The Been Briefing

Going Gluten-Free

It's all the rage these days. Everywhere you go, people reference their diet preferences. One label after another. Organic. Vegetarian. Sugar free. Allergy free (nuts, seafood). Vegan. Lactose free (or dairy free). And now, we've got gluten-free that's begun to "go mainstream"... almost. And for this, I am extremely grateful, because in the past month or so I have made the decision to 'experiment' with going gluten-free. Why in the world would I do that, you ask? Well, here's what I have discovered....

It was almost a year ago that I discovered I had something called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which (according to Wikipedia) is is an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland is gradually destroyed by a variety of cell and antibody mediated immune processes. Basically, my body turns on itself and attacks the thyroid gland. When it goes undiagnosed for a long period of time, which is often the case, it leads to hypothyroidism and a myriad of health problems. Hypothyroidism is treated relatively easily, usually with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) such as levothyroxine (brand name: Synthroid) or Armour. It is a simple treatment; usually in the form of a pill one must take every day for the rest of one's life. But this solution does seem largely to be a band-aid of sorts, rather than dealing with the root cause. 

So a couple of months ago I was talking with a friend of mine who also has Hashimoto's, and she was telling me that she had decided to switch to a gluten-free diet. I thought she was crazy! But she began to tell me how after switching to gluten-free, her doctor had to reduce her thyroid medications. She also told me that her aunt, a nutritionist, had told her that everyone who has Hashimoto's should get off gluten - period. That got my brain going. I began to do a lot of reading. And that is when I discovered that, apparently, there is a strong connection between gluten intolerance and autoimmune diseases. 

To the best of my understanding, the problem lies in that the body is actually allergic (or hyper-sensitive and unable to digest) gluten, but mistakes the thyroid for it and thus attacks the thyroid instead. A great article by The Healthy Skeptic (thehealthyskeptic.org) says it best here:

What explains the connection? It’s a case of mistaken identity. The molecular structure of gliadin, the protein portion of gluten, closely resembles that of the thyroid gland. When gliadin breaches the protective barrier of the gut, and enters the bloodstream, the immune system tags it for destruction. These antibodies to gliadin also cause the body to attack thyroid tissue. This means if you have [auto-immune thyroid disease (AITD)] and you eat foods containing gluten, your immune system will attack your thyroid.
Even worse, the immune response to gluten can last up to 6 months each time you eat it. This explains why it is critical to eliminate gluten completely from your diet if you have AITD. There’s no “80/20″ rule when it comes to gluten. Being “mostly” gluten-free isn’t going to cut it. If you’re gluten intolerant, you have to be 100% gluten-free to prevent immune destruction of your thyroid.- July 18, 2010 'The gluten-thyroid connection'

 As I continued to read, I found evidence right and left that this diet shift - no matter how drastic - was  at least worth experimenting, even if it was for months. So I decided to give it a 'go. I emailed my doctor to let him know of this diet change, and he seemed eager to find out the results himself. I go in for blood tests next month (April), then mid-May, then again in August to see if the diet shift has made an impact at all on my thyroid levels. So, until then, the jury's out... and I'm busy scanning ingredient lists like you wouldn't believe.

What I've noticed thus far going gluten-free is:

1. Gluten is in a lot of food - mostly processed foods. It takes a lot of discipline to 'go gluten-free'.
2. Eating out is tough. You don't have as much control over what's put in your food when someone else prepares it.
3. A gluten-free diet can be more expensive... but it's probably not half as bad as it used to be.
4. I do miss good bread. And my chocolate-chip cookies. Snif.
5. It's a good thing I like rice! Now I'm adjusting to brown rice... and it's not all that bad.