Removing Wheat and Gluten From the Diet can Have an Impact on the Symptoms of Asthma

Recent studies have show a link between gluten sensitivity and asthma. According to a new study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, there is a strong correlation between consuming gluten and asthma flare-ups.

Other studies have shown that when some people eliminate wheat and gluten from their diet, their exercise-induced anaphylaxis symptoms stop.

The incidence of people suffering with asthma in the U.S. continues to grow. Interestingly enough, so does the incidence of people being diagnosed with gluten intolerance.  Because asthma can be an autoimmune reaction, researchers have speculated that the are related.

How can consuming gluten trigger asthma in people with a gluten allergy?

Allergic asthma is considered the most common form of asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. When someone with a gluten allergy consumes gluten, the increased levels of histamine in the airways cause inflammation, restricting the person’s ability to breathe normally.

Both gluten and dairy are the highest producers of mucus in the body, so it is no wonder that they can aggravate asthma symptoms.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat. When consumed by someone with a gluten allergy, the immune system overreacts to the protein and attempts to fight it off with histamine and IgE antibodies.

The hard facts on the connection between gluten and asthma

The simple facts are that after years of many visits to Dr’s and spending thousands of dollars in bills, many asthma patients have come to realize that it all comes down to the simplest changes, removing gluten containing foods from the diet.

Numerous reports and anecdotal stories are showing a strong link between wheat or gluten, and asthma.

The following testimony is typical of what has been reported my many asthma patients.

“I have been off Gluten now for 8 weeks. Prior to coming off Gluten I was taking my Ventolin inhaler most days and could do not any exercise with the need to take it. From the day I stopped Gluten, it was the last day that I took my inhaler. I can even now run 6 miles and have no need for Ventolin.”

“I have suffered for seven or so years with asthma and it has gotten progressively worse. also, I also suffered from terrible chronic headaches daily and fatigue and dizziness. I have also had on and off diarrhea  my whole life but no typical gluten intolerance symptoms in my gut. I have been off of gluten now for less than a week and the very first thing i noticed is that my asthma is gone!! i mean, its like a miracle… No more inhaler. Generally, I feel so much better. I would highly recommend trying this if you have chronic health issues. Gluten could be the answer.”

Both gluten allergy and celiac disease can lead to asthma symptoms

A gluten allergy is not the same thing as gluten intolerance. A reaction to wheat and a reaction to gluten may be two different things. What they have in common, besides the high levels of gluten in wheat, is that they are common foods, nearly impossible to avoid.

What is the difference between celiac disease and wheat allergy?

Celiac disease and wheat allergy are two distinct conditions. Celiac disease, or celiac sprue, is a permanent adverse reaction to gluten. Those with celiac disease will not lose their sensitivity to this substance.

Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder in which the body attacks itself when exposed to gluten, a protein found in many grains. People with celiac disease must avoid all grains that contain gluten, including wheat, rye and barley. If you have celiac, you don’t have an allergy, you have a specific reaction to gluten in your gut.

Celia disease requires a lifelong restriction of gluten. The major grains that contain gluten are wheat, rye, oats, and barley. These grains and their by-products must be strictly avoided by people with celiac disease.

Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder in which the body attacks itself when exposed to gluten, a protein found in many grains. People with celiac disease must avoid all grains that contain gluten, including wheat, rye and barley.

Wheat allergy is different from celiac disease in several ways. Wheat-allergic people have an IgE-mediated response to wheat protein. These individuals must only avoid wheat.

The symptoms of an allergic to reaction to wheat will usually appear in minutes to hours after eating food containing wheat. Celiac disease symptoms are usually GI-related and m

Wheat allergy is most common in young children, of which the majority will outgrow it within five years. This occurs more quickly if the wheat-containing food is completely avoided. Those who develop the allergy later in life will probably retain it.

Because they are likely to be in your diet on a multiple-times-per-day basis, and because their effects are delayed, as are the benefits when these foods are removed from your diet, it is unlikely that you would notice the connection between wheat or gluten, and asthma.

However, if you eliminate all gluten-containing foods for three to four weeks, you may notice a big improvement in your asthma symptoms.

Note that traditional allergy tests may come up negative for wheat and gluten.

There are several reasons why you should ignore the results of such tests and try eliminating gluten from your diet instead. So forget the tests, if you have asthma, try a gluten-free diet, and see what happens.

Luckily, there are now all sorts of breads, pastas and baked goods that are made from non-wheat grains. Grains that are safe for people with wheat allergies include:

• amaranth
• arrowroot
• buckwheat
• corn
• millet
• quinoa
• rice
• tapioca

Are oats safe for those with gluten allergy

The safety of the ingestion of oats has been controversial for a while, but the consumption of oats has recently been proven to be safe. However, it should be considered that most commercial oat products contain wheat flour or gluten. Contamination of oats with wheat may occur due to the sharing of equipment in grain processing and the rotation of crops (wheat may be grown on the same field as oats were). Therefore, contamination may be the cause of adverse reactions to oats often reported by gluten-sensitive individuals.

“Pure,” Uncontaminated Oats Have Come on the Market

Oat products can now be found that are not cross contaminated. These can be tried after an initial period of 6 months to see if they can be tolerated. Most, but not all patients can tolerate pure oat products.

Two vendors that offer oats that can be considered safe for people who are gluten intolerant are:

Gluten Free Oats®, certified gluten free oats.

Gifts of Nature Certified Gluten-Free Rolled Oats.

These oat products are considered safe for those with celiac disease because they were tested to be below 10 parts per million (ppm) by the University of Nebraska FARRP Laboratory.

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