What’s the fuss about Gluten?

Gluten free products are the fastest growing sector of the grocery market. Why? The incidence of gluten related health problems appears to be rising. Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that affects your ability to absorb nutrients, and also creates an immune response to the gliadin (the protein in gluten) can manifest itself as joint pain, fatigue, skin rashes, digestive problems, neurological problems, thyroid disorders, iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, and sleep disruption. What many people don’t realize is that even without a formal celiac diagnosis, you may be gluten intolerant . This problem is called non-Celiac gluten enteropathy.    Many of our patients benefit from a gluten free diet. 

Testing for gluten intolerance and disease has expanded as well. There are saliva tests, blood tests and biopsies that can confirm or deny a diagnosis of celiac disease. Some of these tests are combined with other regular tests that can discover other causes of the symptoms being experienced. 

Ask us about what types of testing makes sense for you!

For those of you in Portland, here's a list of gluten free restaurants.