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There is a lot of speculation out there that there may be a link between fibromyalgia and gluten. And some people even go so far as to argue that people with fibromyalgia don’t have a disease at all. And that what an allergy to gluten is really causing their symptoms. But while that sounds completely crazy, there may be more truth to it than you think.
But what exactly is gluten? How are fibromyalgia and gluten related? And what can you do about it?
What is gluten?
So gluten is a protein that is found in wheat products. And it’s in a lot of different food products because it helps to hold food together. In things like dough, it acts like glue and helps the food hold its shape. People have been eating gluten for thousands of years. And ever since the first wheat crops were domesticated, gluten has been in our diets.
But there have always been people with a certain sensitivity to gluten. Some of these people have something called celiac disease, which is a condition where the immune system reacts to gluten as if it were a dangerous substance.
This results in the person with celiac disease feeling sick. And it produces gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea and bloating. Luckily, celiac disease is actually fairly rare.
But some people think that gluten is basically just bad for everyone and so by avoiding gluten they hope to be healthier. Unfortunately, this is actually not how it works.
Gluten is totally safe for most people. And doesn’t affect them at all. But sticking to a gluten-free diet when you don’t have to makes it hard to get some of the nutrients you need. So you’re probably doing yourself more harm than good by sticking to a gluten-free diet. And many people who claim to be gluten sensitive are actually just imagining their symptoms (I’m looking forward to the response that statement will get in the comments).
So if you don’t have a gluten allergy, you shouldn’t be afraid of gluten. But that’s not to say that gluten can’t actually be bad for you. And in fact, there seems to be a link between fibromyalgia and gluten in a sense.
How are fibromyalgia and gluten related?
You see, it isn’t just people with celiac disease who struggle with problems from eating gluten. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is a condition that causes widespread muscular pain and fatigue. It’s caused by an exposure to gluten in people without celiac disease who still struggle to process gluten.
And as you probably noticed, it produces symptoms that are very similar to fibromyalgia. Which suggests that there may be some relationship between fibromyalgia and gluten. On the most basic level, it suggests that some people with fibromyalgia symptoms may actually just have a long-term, undiagnosed gluten sensitivity.
And in a study conducted in 2011, medical researchers tested whether people with fibromyalgia could be cured with treatment for gluten sensitivity. They found that many of the patients had their symptoms reduced significantly simply by eliminating gluten from their diet. This suggests that there is definitely some link between fibromyalgia and gluten. And it suggests that fibromyalgia sufferers might actually get some relief from removing gluten from their diet.
So how do you go gluten-free?
What can you do about it?
Since gluten is mostly found in wheat crops, the first step is to eliminate all wheat from your diet. This is trickier than it sounds for a few reasons. First, you may be surprised by how many different foods have wheat in them. Everything from cookies to gravy contains gluten, which makes getting rid of it hard. Secondly, the list of flours that contain gluten doesn’t stop at wheat.
Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to make going gluten-free easier. For instance, you can simply swap out products. Lots of popular brands now offer gluten-free alternatives for your favorite foods. And here is a list of different flours you can use in your own cooking that are great alternatives to wheat. And there are plenty of easy substitutions you can make in your favorite recipes that will cut out the gluten.
The link between fibromyalgia and gluten isn’t completely understood yet. But in the future, research may provide answers and cures. There is little harm in trying a gluten-free diet for a few weeks and seeing if your symptoms improve, though. And if it leads to less pain, it’s definitely worth trying.
So tell us, does there seem to be a link between your fibromyalgia and gluten? Did eliminating gluten help? Let us know in the comments.
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