I get this question a lot, and quite honestly, I was very confused by what gluten is and why it can wreak havoc on your gut. So let’s start from the beginning. What is gluten?
What is gluten? According to Hopkins Medicine, gluten is a type of protein that’s in wheat and some grains.
So if it’s just a protein, why is it so bad? Gluten is destructive because it’s almost impossible for your stomach to digest, which leads to digestive issues and other issues. Check out this blog post for more on gluten, “ 5 Things You Need To Do To Achieve a Healthy Body Weight And Keep It Permanently”.
As a certified wellness coach, I get this question a lot. Mostly because people don’t realize that their symptom is connected to gluten intolerance. For instance, eczema is a symptom of gluten intolerance. The naturopathic doctors I partner with, suggest removing gluten ( as well as genetically modified organisms) from your diet to see the biggest change in your skin.
Other well-known symptoms of gluten intolerance include ( From Penn State Health & Healthline):
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Bloating |
Iron-Deficiency Anemia |
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Diarrhea |
Anxiety |
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Constipation |
Autoimmune Disorders |
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Abdominal Cramping |
Joint & Muscle Pain |
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Lethargy |
Brain Fog |
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Skin Problems ( Eczema, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Acne, Rosacea) |
Leg & Arm Numbness |
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Depression |
Headaches |
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Unwanted weight loss |
Indigestion |
Based on the list above, and my experience from talking to people with these symptoms, is that most people do not associate headaches or numbness ( arms and/or legs) with a gluten intolerance. Now, both can be symptoms of other conditions, but you shouldn’t overlook gluten as a factor.
If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should see a doctor if they persist, and in addition I would highly recommend doing a gut cleanse. I also call it a “reset”, because gluten negatively affects your gut, by inadvertently causing an imbalance of gut bacteria.
In order to “reset” the gut bacteria to normal, we must eliminate foods that are causing the problem ( gluten is just one of many) and use various probiotics to help balance your gut bacteria.
As a result, I have my clients do a 20-day gut cleanse. During the cleanse, we eliminate known gut irritants and take a series of probiotics, and collagen to reset the bacteria to an 80/20 ratio ( 80% good bacteria, 20% bad bacteria).
I had a client ask me about this, and honestly, I hadn’t heard of gluten causing heart palpitations. So, I decided to do some research and found a study on this conducted by the National Library of Medicine.
According to the National Library of Medicine, there have been several studies conducted that suggest celiac disease may be associated with a variety of cardiac concerns. Atribal Fibrillation (AF) is the most common and deadly condition, but the studies conducted were unclear if celiac disease is associated with it.
The article went on to say that since celiac disease is an autoimmune condition, inflammation is present, which does predispose patients to develop AF. There were over 64K participants in 4 observational studies, in which the researchers concluded that there is a significant association between celiac disease and increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
In particular, the study went on to state that there is a 38% increased risk of atrial fibrillation if you have celiac disease.
So you are probably freaking out thinking, I can never have bread again because of gluten! Not true. There are options depending on how sensitive you are to gluten.
My favorite bread is sourdough. I have always loved sourdough bread. Why? Because it taste great, but more importantly, here are the health benefits of sourdough bread:
What symptoms can be mistaken for gluten intolerance?
Some people could confuse anxiety with mental health issues (aka mood disorders) with other conditions, but it could be tied to gluten intolerance. This was a shocker for me, because I always thought that mental health conditions had nothing to do with nutrition but were based on genetics.
There are over 300 million people suffering from depression worldwide. With so many people suffering from depression, I think it’s important that we have this conversation and discuss all options for people who are suffering from depression.
Based on the National Library of Medicine, their review supported several studies indicating that there is an association between mood disorders and gluten consumption to people who are gluten intolerant.
As a result, a gluten-free diet would be ideal for anyone with gluten intolerance and suffering from mood disorder ( anxiety and depression).
Have you ever wondered if you were gluten intolerant? The symptoms can represent symptoms of other conditions, so how do you know if you are gluten intolerant?
One way you will know that you have a gluten intolerance is if you get sick after eating anything containing gluten. Some of the side-effects include gas, bloating, constipation, nausea, and feeling tired.
The second way you will know that you have a gluten intolerance is if your skin begins to flake, especially around your hairline, scalp, eyebrows, and mouth. For me I experienced a flaky scalp, and red-raised bumps along my hairline. You may also experience a significant amount of uncontrollable itching.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, then I recommend our 20-Day Gut Cleanse. This cleanse is so powerful, that it only takes 20 days to start seeing and feeling a significant change.
I recommend my clients do our 20-day gut cleanse, to set their gut bacteria, and start seeing improvements to their skin. Some of the changes you can see are less flaking, scaling, and redness from the inflammation.
Our cleanse incorporates an elimination diet, and a series of supplements that improves the health of your gut. If you are interested in trying the cleanse you can access it here in our Facebook group:
