My partner has been gluten-intolerant for a couple of decades. He cited some savage antibiotic courses when he had that pesky stomach bacteria H Pylori. Since then, despite taking probiotics, he has never been the same. He is also reluctant to take advice from me, being his partner, and to be honest, he is so used to navigating the world as a gluten-free eater (and drinker) that he’s not particularly motivated to change anything.

My own experiences with gluten-freeness have been different, however. After noticing my extreme tiredness post-pizza a few times, my partner suggested I might have an issue with gluten. It is altogether possible that I did – gluten is a hard protein for the digestive system to break down – and I also had some cramping in my gut. But looking back, it is also possible that there was a correlation between my symptoms, and the power of suggestion being a great thing indeed, I hung my issues off the ‘gluten’ hook. That said, I kept trying to bring gluten back in, and experienced slight nausea, cramping, tiredness etc. Indeed, signs of a gluten intolerance can be manifold, and also very non-specific. Certainly, on the day I cut gluten out entirely, I felt a marked change in my energy. It is very possible that gluten was at least one of the culprits for my symptoms. But given the wider ‘environment’, it is not surprising I was having digestive issues.

A little word about that ‘environment’. It was in 2021 that I cut out gluten after a year and bit of the covid Lockdowns and all the stresses related to the uncertainties and enforced separations that came with them. I had gone into it pretty stressed as well, following a close bereavement at the beginning of 2020. Not easy. Indeed, I’ve seen headlines recently about rises in IBS and other digestive issues following this period, and while there has been some effort to link this rise to the covid infection itself, many acknowledge that stress also had a major part to play. After all, stress is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest cause of gastro-intestinal issues.

Here’s the science bit. Concentrate. (Just dated myself there!)

Gluten contains proteins, mainly glutenin and gliadin, which themselves are high in something called proline that can be difficult to break down in the gut. In people with coeliac disease, these undigested fragments trigger an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine. But even those without coeliac, a sensitivity to gluten can cause similar though less severe symptoms like  bloating, fatigue, or brain fog. Some studies have suggested that gluten can increase the permeability of the intestine, allowing larger molecules to pass into the bloodstream, triggering inflammation. This is called ‘leaky gut’. It has been further suggested that modern wheat varieties contain more immunogenic gluten peptides than older varieties, or even that the way we industrially process flour causes more gluten to form.  

People who have an issue with gluten can broadly be grouped into four types of varying severity:

Coeliac disease: A serious autoimmune condition where gluten causes serious intestinal damage, often resulting in significant nutrient deficiencies as a result.

Wheat allergy: An immune response (like other food allergies) with varying symptoms and severity, but like all allergies can include anaphylaxis.

Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity: No intestinal damage but still causes symptoms.

IBS patients: May be reacting more to FODMAPs (in wheat) than to gluten itself, causing bloating and gas and sometimes cramps.

If you feel like you may have a gluten sensitivity, you may want to cut it out for two weeks and note the difference in symptoms. It is worth bearing in mind that to get a secure diagnosis of coeliac disease, you need to consume gluten for several weeks in advance of testing, which for some people can be too much. Indeed, many people, like my partner and me, have never been tested for coeliac disease and just decided to cut it out. Some people like to get a diagnosis, however, and it can be helpful, since accidental ingestion of gluten for someone with coeliac can be very serious.

Certainly, a healthy diet that consumes relatively low amounts of immunogenic foods such as gluten and unfermented dairy, tends to be better for our guts than the typical western diet – full of processed gluten and dairy-rich foods, as well as high in sugar and damaged fats, and relatively low in wholegrains and organic fresh fruit and vegetables. But it is worth bearing in mind that a gluten-free diet may end up being even less healthy than otherwise. A lot of the gluten-free ‘substitute’ foods such as bread, cakes and biscuits contain even more sugar and fat than the ‘gluten-full’ equivalents. And there is evidence to suggest that people who eat gluten-free diets tend to have less diverse microbiomes than otherwise, which can also pose problems for gut permeability.

Having eaten a gluten-free diet for about four years – with occasional brief forays into the gluten world – there’s no doubt that it is far easier than 20 or even 10 years ago. My partner can attest to the increase in variety and quality of foods, and the wider labelling of menus has also made it an easier eating experience. There are still plenty of cuisines available – Indian and some South American cuisines are particularly gluten-free by nature. If you eat a healthy, homecooked, whole food diet, you avoid having to scrutinise supermarket labels for the allergens – barley is an ingredient that finds its way into a LOT of products on the shelf, even if wheat flour doesn’t. But although the price has dropped with more products entering the market, gluten-free products do come with a premium. Some countries even provide their gluten-avoiding-for medical-reasons populations with vouchers or the equivalent for food, as it really can hurt the wallet, especially if going for convenience foods, or swapping like for like.

So how did my discovery that gluten was okay come about? Well, I’d had my suspicions. I had eaten gluten in Greece quite happily. Lots of people report that foreign bread doesn’t have the same effect, especially if coming from the UK and US, where flours are the most processed. Perhaps also, the stress of day-to-day life drops away, and suddenly your digestion, ordinarily strangled by high-cortisol levels, gets a break and relaxes! Who knows? But what really did it was that I was on a long-weekend in Ludlow (renowned as a ‘foodie’ destination) and I really, really wanted a signature cinnamon bun from a wonderful local café. Yes, I know. I am a nutritional therapist and I know gluten and fat and sugar are bad, but, come on, we have to live! So I ate one, in stages, on a hike. I didn’t notice any adverse effects on my energy levels or notable differences in my digestive performance, and not to put too fine a point on it, everything worked as normal the next day. So, then I bought some high-quality sourdough bread and I’ve not looked back since!

Why sourdough?

For some people who have a sensitivity rather than an allergy or coeliac disease, sourdough can be tolerated quite well. There are several reasons for this:

1. Fermentation reduces gluten

• Wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria in sourdough starter begin breaking down gluten proteins during the long fermentation.
• Studies show that traditional sourdough fermentation can reduce gluten content by up to 30–50%, and in some special cases, almost completely (but not reliably enough for people with Coeliac disease).

2. Breaks down FODMAPs

• Sourdough fermentation also reduces FODMAPs (fermentable sugars found in wheat), which can trigger bloating and digestive issues in people with IBS.
• This makes sourdough easier on the gut, even if gluten isn’t the root problem.

3. Degrades problematic peptides

• Some of the peptides in gluten (like gliadin) are particularly hard to digest and inflammatory in sensitive individuals.
• Sourdough microbes produce enzymes that partially degrade these peptides, reducing their impact.

4. Improves gut tolerance

• The fermentation also increases levels of beneficial acids (like lactic acid) and prebiotics, which may improve overall gut health and tolerance over time.

So, that’s why I put a big thumbs up for sourdough. That said, although it is tempting to go mad in the gluten-filled marketplace, gobbling all the doughy treats available, it is advisable to go low and slow with the reintroduction of gluten into the diet. It may take a while for the digestive system to adjust to what is a relatively tricky digestive feat.

My advice for anyone with a suspected intolerance who has cut gluten out but now wants to reintroduce, is to start with a bit of sourdough and build up gradually. You may find all those tricks and tips for eating gluten-free still come in handy in your efforts to eat well. Going mad on gluten isn’t advisable for anyone, even those with cast-iron digestions, as there’s so many other, better-for-you foods out there. I’ve discovered some amazing gf recipes like quinoa pizza bases, and wheat-free breads that I’m still going to make. Also, the last thing I want is to go back to a diet that contains bread or some other stodgy wheat-y carb for every meal, as I was used to once upon a time. Besides, my partner still needs to eat gf, and since we eat the same thing a lot of the time, I don’t want to dramatically change my diet where I eat all the pies, pasties, pastas, pizzas and stodgy sandwiches while he looks on in dismay and jealousy.

But I am excited for a future where I don’t have to scour every menu for the handy ‘gf’ symbol, only to find the thing I really fancy doesn’t have it. What my experience does show is that, for some, a period without gluten while building up the gut with probiotics, plenty of plant foods, and lots of from-scratch cooking, repair can and does happen. And even if I was told I had to give up gluten tomorrow, I’d be okay with that. There really is a wealth of foods that are not off-limits.

If you have any questions or tips to with going gluten-free, or even an experience like mine, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at jop.naturalnutrition@gmail.com or write a comment below. Or if you would like help with your health, digestive or otherwise, similarly drop me a line, and we can arrange a free 15-minute call to chat about your needs.