Myth: It is okay to cheat once in awhile
Truth: NO IT IS NOT
If you are using the gluten free diet for a non medical reason – so just like any regular diet – then sure. If you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or a gluten allergy then no.
For celiac disease the gluten free diet is not just to help you feel better – it is your treatment {like insulin would be for a diabetic}. You are not “cured” after a certain amount of time eating the gluten free diet and any amount – even a small cross-contaminated bread crumb – can do a world of harm to your body.
Celiac disease doesn’t discriminate on how much gluten you ingest. Even the smallest fraction can cause intestinal damage which can definitely lead to some pretty serious damages – if not immediately then potentially in the future. Ingesting gluten causes an autoimmune reaction due to the protein called gliadin which gets modified by the enzyme tissue transglutaminase and the immune system causing an inflammatory reaction leading to damage to the villi lining of the small intestine {responsible for absorption of nutrients & vitamins}. Any amount of gliadin in the system will cause this reaction in someone with celiac disease.
Accidental ingestion or cross contamination is a different story to ingesting it on purpose. Not worth it. There is almost a gluten free modification for anything & need to have to cheat.
Share This Post: Tweet
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: JakeAryehMarcus
January 18, 2011 at 1:56 pm
I so hate that look on people’s faces when they say (disbelievingly), “Never? Not even a little?” My DH knows the science and watched me nearly die from undignosed celiac (and suffer horribly for years and have one organ after another removed) and yet is still resistant to my being hard core about my celiac/gluten intolerant kids avoiding all gluten. Thankfully after I forced the kids off gluten (while hubby was away on business for a month), within a week they all felt so much better they police themselves. They know when they have eaten something cross-contaminated and complain.
Amusing side note: I may even have helped deter drug use. Having heard me refer to the brain fog we all get from gluten (in addition to all the GI stuff) as being liked smoking cheap pot, my teens have said, “Well, if that is what smoking pot is like, I am not going to try it!”
Jake Aryeh Marcus recently posted..Growing Up with Domestic Violence- Patrick Stewart and Me
Twitter: AccustomedChaos
January 18, 2011 at 3:50 pm
I think a lot of the reason for this myth is the misinformation that is going through the media and general society about celiac disease and what that means. A lot of times I hear it called an ‘allergy’ or the same as ‘gluten intolerance’ both of which are completely different to celiac disease (other then the need to be on a gluten free diet). Many people seem to think it is similar to lactose intolerance.
That is such a funny story from your kids!! Brain fog is one of the most troubling aspects to gluten contamination & can last forever!! Glad your teens are staying away