It could be you, a friend, child or a spouse recently diagnosed with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. There are many questions that come up, so I will go over a few that are the most common.
1. Does gluten make you fat? No, gluten does not make you fat, lifestyle choices do. If we eat more calories than we need or expend it will be stored as fat. It has little to do with gluten.
2. Now that I am on a gluten free diet, will I lose weight? Most people who start a strict gluten free diet, gain a few pounds. When their body starts to heal, they absorb more nutrients and gain the weight they may have lost due to Celiac. Some of the gluten free products are also higher in calories and fat, leading to weight gain. A naturally gluten free diet, lean meats, fruits and vegetables, will help with weight management. It is all about lifestyle choices, whether gluten free or not.
3. Are people with Celiac always skinny? Forty percent of people diagnosed are overweight at their time of diagnosis. Only 4 to 5 percent are underweight.
4. What does 20 parts per million of gluten mean? Twenty ppm of gluten is the amount of gluten the FDA allows in a product that is labeled gluten free. The latest research states ingesting 50mg of gluten per day can cause intestinal damage for people with Celiac disease. This would mean you would need to eat 5 pounds of gluten free foods per day to damage to occur.
Happy June everyone, questions about gluten will continue tomorrow.
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