Gluten Sensitivity: That’s why self-diagnosis is so dangerous

Gluten Sensitivity: That's why self-diagnosis is so dangerous

More and more people believe that they can not tolerate wheat, and they are removing bread and noodles from their diet. Studies now show that these self-diagnoses are anything but healthy.

Unpeeled, wheat is actually a miracle grain that nourishes man for around 50,000 years. It is full of healthy fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. Nevertheless, the image of wheat is conceivably bad. The reason for this is its content of gluten , an adhesive that gives bread its tasty structure. It is suspected that it is incompatible, if not “poisonous”.

Without sacrificing the grain can have significant consequences

Many people remove wheat and other gluten-containing grains such as barley, spelled and rye from their diet because they hope for better digestion or less weight. According to surveys, up to 30 percent of Germans believe that they suffer from “gluten intolerance” or “wheat sensitivity”. However, physicians assume no more than 1.5 percent – so there are many people who do without the grain.

Is that really good for you? Not really, as recent research shows. In the long term, gluten-freezing may even have negative consequences,scientists warn in a position paper of the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI): Thus, various studies prove that the supply of B vitamins, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and iron in a gluten-free Nutrition can be short. In addition, a higher fat intake is observed with more heart-damaging trans fatty acids. Also, sugar and salt are more common on the menu.

Instead of losing weight, many even gain through the gluten-free diet: these fatteners are in gluten-free products

That’s questionable, but not really surprising. Because a gluten-free diet is a challenge: M has to cook more, because in many processed foods gluten is added as an additive. And because many find it difficult today, those affected rely on specialty foods such as gluten-free pastries, corn pasta or ready meals.

But they are spiced up with all kinds of aids such as starch, polysaccharides and emulsifiers. Fat, sugar and salt give taste. The – often overpriced – products therefore have a higher energy density. Simply put, they are higher in calories. “Instead of losing weight, obese people even gain weight with a gluten-free diet,” warns Benjamin Lebwohl, a scientist at New York’s Columbia University. And that’s not all. In 2017, the US researcher compared the diet diaries and medical records of around 110000 subjects. The result: Those who avoided wheat also consumed less fiber and thus had a 15 percent increased risk of heart attack. The probability of developing diabetes also increases.

Make the menu better diversified: Quinoa, buckwheat and millet are gluten-free and nutrient-rich cereals

In addition, Weizenverächter have more heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury in the blood. The reason: They consume more rice and rice waffles and in the course of supposedly healthier diet more sea fish. And these foods are more likely to be loaded with heavy metals. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), this is not dangerous, but the diet should be better varied.

Millet, buckwheat and quinoa, for example, are gluten-free and nutritious cereals. Fiber is also found in legumes, vegetables, fruits and nuts. So all lies, which is spread over the gluten for some years? The religious war over the gluten-whitening this news should certainly fuel further. Its bad image has gone from sticking whitening, since experts like US cardiologist William Davis (“Weizenwampe”) warn that gluten leads to a holey bowel and subsequently to overweight, rheumatism, asthma, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. Many scientists think these claims are nonsense.

What is undisputed: that people with celiac disease or wheat allergy – and that is about one percent of the population – must banish wheat from their food. In celiac disease, for example, the intestinal villi, small protuberances on the inside of the small intestine, are shaved off by inflammatory processes. Left untreated, it can lead to osteoporosis and colon cancer.

Celiac Disease or Incompatibility: How to Determine Wheat Sensitivity?

For celiac disease and wheat allergy, however, there are relatively simple diagnostic options. It is more difficult in the incompatibility; Patients complain of indigestion and fatigue , joint problems or skin problems, but the disease is controversial among experts.

According to the DGAKI, it is not possible to detect wheat sensitivity without any doubt, since there are no biomarkers – even if this is something  that a naturopath or internet provider of self-tests claims. “That’s usually self -diagnostics,” says Imke Reese, co-author of the DGAKI Position Paper. And these were often not confirmed in medical tests. “Whether such a disease exists at all is therefore controversial in science,” says Reese.

Wheat waiver is not the cause for improvement: “Often the whole diet is changed immediately”

Andreas Stallmach, a scientist at the University of Jena, sees things differently: “For me it is proven that there is a wheat sensitivity, current estimates assume one to 1.5 percent in the German population.” These patients we see in practice, they are better off after excluding a celiac disease or wheat allergy with a wheat-free diet. “

However, gluten is unlikely to be responsible for this intolerance, but other substances in wheat, so-called ATIs. “In some people, they can trigger inflammation in the gut and then throughout the body,” Stallmach continues. Reese, on the other hand, doubts that it will be up to wheat to do better if those affected are better off. “Often the entire diet is changed and at least initially cooked more, which in itself usually has a positive effect, because less starch and sugar, but more vegetables and fruits on the table.”

The nocebo effect: The fear of the “killer grain” causes complaints

Part of the symptoms can also be explained by the nocebo effect:Negative expectations lower endorphins in the blood, which can increase malaise and pain. An increased release of neurotransmitters can foster fears. So if you knowingly consume the “killer grain”, then it is also plagued by real symptoms.

Conversely, dieting improves the placebo response. “But that’s not the imagination, these people really have something and need expert help,” says Reese. Stallmach also emphasizes that sufferers should see a doctor instead of starting a diet: “The doctor can then clarify whether it is a wheat sensitivity or diseases with similar symptoms that need a different therapy.”