Are there benefits to going gluten free without a gluten sensitivity? This is a complicated question to answer however, I’m going to do my best to answer it. There are many things to consider before deciding to go gluten free. First you need to make sure that you are not celiac because once you have implemented a gluten free lifestyle you cannot be tested for celiac as you must be eating gluten to get a diagnosis. Second, once you have determined you are not celiac, figuring out if you have a gluten sensitivity can be harder than it seems. If you have some or most of the symptoms of celiac disease but do not actually have it, then it’s easy to say that yes you do have a gluten sensitivity. However, gluten can be bothering you in more subtle ways that you may not be aware of.
Gluten can for some people be at the root cause of:
Thyroid issues
Headaches and or migraines
Heartburn
Constipation
Adrenal Fatigue or just feeling tired a lot
Weight gain that you can’t figure out why it’s happening
Arthritis
Muscle aches and pains
Insomnia or trouble sleeping
That said just because you have one or more of these things does not mean that you should stop eating gluten. It is simply one thing to consider from a whole list of things that could be bothering you. For more information read this article. This is your gut on gluten by Dr. Amy Myers
Once you have decided that you may benefit from a gluten free lifestyle, the best bet is to do an elimination diet and remove it from your diet for 2-4 weeks. Then evaluate how you feel. If you do not see any improvements and you do not have an autoimmune disease or other chronic condition, then you may be okay with eating some gluten periodically.
Even then you have to realize that one of the biggest reasons that many people have a gluten sensitivity, is that they are eating a lot of highly processed foods and refined flours with gluten in them. If you eliminate those foods and eat only 100% whole wheat bread or things like ezekiel bread which is made of only live whole grains then you may be able to digest gluten with fewer problems.
In conclusion, unless you have celiac disease, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity as a formal diagnosis, only you can really decide if you should give you gluten. If you do go gluten free, please do it in a healthy way rather than consuming all the gluten free junk products you can just because they are gluten free.
I also encourage you to read this post and implement the advice in it.
Top 10 gluten free mistakes and how to avoid them
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