mmpetunia wrote:i have been gluten and dairy free for over a year now, but this holiday season i fell off the bandwagon. i figured, since i am already eating gluten i may as well get the testing done. i have actually felt pretty good, no noticeable reaction to the reintroduction of gluten to my diet at all. if the test shows that i do not have a negative reaction to gluten do i still need to exclude it from my diet? i can manage with no dairy pretty easily but the gluten has always been a challenge. if its necessary i'm willing but if it isn't then i'd rather keep it for quality of life's sake.
Meagan – I am currently reading
Wheat Belly, a book by Dr. William Davis. To answer the question you raised in December, Dr. Davis says, on page 80, "Three groups of antibody blood tests are now widely available to diagnose celiac disease, or at least strongly suggest that an immune response against gluten has been triggered."
"Anti-gliadin antibodies.…
Transglutaminase antibody.…
Endomysium antibodies.… Introduced in the mid--90s, this test is emerging as the most accurate antibody test, identifying more than 90% celiac cases.
If you have already divorced yourself from wheat, note that these tests can turn negative within a few months, and almost certainly negative or reduced after six months. So the tests have value only for people currently consuming products or only for those who recently have stopped consuming wheat products. Fortunately, there are some other tests available.…"
The author recommends elimination of wheat from the diet for a month to see if there is an effect on the symptoms.
And on the topic of nutritional deficiencies, the author says (page 88), "Iron-deficiency anemia is unusually common among celiac sufferers, affecting up to 69%. Deficiencies of vitamin B-12, folic acid, zinc, and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are also common."
The author discusses intestinal permeability (Leaky Gut) as one result of wheat sensitivity. He also explains that wheat raises blood sugar levels more than table sugar or even a candy bar AND then spikes insulin as a result. He has signed a new term: immune-mediated gluten intolerance. I am adding my lifelong ingestion of wheat to the cause of my elevated insulin level. The author is persuasive; I have been convinced. I encourage others to read this book.