Update on Gluten

Pros and cons of a gluten-free diet.

February 27, 2011
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  • Michael Greger M.D.

    Please feel free to post any ask-the-doctor type questions here in the comments section and I’d be happy to try to answer them. And check out the other videos on gluten, and plant protein. Also, there are 1,449 other subjects covered in the rest of my videos–please feel free to explore them as well!

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  • Martin

    Can’t get this video, Update on Gluten, to play.

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    • Michael Greger M.D.

      Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment–anyone else having this problem? Do the other videos work for you?

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  • Martin

    It works now! Thanks!
    Generally the site works perfectly in Chrome. However sometimes, when using Firefox, the first video in a fresh session plays OK but trying to watch more videos or accessing anything else, results in the page not loading at all.
    Overall ten thumbs up (out of eleven)!

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  • HereHere

    That is a very interesting study on the detrimental effects of a gluten free diet on the good intestinal bacteria. I recently heard an expert (sorry, I can’t remember who), who talked about wheat is not at all like the wheat that was grown 80 or 100 years ago. At my local bulk food store, I managed to find some red fife wheat, which was labeled as an heirloom wheat. I had no idea that wheat would have been selectively bred to make it so different, but I guess that is what our government (at least in Canada) supports through the experimental farm and other agricultural research programs.

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  • JarethCutestory

    I’ve been diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. I’ve done some looking into it and it seems that just eliminating gluten from a diet does not heal the villi in your intestines. Is there something that can be done without costly “supplements”?

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  • Megann19

    The gold standard for diagnosing celiac disease is a biopsy of the small intestine. Clinical improvement after a period of time on a gluten-free diet is actually part of the diagnosis. I would make sure that you truly have celiac disease before going gluten-free; the first step is to find a gastroenterologist you trust. If celiac disease is established, a lifelong, gluten-free nutrition prescription (strictly avoiding the prolamins of wheat, barley and rye) is indicated. Strict (and the key word here is strict) adherence to the diet is what allows the intestinal villi to heal, thereby resolving the symptoms of malabsorption and preventing complications that can be associated with long-term untreated celiac. As for supplements, I am not familiar with any supplements that are effective in treating this disease (which doesn’t mean they don’t exist). What I am aware of however, is that people who adhere to a gluten-free lifestyle are often not getting enough dietary fiber, and need to pay special attention to B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate, and trace minerals such as iron. Supplements are often indicated and do not have to be expensive. The treatment for celiac disease is usually a major lifestyle adjustment, and working closely with a GI specialist and a registered dietitian is crucial!

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  • A Big Fan

    What is your opinion of the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis MD, which says that wheat gluten in modern wheat in particular is bad for almost everyone?

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