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Acorn Health Blog

What we love is great health...

...and we like to write about how we can all achieve better health, naturally. Sometimes tips on how you can DIY to better health and sometimes on the therapies that can make a difference to you, your health and wellbeing.
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Going gluten free- is it worth it?

General Health & Wellbeing, Therapies Posted by JadwigaPosted on Thu, October 27, 2022 10:14AM

Many of the foods we eat can irritate and damage the very delicate and critically important digestive system in our bodies, which can in turn lead to anything from inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract to an immune response. Even nutrient absorption can be affected. One such food is wheat, which contains gluten.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in foods processed from wheat and similar cereals, including barley, spelt and rye. It contains gliadins and glutenins, the two main components of the gluten fraction of wheat seeds. Both are known intestinal irritants. Gluten is primarily used in modern food processing to give elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewy texture. Greater refinement of the gluten leads to chewier products, while less refinement yields softer baked goods. One of the most common ways that we now take in carbohydrates is through grains in our diet, especially wheat. It is a staple food, with 600 million tonnes eaten every year. On average, it makes up roughly half of the calorie intake of a person’s diet. Unfortunately, gluten constitutes 78% of the total protein in modern wheat. What this means in practice is that gluten sensitivities and allergies are extremely common. In fact, it is thought that as many as 1 in 10 people are sensitive to gluten, while coeliac disease (an autoimmune condition related to gluten intake) affects almost 1 in 100 people.

Gluten sensitivity

Often, people with a sensitivity to gluten have no digestive symptoms at all. This can make diagnosis very difficult, and may also mean that appropriate dietary changes are not made by the sufferer. Where symptoms are present, some of the most common include:

  • bloating
  • diarrhoea
  • constipation
  • diverticulitis
  • digestive problems, even as drastic as Crohn’s disease
  • fatigue
  • upper respiratory tract problems (such as sinusitis and ‘glue’ ear)
  • depression
  • and behavioral problems in children (such as ADHD).

Of all the grains causing gluten sensitivities, wheat is the number one culprit. Gluten sensitivity is not a food allergy; it is a condition of the gut. After eating gluten-foods, undigested gluten proteins resting in the intestines are treated by the body like an invader, resulting in irritation of the gut and the flattening of the microvilli (finger-like protrusions that run along the intestinal walls). Without the microvilli, there is far less surface area with which to absorb nutrients from food. This is why those with gluten sensitivities can sometimes experience symptoms of malabsorption, such as chronic fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, anaemia, osteoporosis, nausea, skin rashes, depression and more. If gluten is eliminated from the diet, the gut usually heals and the symptoms disappear over time. This is therefore usually the recommended course of action, along with supporting supplementation (see below).

Coeliac disease

Unlike a gluten sensitivity, coeliac disease involves an abnormal immune reaction to partially digested gliadin. Coeliac disease is neither a food allergy nor an intolerance – it is an autoimmune disease. The body’s immune system attacks itself when gluten is eaten. This can cause serious and lasting damage to the lining of the gut and may mean that the body is unable to properly absorb nutrients from food. Symptoms of coeliac disease range from mild to severe bloating, excessive flatulence, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal cramps, fatigue, aches and pains, flu-like symptoms, and/or mood swings. It is now recognised as one of the most common chronic health disorders in Western countries, yet it is still one of the most under-diagnosed. As the symptoms are so broad, they can be attributed to a wide range of other health conditions. As such, coeliac disease is often misdiagnosed as, for instance, fibromyalgia, lupus, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease.

Up until about a decade ago, most medical experts believed that coeliac disease was relatively rare and only affected about 1 in 2,500 people. It was also thought to be a disease that primarily affected children and young people. More recent studies, along with advances in diagnosis, have shown that the condition is much more prevalent.

Addressing the underlying problem

Gluten sensitivity can be one of the symptoms of a leaky gut syndrome. It is no surprise that when the lining of the intestines becomes more permeable, it can lead to a problem with many food sensitivities. Gluten (and dairy!) is very commonly encountered ‘maintaining cause’ in the digestive problems I see in my clinic. It is always worth looking back to determine what could have contributed to the body becoming more sensitized to particular food items- did it start after prolonged stress? Bouts of sore throats? Series of antibiotic treatments? Although removing gluten from the diet is always beneficial in such cases, it’s equally important to support the body in ‘sealing’ the damage which might have been contributing to unpleasant symptoms for even a number of years. Addressing the ‘root cause’ of the problem (whether it’s stress management or rebalancing the aftermath of antibiotic or steroid treatment) will help your body build resilience and minimise chances of a relapse.

Extra support for a gluten-free gut

As with a gluten sensitivity, coeliac disease is usually treated by simply adopting a gluten-free diet, i.e. excluding all foods that contain gluten. This is a permanent step in the case of coeliac disease, and usually recommended to be permanent in the case of gluten sensitivity- although it doesn’t have to be. A gluten-free diet is an effective means of preventing damage (or at least further damage) to the lining of the intestines and avoiding the associated symptoms of both conditions, even if such approach doesn’t address the problem in itself. And these days, maintaining a gluten-free diet isn’t the hardship it was even ten years ago. If you are happy to focus on only eliminating gluten out of your diet, there are now whole dedicated areas of most large supermarkets and health stores for “free from” ranges. However, as with any restricted diet, it is important to continue to ensure a balanced diet and the intake of a broad spectrum of nutrients. Given the reduced number of food choices, this can sometimes be a challenge, particularly in the early days. But careful meal planning will help, along with opting for seasonal, preferably organic food. In addition, many people with a gluten sensitivity or coeliac disease choose to supplement their diets for extra support, both in terms of nutrient intake and for digestive health. This can be particularly helpful where the gut is irritated and inflamed from years of gluten exposure. Multi-strain probiotics (beneficial bacteria), prebiotics (food for beneficial bacteria), Omega oils and the amino acid glutamine are particular favourites for supporting a healthy gut, lower levels of inflammation, along with gut wall integrity. What’s more, many of the better food and dietary supplements will also be gluten-free.



Do I have a food intolerance?

General Health & Wellbeing Posted by JadwigaPosted on Tue, November 30, 2021 01:49PM

A food intolerance (otherwise known as non-allergic food hypersensitivity), is a condition of the digestive system. It involves some form of negative reaction, which is caused by the body’s inability to properly digest a particular food, food additive or other compound found in food (or drink).

Food intolerances are far more common than true food allergies. They also tend to occur more commonly in women, and one reason for this may be hormone differences as many food chemicals act to mimic hormones.

In the majority of cases, both food allergies and intolerances develop over time; so a food that was once tolerated well might suddenly begin to make you feel ill. Symptoms may begin at any age and, while they can be wide-ranging, some of the most common ones are:

  • stomach bloating
  • water retention
  • irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • inflammatory bowel disease
  • diarrhoea
  • skin rashes
  • weight gain
  • head aches
  • mood changes
  • cravings (ironically, often for the foods responsible for the intolerance or allergy)
  • mouth ulcers
  • recurrent bladder infections
  • fatigue

What causes a food intolerance?

In simple terms, food intolerances can be caused by various chemicals (both natural and artificial) that are present in a wide variety of foods. The reaction experienced is usually the result of a deficiency in, or absence of, particular chemicals or enzymes in the body that are needed to digest a particular food substance.

The role of digestive enzymes

While we eat food for the nourishment of our bodies, our digestive systems can’t actually absorb food in its whole form; instead it absorbs nutrients. So before it can be useful, food has to be broken down into its constituent parts, such as amino acids (from proteins), fatty acids (from fats) and simple sugars (from carbohydrates), as well as vitamins, minerals, and a variety of other plant and animal compounds. Without this efficient process of digestion, which converts nutrients into a form that is absorbable by the body, we would not be able to survive. Digestive enzymes are central to this process. They occur naturally in whole foods (such as fruit, vegetables and plants), but they are also manufactured by the body to assist digestion. While this mainly takes place in the pancreas and small intestine, digestive enzymes are also made in the stomach and even the saliva glands of the mouth. If you don’t eat a diet that contains enough enzyme-rich foods (e.g. a diet high in refined and processed foods), or your body does not produce enough of its own enzymes (e.g. because you are sick, elderly or under stress), it will struggle to properly break down food. This can lead to certain digestive complications and complaints, including:

  • fermentation of food in the stomach and small intestine
  • putrefaction in the colon
  • increased activity and overgrowth of harmful bacteria and parasites
  • poor absorption of nutrients.

In particular, the inability to efficiently digest food can contribute to the development of food intolerances. This is because, if you have poor digestion, your intestinal lining can become irritated and what is known as “leaky gut syndrome” can develop. In susceptible people, any partially digested food particles can seep into the bloodstream, strain the immune system and lead to food intolerances, and even allergies in extreme cases.

Food allergy vs intolerance

Food intolerances and allergies are very different. As mentioned above, an intolerance is a digestive system response. In contrast, a food allergy is an abnormal response to food, which is triggered by the body’s immune system. A true food allergy requires the presence of certain antibodies against the offending food, whilst a food intolerance does not. What’s more, the antibodies tend to lead to an immediate reaction whenever the offending food is eaten. This distinction is important because, while a food intolerance may lead to some unpleasant symptoms, it is not life-threatening and symptoms tend to come on more gradually – usually within half an hour, but sometimes as long as 48 hours after ingestion of the substance which is causing a problem. An allergy, on the other hand, is usually a lot more serious and may even be fatal in extreme cases (e.g. through anaphylaxis).

Some common examples of food intolerance include:

  • Lactose intolerance – The most common food intolerance is to lactose, found in milk and other dairy products. It is caused by the body’s inability to properly digest high amounts of lactose, the predominant sugar in milk, because of a shortage or absence of the enzyme lactase.
  • Gluten sensitivity – Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye. The term “gluten sensitivity” is used to describe those individuals who can’t tolerate gluten and experience symptoms similar to those with coeliac disease, but yet lack the same antibodies and intestinal damage as seen in cases of coeliac disease. Interestingly, although coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by an immune response to gluten, it can also result in gluten sensitivity, as well as temporary lactose intolerance.

How is food intolerance identified?

Food intolerances are often more difficult to diagnose than food allergies, because they tend to be more chronic, less acute and therefore less obvious in their presentation. For example, there are no antibodies present to look for. As such, they are most often identified through a simple trial and error approach – a dietitian or nutritionist will go through a process of elimination with the individual, removing suspected problematic foods and systematically re-introducing them back into the diet, looking for corresponding improvement and worsening of symptoms. Bioresonance testing is another, much faster method of identyfying any potential food intolerances with results usually available at the time of testing. Other methods of diagnosis include hydrogen breath testing for lactose intolerance and fructose malabsorption and ELISA testing for IgG-mediated immune responses to specific foods.

Living with a food intolerance

Once the offending food or foods have been identified, the best advice is to avoid them wherever possible or to embark on a desensitizing treatment. This is likely to lead to a reduction, and hopefully over time, the total elimination of symptoms. Fortunately, nowadays there are a number of specialised “free from” foods and health supplements available online, in supermarkets and in health food shops, which help to make life a lot easier for those with food intolerance. However, with any diet where there is restricted food choice, it is important to ensure that you are still getting all of the nutrients you need on a daily basis. Severe food intolerance can, for example, lead to excessive weight loss and, occasionally, can even result in the individual becoming malnourished. Optimum nutrition can be achieved through careful meal planning and appropriate supplementation.