Gluten Free Archives - Granite Peaks Gastroenterology of Utah

Gluten Sensitivity: Should You Go Gluten-Free?

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Granite Peaks

Gluten Sensitivity: Should You Go Gluten-Free?

First Things First: What is Gluten?

The proteins found in wheat are collectively called “gluten”. Gluten is found in many foods to act as a binder, even in some unexpected foods. Foods such as soups, soy sauce, condiments, and prepared foods can contain gluten.

Why are there foods that are naturally gluten-free and still have to be labeled “gluten-free”? Those foods may not have been processed in a gluten-free manufacturing environment. This can be dangerous for those with celiac disease, an autoimmune system that causes severe damage to the small intestine and impacts the overall health of the individual.

What if you don’t have celiac disease, but you still have digestive symptoms when you eat products containing gluten?

A condition called Non-Celiac Gluten/Wheat Sensitivity (NCGWS) is suspected to create some similar symptoms (bloating, stomach pain, constipation, acid reflux, nausea, brain fog, fatigue, mouth ulcers,) to celiac disease. Researchers have found that some patients with these types of symptoms may also have an allergy to certain sugars and components in FODMAP (fermentable carbohydrates that are difficult to digest) foods.

So NCGWS won’t damage the gut like celiac disease, right? Until recently, that was the thought. Researchers are now finding that some cellular damage is still possible through a systemic immune reaction, even in those not diagnosed with celiac disease.

How Long Does It Take for Gluten to Leave Your System?

If an individual sticks to a strict gluten-free diet, their symptoms may begin to dissipate in just a few days, improving each day. It won’t take long before they begin to feel “normal” again. For some, eating very small amounts of gluten, on occasion, may be tolerable, but finding out the cause and effect of your specific issue is important.

Gluten-Free Foods:

Eating gluten-free is easier now than in past years. There are many clearly labeled gluten-free foods on the market today that may have traditionally contained gluten, but they are made with gluten-free products and grains. But be careful! If you are sensitive to wheat, specifically, gluten-free does not necessarily mean “wheat-free”.

You also won’t find gluten in most unprocessed foods, such as:

Fruits and Vegetables
Meat, poultry, fish
Dairy products
Beans, legumes, and nuts
Rice
Corn
Potato
Chia
Gluten-free oats
Nut flours
And more

For years, many people have believed that a gluten-free diet is healthy and effective for weight loss. About 75% of people eating gluten-free have chosen to do so for one of these reasons. A tiny percentage of people who eat gluten-free have been diagnosed with celiac disease, a serious autoimmune disorder that can cause irreversible damage to the small intestine, weak bones, neurological symptoms and skin disorders, along with considerable discomfort.

It’s Time to See a Doctor

If you are having consistent symptoms that don’t seem to completely go away, visit a gastroenterologist – they specialize in digestive health problems. Don’t just tough it out only to find your symptoms are causing damage to your body. Get the help that will have you feeling great again in no time.

Diagnosing Celiac Disease

Posted on October 9, 2018June 26, 2019 by J. David Schmidt

By J. David Schmidt, MD

UPDATED 10/9/2018

Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. The consumption of gluten aggravates the small intestine creating chronic inflammation. Gluten is found primarily in wheat, barley, rye, and in foods such as pizza, pasta, cereal, as well as some unlikely places like salad dressings, ketchup, BBQ sauces, supplements and medications.

If left untreated, people can develop further complications such as anemia, vitamin deficiencies, osteoporosis and cancer. For celiac patients, the villi—tiny finger-like projections in the small bowel—get worn down or blunted and become ineffective in absorbing nutrients. A lack of certain nutrients can have detrimental effects; for example, a lack of iron can result in anemia or a deficiency in vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis or even neurological dysfunction.

When a celiac patient is exposed to gluten, it is damaging the body, long term. That is why it is so important to diagnose as early as possible. Some of the outward symptoms of someone with celiac may include diarrhea, bloating, upset stomach, fatigue, headaches and constipation, among others. The disease can be asymptomatic as well. The symptoms can also overlap with or mimic other conditions such as lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome. It is estimated that 83% of Americans who have celiac disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.

Testing for Celiac

Testing for celiac involves two blood tests that measure antibodies, the immune response to gluten. These tests are over 95% accurate. If test results are positive, an upper endoscopy procedure (EGD) is then performed to secure a small biopsy of the small intestine to confirm the diagnosis and determine the extent of damage/severity of the disease. An accurate diagnosis is very important as patients need to change their eating habits for the rest of their lives.

It is possible that if one person in the family has celiac disease, there will be other relatives who also have it or who have been diagnosed with another autoimmune disorder such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes, or a thyroid condition. Genetically, up to 40% of Caucasians have one or both genes that are associated with celiac disease.

When I am talking with the patient in the office, I listen for clues, such as a family history of a sensitive stomach or food allergies or other autoimmune diseases. This knowledge helps me sift through the symptoms that, at first, may seem like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or ulcers, Crohn’s disease or even gallbladder problems. Following up on this information can help get to the correct diagnosis quickly.

Once diagnosed, I reassure my patients that living a gluten-free lifestyle is not nearly as tricky as it used to be. Now grocery stores and restaurant menus abound with gluten-free options. Plus plenty of naturally occurring gluten free foods offer healthy options, such as vegetable, fruits and meat.

Learning to eat at home, school and at restaurants can be a challenge, but the evidence is clear. Celiac patients must be vigilant about their diet and treatment. Regardless of whether gluten seems to upset your stomach or not, it is important to follow a gluten-free diet if you are diagnosed with celiac disease. Your health is too important and there are many good choices available to help you succeed. Make the right choices for your good health. A lot is at stake!

Do You Have a Gluten Intolerance or Not? Try a Simple Test

Posted on May 12, 2016September 27, 2017 by fuelmarketing

By Tamara Duker Freuman
Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report

The increased popularity of gluten-free diets has been accompanied by well-publicized debates as to whether widespread gluten intolerance is a real “thing” or just a fad. As a clinician, I leave the in-fighting to my colleagues in the research world and choose to focus instead on issues of more practical relevance to my patients. Namely: If you don’t have celiac disease but you seem to feel better on a gluten-free diet, do you need to stay gluten-free for life in order to stay feeling well?

The way I approach answering this question with my patients is quite simple, and it’s been incredibly helpful in separating – wait for it – the wheat from the chaff when it comes to suspected non-celiac gluten intolerance. I call it the Spelt Litmus Test. But before we launch into the details of this most elegant litmus test, let’s first get grounded in some context to help explain why the test works so well, and what you might expect to learn from it.

Wheat is not comprised solely of gluten (nor is wheat the only source of gluten, for that matter). Gluten is a protein that comprises one portion of a grain of wheat, alongside other nutrients like carbohydrates and even some fat. One specific type of carbohydrate that wheat contains belongs to a family called fructans – essentially a short, poorly digested chain of fructose molecules. When people who do not have celiac disease consume wheat and believe they react badly to it, it’s common for them to automatically assume the gluten is responsible. But since gluten is only one component of wheat, that conclusion is not a given. This may be particularly so when the adverse reaction to a wheat-containing food is digestive in nature – gas, bloating, stomachaches, constipation or diarrhea – since other foods containing high amounts of fructans are known to provoke these symptoms as well. Anyone who’s ever suffered after eating too many sunchokes, onions, garlic, asparagus spears or energy bars containing inulin/chicory root fiber, can probably attest to that.

For many people without celiac disease who nonetheless struggle with digestive discomfort and irregularity, such reductions in the amount of fructans they consume can make a big difference in symptoms. But over time, many patients report to me that they start experiencing episodic symptom attacks – despite following their gluten-free diet strictly – and they can’t figure out why. This is precisely when I’ll suggest the Spelt Litmus Test.

Spelt is an ancient grain related to wheat that contains gluten. Unlike wheat, however, it’s low in those poorly-digested fructan carbohydrates, rendering it a perfect test food to help clarify whether someone’s adverse reactions to wheat-containing foods likely result from a gluten intolerance or a fructan intolerance. People who are truly gluten intolerant should react badly to spelt. People who are not gluten intolerant should tolerate spelt just fine. (And, for liability reasons, let me be clear: people with actual celiac disease should not consume spelt, and people with wheat allergy should avoid spelt as well.)

In order to figure things out, I typically advise patients to buy a spelt-containing food that has very few other ingredients. Spelt pretzels, spelt matzoh, spelt flake cereal or spelt “rice cakes” typically work very well for this purpose. Then, I advise patients to replace a portion of a usual breakfast or lunch meal that they know to be well tolerated with a 1-ounce serving of the spelt food. If all goes well, I’ll have them increase the portion the next day to 2 ounces. If there’s no reaction once gluten-containing spelt has been back in the diet for three or more days, it’s likely that a person doesn’t have a gluten intolerance at all, but rather just a digestive system that is sensitive to effects of a particularly poorly digested carbohydrate.

For non-celiac gluten avoiders who pass the spelt test, eating gets a whole lot easier – and potentially more nutritious. There’s no need to avoid foods that have trace amounts of gluten but are low in fructans, such as conventional oats, conventional soy sauce, or barley malt used as an ingredient in otherwise wheat-free foods like crisped rice cereals or potato chips. There’s also no need to worry about cross-contamination when dining out at restaurants from trace amounts of flour, breadcrumbs or shared deep fryers. Sandwiches can be made from spelt bread, which has far better texture and flavor than most gluten-free breads. Spelt pasta can replace conventional wheat pasta. Baked goods can be made with spelt flour instead of wheat flour. Since whole-grain spelt is higher in fiber, iron and B vitamins than most conventional flours and starches used to make gluten-free baked goods, trading up to spelt, if tolerated, makes a lot of nutritional sense.

Gluten-Free Recipes

Posted on October 1, 2015May 27, 2016 by fuelmarketing

Tasty Gluten-Free Recipes For Any Celiac Disease Sufferer

For the enthusiastic sports fans, the start of the Fall season only means one thing: It’s Football Season! Let the tailgating begin. No one wants to be left out of these popular game day favorites. At Granite Peaks Gastroenterology, we’re happy to pass along these gluten-free recipes to all our celiac sufferers.

Chicken Wings

A quick rice flour batter and gluten-free hot sauce turns these deep-fried beauties into a delicious option for those with celiac.

Yield: 10-14 wings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Betty Crocker All-Purpose Gluten-Free Rice Flour Blend

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

1/4 cup gluten-free hot sauce

Dash of black pepper

Dash of garlic powder

10-14 chicken wings

Directions:

Stir flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt in a bowl until well combined. Pour flour mix into a gallon zip lock bag. Add 3-4 wings at a time and shake the bag to coat the wings with flour. Shake the excess flour off and place the wings in the refrigerator for 60-90 minutes. Deep fry the wings for 10-15 minutes at 360°F. Prepare the sauce by melting the butter into the hot sauce and mixing well. When the wings are finished frying, drain the grease, then coat the wings with sauce using a brush. Put the fried wings in the oven at 215°F to keep them warm until served. While the last batch of wings is being fried, stir the sauce over low to medium heat to prepare for dipping. Now serve with a celery garnish and sauce for dipping!

Stuffed Quesadillas

Gluten-free tortillas are the only adjustment needed to bring these tasty chicken and black bean quesadillas up to standards for anyone on the celiac-friendly nutrition plans.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 Udi’s Gluten Free Large Tortillas

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup cubed, grilled skinless chicken

1/4 cup cubed, peeled precooked potatoes

1/4 cup cubed roasted bell peppers

1/4 cup cooked and strained black beans

1/4 cup chopped artichoke hearts

1/4 cup cooked corn kernels

1/4 cup shredded carrots

Directions:

Preheat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the first tortilla on the griddle and flip it over when it starts to smoke. Top with 1/2 cup cheese and sprinkle the chicken over the cheese. Spread potatoes over chicken and top with peppers and black beans. Add artichoke hearts, corn, and carrots. Add the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and top with the second tortilla. Cook about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Flip the quesadilla and cook another five minutes. Remove from the pan. Cut in fourths and serve with salsa or sour cream.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies

For a sweet game day treat, gluten-free Rice Chex is the only adjustment used by this recipe, though you can use a non-dairy butter alternative if needed.

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

9 cups Gluten-Free Rice Chex

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter, or non-dairy alternative

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Pour cereal into large bowl and set aside. In 1-quart, microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until smooth, stirring after 1 minute. Alternatively, you can melt over the stove. Stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate sauce slowly over cereal, stirring to coat evenly. Pour cereal into large plastic bag or into a container with a lid. Add powdered sugar and secure; shake to coat well. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

Thanks to celiac.org for having lots of great recipes to choose from!

Is Gluten-Free a Fad?

Posted on May 8, 2014June 13, 2017 by fuelmarketing

An estimated 3 million Americans are living with Celiac Disease, and 83% don’t even know they have the disease. That’s a staggering statistic, especially with all of the noise on the market promoting gluten-free foods and beverages. According to an article from Food Navigator, “Mintel, which has one of the broadest definitions [of gluten-free], pegs the market at a whopping $10.5 billion in 2013” and anticipates an increase to $15.6 billion by 2016.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food (see image). The consumption of gluten also aggravates the small intestines creating chronic inflammation. Gluten is found primarily in wheat, barley, and rye. (Gluten may show up in unlikely places like salad dressings, Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, etc.) If left untreated, people can develop further complications such as anemia, vitamin deficiencies, osteoporosis, and cancer. Villi, minuscule finger-like projections, get worn down or blunted and become ineffective in absorbing nutrients.

There’s a genetic component to developing celiac disease, but it isn’t always the case. If you’re unsure about how your dietary habits could be related to a possible gluten intolerance, review these symptoms of Celiac Disease. For some people, the disease shows up early in life, while others don’t experience symptoms until they are well into adulthood. Then there are asymptomatic people who show no symptoms despite having the disease.

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month and a great time to inquire about your own health. Links are posted below for your convenience in researching additional information.

Testing for Celiac Disease

Testing for Celiac involves two blood tests that measure antibodies and the immune response to gluten. These tests have a track record of being over 95% accurate. If test results are positive, an upper endoscopy procedure will follow to secure a small biopsy of the villi in the small intestines to confirm the diagnosis and the extent of damage and severity of the disease. An accurate diagnosis is very important as patients will be changing their eating habits for the rest of their lives.

Schedule

If you or someone you know has Celiac Disease, or would like to be tested, you can call our offices at (801) 619-9000, or visit our website for more information: www.GranitePeaksGI.com. You can also book an appointment by clicking here. We are able to see patients within just a few days, no referral is necessary! Granite Peaks also takes all insurance plans, and self-pay patients.

Additional Resources:

Celiac Disease Foundation

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

Granite Peaks Celiac Disease Page

Thanksgiving calories, substitutes and gluten-free options

Posted on November 26, 2013October 12, 2016 by fuelmarketing

According to the Calorie Control Council, “the average American may consume more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat from snacking and feasting.”

The following are some tips to help decrease the caloric increase, according to Toby Amidor, from US News:

Turkey: “Smaller birds are usually more tender than larger birds in which could lead to over eating.” Also, dark meat has less calories and fewer grams of fat than white meat.
Stuffing: “Stuffing can average 425 calories per serving.” Wild rice, veggies, nuts and dried fruit is a healthier alternative.
Green Bean Casserole: “Heavy cream and cream-based soups drive the calories in this dish to 500 calories and 35 grams of fat per serving.” There are other alternatives when making this dish that could help the calorie counters.
Apple Pie: “To cut calories, make an open-faced pie. For a lighter filling, aim for half to three quarters of a medium apple and use less butter.”

To read more, click here to get the full article.

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving:

According to celiac.com, the following are helpful tips to make your Thanksgiving gluten-free:

“Make sure your turkey is gluten-free. Numerous brands use gluten when processing their turkeys, so be sure to read the label, and make sure there is no hidden gluten in any of the ingredients.”
“Brining is a great way to prepare your gluten-free turkey that will leave your guests quizzing you about your secrets to such a moist, savory turkey.”
“Thicken homemade gravy with either corn starch, tapioca or arrowroot flour. Be careful, Bouillon cubes often contain wheat or gluten, so make sure to use only gluten-free bouillon cubes. Vegetarian Bouillon is also an option.”

To get recipes and other gluten-free tips, click here.

‘Gluten-free’ labels now FDA regulated

Posted on August 29, 2013October 12, 2016 by fuelmarketing

The Food and Drug Administration announced early August, 2013 that gluten free labels on food products are required to have only trace amounts of gluten.

A gluten-free diet has exploded in popularity in recent years, creating a billion dollar market for food products that cater to the diet. However, not all ‘Gluten-Free’ foods were true, as they contained barley, wheat, and rye; all of which contain the gluten protein. Celiac Disease is caused by a sensitivity to gluten and affects villi (tiny, finger-like stalks) in the small intestine. Normally, the villi make it possible for the small intestine to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. But celiac disease damages the villi and as a result, which then cannot take in the nutrients bodies need. Celiac disease cannot be cured, however, you can manage the disease by removing gluten from your diet. If you want to learn more about Celiac Disease, visit our Celiac Disease Treatment Page.

The challenge lies in finding the proper foods. Now, with required labeling enforced, Celiac patients have more options than ever. According to Journal News, “last year, sales of gluten-free products hit $4.2 billion, nearly triple what they were in 2008. Sales are expected to rise to $6.2 billion by 2018, according to industry predictions.”

If you or someone you know want more information about Celiac Disease and Granite Peaks Gastroenterology’s testing procedure, please call our facility at (801) 619-9000. Or request an appointment by clicking here. No referral is necessary to see one of our five specialists, and you can be seen within two weeks!