Gluten Freedom

The concept of the value and benefit of gluten-free food has been gaining momentum for the last 10 years. Discussion related to gluten-free diets goes back to the mid-1950s, but those peer-reviewed articles were primarily focused on the treatment of celiac disease and related gastrointestinal disorders. Today gluten-free diets are being adopted as an overall health-promoting measure by broad segments of the population. Is this trend merely a fad or are there actual advantages for the average person in cutting down on gluten intake?

Gluten is a structural protein found in wheat that provides a glue-like property and helps dough stick together. Gluten-containing wheat works best for bread making, and a few thousand years ago gluten-containing wheat became the standard wheat crop. Similarly, the protein in barley and rye is predominantly gluten. Researchers posit that tens of thousands of years ago our digestive systems were optimized genetically to process a diverse diet of grains. But a modern diet is mostly composed of uniform, gluten-containing grains. Our digestive systems were not designed to process such a heavy load of gluten, and the result is the development of a range of gluten-sensitivity disorders and autoimmune diseases.1

Gluten sensitivity has been proposed as a culprit in numerous conditions, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and infertility.2,3 The link to such conditions is not clearly understood, but case reports identifying gluten sensitivity as a causal factor have appeared in numerous professional journals for more than 10 years.

For children, adolescents, and adults with such disorders, it may be appropriate to adopt a gluten-free diet to eliminate a potential source of tissue inflammation. Other persons with various nonspecific digestive complaints may also benefit from a gluten-free nutrition plan. For example, if you experience frequent, or even periodic, upset stomachs or other gastrointestinal problems, consumption of gluten may be part of the clinical scenario. Two months on a gluten-free food plan should be sufficient to determine whether gluten protein is a contributing factor to such complaints.

Going gluten-free takes a lot of dedication, time, and effort. The first step is to learn which foods in your diet contain gluten. As noted, wheat, barley, and rye are primary sources of gluten protein. Quinoa, teff, buckwheat, millet, and amaranth are gluten-free replacements for gluten-containing grains. It's important to bear in mind that many foods contain wheat and represent hidden sources of gluten, including beer, potato chips, brown rice sugar, soy sauce, and processed food such as deli meats, frozen burgers, and bread crumbs. Being gluten-free requires diligence, but the payoff may be substantial in terms of overall health and well-being.

1Sapone A, et al: Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification. BMC Med. 2012 Feb 7;10:13. doi: 10.1186/1741-7015-10-13
2Isasi C, et al: Fibromyalgia and non-celiac gluten sensitivity: a description with remission of fibromyalgia. Rheumatol Int 2014 Apr 12. [Epub ahead of print]
3Herfarth HH, et al: Prevalence of a gluten-free diet and improvement of clinical symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. Inflamm Bowel Dis 20(7):1194-7, 2014

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Lunch will be taken from 12:30pm - 1pm

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Testimonials

Reviews By Our Satisfied Patients

  • "I am writing this as a personal thank you to IHMS and their staff, partially Lisa Magdaleno. Since I have been involved with Lisa, IHMS and their staff of doctors. They have been nothing but professional and extremely response to anything needed for my mother. The doctors have incredible knowledge of geriatric patents and there special needs. I have found that Lisa has been very responsive at all times of the day or night. On getting back to me on any issues with my mother. The doctors that have had interaction with my mother have been excellent. I would always recommend IHMS and Lisa to anyone who wants and needs a highly professional medical team taking care of their love one when they need it most.
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    JW
  • "" Brooke was very warm and caring. Her examination was very thorough. Best of all it was all done in the comfort of my own home. Thank you.""
    Vivian P.
  • "I moved my 91 year old mother from an assisted living facility in Colorado to one in Arizona this spring. Moving can be hard for anyone, but especially for an older person. Brooke Eisenhart and her staff at Integrated Health Mobile Service have made the transistion so much easier. My mother found Brooke to be very considerate and respectful. I appreciate how thorough Brooke is. I have dealt with Lisa, the office manager, and she is very effecient and kind. Lisa answers my questions and returns phone calls in a timely manner and is very helpful. It is a blessing to find caring people like this group for mother and for me!
    Sincerely,"
    Marti Dozier
  • "I am so very pleased to write this testimonial for Integrated Healthcare MOBILE Solutions. My husband Ted had a major stroke three years ago. Needless to say, arranging transportation, medical appointments , blood and urine samples for the first two years has been a nightmare. About a year ago I contacted Lisa at IHMS. With in days every service including physical therapy and dental was coming to our home! What a relief, I cannot tell you how much we both appreciated the prompt service with prescriptions, letters to various medical equipment people as well as deferment letters for jury duty. Thank goodness that the entire staff as well as all the doctors are such caring and loving people. Homebound folks and seniors could not have better care today. IHMS is never too busy to help."
    Sincerely, Ted and Sandy Kyle