Some threads have touched on the topic of gluten-free diets. Some commenters think it's just another fad, others are curious to know if there is any point in following a gluten-free diet. I want to share my experience going gluten-free, why I did it, and how it affected my health.
It all started in January 2013. For years, I noticed that I would get gas and bloating whenever I drank beer or ate bread. It was getting worse and worse each year. The bloating wasn't painful but the gas smelled something horrible. I don't remember how I got the idea that it might be gluten, but I decided to test out the hypothesis so I got off gluten. The effects were immediate. No more gas or bloating. To make sure that it wasn't carbs in general that were bothering me, I made sure to increase my intake of rice and corn. Still no gas.
At that point, I decided I was going gluten-free. I'll divide the rest of the post into sections.
Mental Effects
I noticed the first mental effects about 2-3 weeks into the diet and they lasted for about 4 weeks total. I was lethargic, light-headed and had brain fog. I did some googling to see if other people had experienced this and found that it was common when going gluten-free. They call it gluten withdrawal. A couple of times during this period I had a piece of toast or sandwich in order to keep the withdrawal symptoms in check. It gave me gas but it did help the mental symptoms.
After I was over the withdrawals, my mental state returned to normal. Then after another few weeks, I noticed another mental change. I was thinking much clearer and felt smarter. Many people go on a gluten-free diet in order to get rid of "brain fog". Before going on the diet, I didn't feel like I had brain fog but I had noticed that I had gotten dumber during my 20s. I thought this was normal though as I spent most of that time doing theoretical physics and its pretty well established that the type of intelligence needed to do that peaks in the early 20s and then decays.
My thinking clarity and intelligence continued to increase for a few months. By 5-6 months post-gluten I wasn't getting any more mental clarity or intelligence but the difference between then and when I was still eating gluten was huge. Even when I was 17 and super sharp, I was not as smart as I was 6 months after giving up gluten. If this had been the only change, going gluten-free would still have been worth it.
Physical Effects
Besides the lack of gas and bloating, I started noticing physical effects around 3 months after giving up gluten. The effects I noticed were that my muscles were harder and I healed quicker after working out. This was not a huge effect but it was noticeable, especially the muscle hardness. It was like I was better at flexing. I haven't seen any other reports with these effects.
Some people get significant weight loss or gain after giving up gluten but those people are usually nutritionally deficient. I was taking high quality supplements for years so if gluten was causing some kind of nutritional deficiency, I was able to counteract it.
The other minor physical change that I noted started around 9 months. Before giving up gluten, a lot of foods that give most people gas did not give me gas. Broccoli and beans didn't really give me gas. Around 9 months post-gluten, I started getting gas from these foods. This is a pretty strong indication that my intestinal flora completely changed.
Getting Glutened
Besides the withdrawal period during which I intentionally ate gluten a couple of times, I accidentally ate gluten a few times since going gluten-free. It eats a bag of dicks.
The first thing I notice when I have been accidentally glutened is a tingling sensation all over my skin. This isn't so bad and it goes away within 30-60 minutes. The next part is what really blows. I get brain fog for the rest of the day. I can't think clearly and it's hard to be productive.
Conclusions
Going gluten-free was totally worth it. I don't think I have celiac disease, but I clearly have some kind of intolerance or allergic reaction to gluten. I don't miss gluten and it's really not that hard to find food when going out to eat. Meats, eggs, leafy greens, fruits, foods that you should be eating are all gluten free.
If you have symptoms of gluten intolerance then I recommend cutting gluten out of your diet for at least 3 months to see if you get better. Even if you don't have gluten intolerance, the types of foods that contain gluten are the types of foods you shouldn't eat too much of anyway.
It all started in January 2013. For years, I noticed that I would get gas and bloating whenever I drank beer or ate bread. It was getting worse and worse each year. The bloating wasn't painful but the gas smelled something horrible. I don't remember how I got the idea that it might be gluten, but I decided to test out the hypothesis so I got off gluten. The effects were immediate. No more gas or bloating. To make sure that it wasn't carbs in general that were bothering me, I made sure to increase my intake of rice and corn. Still no gas.
At that point, I decided I was going gluten-free. I'll divide the rest of the post into sections.
Mental Effects
I noticed the first mental effects about 2-3 weeks into the diet and they lasted for about 4 weeks total. I was lethargic, light-headed and had brain fog. I did some googling to see if other people had experienced this and found that it was common when going gluten-free. They call it gluten withdrawal. A couple of times during this period I had a piece of toast or sandwich in order to keep the withdrawal symptoms in check. It gave me gas but it did help the mental symptoms.
After I was over the withdrawals, my mental state returned to normal. Then after another few weeks, I noticed another mental change. I was thinking much clearer and felt smarter. Many people go on a gluten-free diet in order to get rid of "brain fog". Before going on the diet, I didn't feel like I had brain fog but I had noticed that I had gotten dumber during my 20s. I thought this was normal though as I spent most of that time doing theoretical physics and its pretty well established that the type of intelligence needed to do that peaks in the early 20s and then decays.
My thinking clarity and intelligence continued to increase for a few months. By 5-6 months post-gluten I wasn't getting any more mental clarity or intelligence but the difference between then and when I was still eating gluten was huge. Even when I was 17 and super sharp, I was not as smart as I was 6 months after giving up gluten. If this had been the only change, going gluten-free would still have been worth it.
Physical Effects
Besides the lack of gas and bloating, I started noticing physical effects around 3 months after giving up gluten. The effects I noticed were that my muscles were harder and I healed quicker after working out. This was not a huge effect but it was noticeable, especially the muscle hardness. It was like I was better at flexing. I haven't seen any other reports with these effects.
Some people get significant weight loss or gain after giving up gluten but those people are usually nutritionally deficient. I was taking high quality supplements for years so if gluten was causing some kind of nutritional deficiency, I was able to counteract it.
The other minor physical change that I noted started around 9 months. Before giving up gluten, a lot of foods that give most people gas did not give me gas. Broccoli and beans didn't really give me gas. Around 9 months post-gluten, I started getting gas from these foods. This is a pretty strong indication that my intestinal flora completely changed.
Getting Glutened
Besides the withdrawal period during which I intentionally ate gluten a couple of times, I accidentally ate gluten a few times since going gluten-free. It eats a bag of dicks.
The first thing I notice when I have been accidentally glutened is a tingling sensation all over my skin. This isn't so bad and it goes away within 30-60 minutes. The next part is what really blows. I get brain fog for the rest of the day. I can't think clearly and it's hard to be productive.
Conclusions
Going gluten-free was totally worth it. I don't think I have celiac disease, but I clearly have some kind of intolerance or allergic reaction to gluten. I don't miss gluten and it's really not that hard to find food when going out to eat. Meats, eggs, leafy greens, fruits, foods that you should be eating are all gluten free.
If you have symptoms of gluten intolerance then I recommend cutting gluten out of your diet for at least 3 months to see if you get better. Even if you don't have gluten intolerance, the types of foods that contain gluten are the types of foods you shouldn't eat too much of anyway.
I've got the dick so I make the rules.
-Project Pat