Regardless what the media, your best friend, or the chiropractor says, there is no reason to try a gluten-free diet when there is no medical benefit. Since May is celiac disease awareness month, I feel it is my duty to educate the misinformed and put a stop to the spread of inaccurate information.
Here are 10 of the most common myths:
- Yes. celiac disease is a genetic, autoimmune disease that can lead to the development of other autoimmune diseases (i.e. diabetes, Crohn’s disease, etc.).
- Yes. celiac disease is a disease. It is a serious medical condition and can be life-threatening.
- Yes. On average, it takes 6-10 years to receive a medical diagnosis of celiac disease.
- Yes. There is no cure for celiac disease.
- No. You can’t outgrow or defeat celiac disease.
- Yes. A gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease. There is no pill to take. Eliminating gluten is the only way to heal the gut and body.
- No. You should not start a gluten-free diet prior to running tests. This move can result in a false negative. You need to be eating gluten for the test results to be accurate.
- Yes. There are other gluten-related illnesses, like non-celiac gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy and other autoimmune diseases (diabetes, Crohn’s disease) that benefit from a gluten-free diet.
- No. If someone goes gluten-free and feels better, they must have celiac disease. It could be they are gluten sensitive or have a wheat allergy.
- No. Everyone should not try a gluten-free diet. No one needs to follow a gluten-free diet unless they are medically required to do so.
Let’s work together to spread accurate information and stop the prevalence of false and misleading information.
Happy Celiac Disease Awareness Month.
