As many of us already know, there are some celiacs who are “refractory” and continue to have ongoing symptoms after going gluten free. In addition, there are a bunch of us who are “super sensitive” in terms of reactions to gluten cross-contamination. I am one of the super sensitives. Not too long ago I had a reaction from eating one bite of a Trader Joe’s “no gluten ingredients” brownie which I had prepared in my own gluten free kitchen for a potluck.
Just last week, Dr. Fasano and colleagues published a research paper on the effects of 3-6 months of a diet of exclusively whole, unprocessed foods on the symptoms of celiac patients who had no improvement while eating strictly gluten free. In this study patients were considered to have non-responsive celiac disease (NRCD) if they failed to respond to the gluten free diet or had a recurrence/relapse of symptoms despite being gluten free. Steroids are currently the standard of care for treating NRCD, which as we know can have serious side effects.
The researchers coined their diet the “Gluten Contamination Elimination Diet.” Here is the breakdown of foods with are allowed and prohibited on this diet:
Allowed: brown and white rice; all fresh fruits and vegetables; fresh meats; fish; eggs; dried beans; unseasoned nuts in the shell; butter; plain yogurt; plain milk, and aged cheeses; oils; vinegar (except flavored or malt); honey; salt. Beverages allowed include 100% juices, water, and Gatorade.
Not allowed: millet, sorghum, buckwheat or any other grains, seeds, or flours; frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables; lunch meats; ham; bacon; seasoned or flavored dairy products; processed cheeses; flavored and malt vinegars.
Basically, all processed foods are eliminated. Of note, dairy is not reintroduced until week 4 of the diet.
17 patients with NRCD, all female, were placed on this diet for an average of 3-6 months. 14 of the 17 (82%) significantly improved on the Gluten Contamination Elimination Diet. Of those who did have biopsies performed after the diet, all but one had resolution of their villous atrophy. This is important information as there have been a lot of recent studies showing that persistent villous atrophy is common in celiac disease. Most of the patients in this study were able to eventually resume a “traditional” gluten free diet.
It has taken me over 3 years, and a lot of trial and error, to figure out the foods which my body loves and hates. Interestingly enough, my body’s food preferences are almost identical to the foods on the “allowed” list in this diet. Had I known about this diet, and adhered to it when I was first diagnosed, it would have saved me a ton of pain and anguish. I am optimistic that this diet (or a similar version) will become the standard of care for those newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and I hope that this happens sooner than later. If we work together, we can get the word out!
Reference: “Trace gluten contamination may play a role in mucosal and clinical recovery in a subgroup of diet-adherent non-responsive celiac disease patients.” BMC Gastroenterology. 2013. 13:40 (e-pub).
