Who can benefit from a gluten-free diet?

A gluten-free diet is best for those with celiac disease; but those with gluten sensitivities and other autoimmune disorders can also benefit. Watch nutrition specialist Melina Jampolis, MD, discuss who benefits most from a gluten-free diet.

Transcript

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There's a new area of people that have something called non-celiac gluten sensitivity that may also benefit from

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a gluten-free diet.

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We're really learning more and more each day about who can benefit from a gluten-free diet. We've known that people with a disease

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called celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disease of the intestines and the rest of your body,

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have to be on a gluten-free free diet because, if they eat gluten, it really causes damage to their intestines that can lead to cancer in some cases.

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So for those people, it's critical. But what's emerging in the research is that there's a new area of people

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that have something called non-celiac gluten sensitivity that may also benefit from a gluten-free diet.

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So what I recommend to my patients is if you have any sort of digestive problems that flare on a regular basis, or if you

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have any sort of autoimmune disease like thyroid disease, Hashimoto's, any sort of autoimmune arthritis

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or anything of that sort, you might try a gluten-free diet for two weeks, and if you notice a benefit, then stick with it.

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But for the majority of people, a gluten-free diet just in many cases means they're eating less of the refined, processed foods

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so it can be a healthier diet. But I have found more and more patients who report really very quickly feeling better

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on a gluten-free diet. So if you're one of those, stick with it. Just make sure to eat a balanced diet with all the major food