow]

Hi all, I am newly diagnosed with CD and trying to figure out what my triggers are. I noticed that with noodles, potatoes and bread I was having pain after eating and into the next day. I just started this past week eating gluten free foods and cut out potatoes and potato starch and have almost immediately noticed the difference in my GI pain. I have also been reading about how Crohn's and Celiac disease share some of the same genes. Has anyone else found that gluten is an issue with their Crohn's?

 

[lola99]

I have been tested for celiacs and it came back negative. I haven't found that it bothers me at all. Maybe it is food with high starch levels, that bother you. For me i have no "triggers" but when im in a flare things can make it worse like high fiber cereal ,eggs and dark leafy greens. You can try going gluten free for awhile but it would probably be easier to continue eating it(you have to eat it for the antibodies to show up) and then get tested.

 

[prplkow]

I am flaring, so maybe starch is just bothersome right now. Thanks for the info on needing to eat gluten for the anitbodies in the test. I have an appt on Friday with my GI and am going to ask for the test, so I guess I better eat some gluten.

 

[briguy]

I went to see a doctor (not a GI) who insisted that my crohn's was caused by gluten sensitivity. The story is that gluten wears away the "grout" between the cells lining your intestine and this leads to virus and bacteria leaking out of the intestinal walls into the bloodstream, which then triggers an overreaction by the immune system. He promised that if I eliminated gluten from my diet my crohn's symptoms would be cured (!) within two months.

I didn't really buy it because I don't eat a whole lot of gluten anyhow. I try to mostly eat meat, fruits and veggies. But I have been paying more attention to how gluten affects me and avoiding it when its practical.

The other day I ate a big bowl of whole wheat spaghetti, the first gluten I had had in days, and I looked in the mirror a couple hours later and my face was breaking out in this red rash. Not really a symptom of crohn's disease but I couldn't think of anything else that might cause it. It went away by the next morning. Bottom line, don't know, but curious.

 

[Panda33]

I am gluten free. Gluten makes me feel terrible. My symptoms get worse when I am flared and have eaten gluten. Went back on gluten for 3 months to get celiac testing but I ended up in the hospital with my Crohn's and started on prednisone so I couldn't get tested for Celiac because of the pred. So now I am gluten free again and have been for over a month. I feel fantastic and will never eat gluten again. Figure I don't need a test to tell me that my body and gluten do not mix well!

 

[hugh]

there is a link between wheat and crohn's,
In all people wheat will upregulate the production of zonulin which will increase intestinal permeability[1], allowing molecules from the intestine into the bloodstream which would normally not be absorbed.
All the analysis of this study is way over my head, but Chris Masterjohn (The Daily Lipid) suggests that there is more in play than just gliadin (a glycoprotien in wheat), such as bacteria and yeast imbalances affecting the impact of gliadin on zonulin production.

Then your specific genetics will determine how your body reacts to these toxins, -MS, Hashimo's, Celiac, arthritis, Crohn's, Diabetes, you name it.[2]
Whatever the whole story, there is a lot to suggest that if you don't have leaky gut then you won't have crohn's (or almost any other immune disorder )

I'd recommend going fully paleo and then adding back a few things like hard cheeses and white rice if they are tolerated

further reading....
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/09/19/paleo-diet-solution/
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/category/disease/autoimmune/
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/10/wheat-is-a-cause-of-many-diseases-i-leaky-gut/ (includes a specific mention of crohn's and wheat)

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16635908
“Based on our results, we concluded that gliadin activates zonulin signaling irrespective of the genetic expression of autoimmunity, leading to increased intestinal permeability to macromolecules.” the degree of increase varied amongst test patients,
[2]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19538307
”Therefore, we hypothesize that besides genetic and environmental factors, loss of intestinal barrier function is necessary to develop autoimmunity. In this review, each of these components will be briefly reviewed.”

 

[bunnyceleste]

going gluten free was one of the huge breakthroughs for me in eliminating certain symptoms of my crohns. when I eat it my whole gi tract turns rock hard and just twists and aches and struggles. so not worth it. also I find alot of gluten free storebought baked things are just as inflmatory and disruptive as gluten- anything with potato starch, corn starch, soy flour, bean flour, or high sugar/yeast will trigger me. Ive found the food for life brand rice breads are ok for me - I like the china black rice bread best- mostly use it to eat eggs on (gotta have toast with eggs!) otherwise I use rice pasta occasionaly and do all my own baking with combos of rice, buckwheat, coconut or oat flour (some gluten-free people cant tolerate oats but I do just fine) although not baking much right now as Im tapering off pred from a nasty flare and not feeling up to tons of sweets or grains. eating lots of avacado pudding, veggie juices, yogurt ect.

 

[prplkow]

I definitely have the gluten intolerance and also have issues with potato starch and certain store bought brand gluten free baked items too. I am not flaring now and can eat a tiny bit of potatoes and a tiny bit of sourdough, but I better be real good about everything else. I like jasmine rice and I can't eat oats. I love avocado, but when I was flaring even that bothered me and I have not tried it again. Eggs give me issues, I think I have a slight intolerance to sulfate as well. I found a yummy brand for rice pasta. I also try to make sure that everything is non gmo. Also nothing with preservatives or fake sugar. Those really make me feel ill. I was tested for celiac disease and it came back negative, but I know my tummy does not like gluten and starchy stuff. Coconut oil make me have D, so I don't eat that either. I am just now looking into baking gluten free, so far my biscuits failed. lol....next is banana bread. Hopefully that will turn out better.

 

[bunnyceleste]

my fave websites for gf baking recipes are
meghantelpnerblog.com
glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com (although she uses alot of the starch flours)
elanaspantry.com (if you tolerate almond flour, I dont when Im flaring)

 

[Susan2]

As with virtually everything in relation to Crohn's, I think that this is very personal. When I was really struggling with the disease, I seriously tried both wheat-free and gluten-free diets, but found no difference in my symptoms with either. There are, however, many sufferers who do find that one or the other (or both combined) can positively affect their disease. So try them out and keep a food diary.

 

[AlliRuns]

I agree with the above, everyone's triggers are different. Bread, especially white bread despite the fact that it's really not that great for you, is one of my safe foods.