GLUTEN - 5 impacts on Women's Health

"Why all these discussions about gluten in the past couple of decades, while before we didn't hear much of it - gluten was around for centuries !?"

It is a question I hear often, and before discussing the effects of gluten on our systems, it is important to clarify one thing: the gluten we consume nowadays is not anymore the gluten our grandmas used. The cereal grains have been modified, and the old ones are not even available anymore on our markets nowadays.

The gluten was around for centuries indeed, but not the one from the wheat used in the randomly available bread, cookies or white pasta nowadays.

And definitely, it was not sprayed with glyphosate, a herbicide heavily used these days on wheat crops, and proved to be very invasive for our microbiome. Also, our grandmas bread was never packed in plastic - which comes with a chemical risk - and the old times bread products would not have a one-week validity, like many of the breads nowadays. So, many, many aspects changed.

Not all breads are equal, though - a fresh sourdough bread with cereal is not just lower in gluten, but miles away in terms of quality of fuel from a toast-white-flour-packed-in-plastic bread... So, it's not all or nothing, and mindful choices do matter.

Beyond that, let's now solely look at the effects of gluten on women's health - and here are 5 reasons why to limit it (well-known reasons and confirmed repeatedly by medical studies), yet not enough talked about:

1. Leaky gut

Gluten triggers the body to release a protein called zonulin, that has a negative effect in our body: it loosens the tight junctions in the lining of the intestinal tract. 

Leaky gut syndrom

When the lining of the intestinal tract is healthy, only the nutrients which are good for our bodies are allowed through the intestinal walls. 

When the vili and the tight junctions of the intestines are weakened, other substances (like larger food particles and dangerous pathogens) are allowed to sneak through the intestinal walls. 

This is called “leaky gut”, and triggers inflammation in the body.

The inflammation will further trigger rather quickly digestion and immunity issues, but also hormonal imbalances,  to which women are way more prone than men because of their highly complex hormonal systems (i.e. thyroid issues, PMS, PCOS etc.).

2. Gluten & Anemia  

Here things complicate: women are more prone to anemia than men, as they lose blood every month during their reproductive years (this, amongst other causes).

Foods rich in iron

And the main cause of the iron deficiency anemia is an impaired  iron absorption.

The consumption of gluten, as we've just discussed above, damages the intestinal villi. As a result, women are less able to adequately absorb enough iron (and other micronutrients) from their diets - and even from their supplements.

So, if you've struggled with anemia at one point in your life (and if you're a lady older than 25yo you probably already did!) you know how hard it is to live with its symptoms and how annoying it can be to fix it. 

Let me make this clear:  eating gluten very likely puts your iron absorption in danger, especially in late perimenopause (when repeated, unpredictable, heavier bleedings often lead to an enhanced anemia).

In menopause transition you really want to support the body, to fix and to further prevent anemia - and unless suffering of a special condition, it is advisable to take small amounts of iron with vitamin C every month during your menstrual phase (to keep your levels stable).

3. Autoimmune conditions  

As the gluten damages the intestinal lining and causes leaky gut, toxic substances find their way into our bloodstream, which causes inflammation.

Thyroid disease

Inflammation can trigger either a direct immune response, or an auto-immune response, like Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, Thyroiditis Hashimoto/ Grave, psoriasis, rectal or ulcerative colitis, MS and diabetes in some cases.

If you've been diagnosed with any of the above or another autoimmune condition, you will truly live better if gluten becomes an exception for you.

For that matter, the same goes for all the situations when your body struggles with inflammation ...of any kind, even a temporary one (as a cold, acne, too much stress, a longer term thyroid low, etc.). 

Especially for the ones struggling with a thyroid condition: limiting gluten is of a great importance: the molecular structure of gluten is similar with the one of the thyroid hormones, creating potential cross reactions and causing the immune system to fight not only the inflammation caused by the gluten, but also the thyroid itself.

Let's not forget: women are 7 times more likely to have hyperthyroidism, and 8 times more likely to have hypothyroidism than men.

4. Physical training performance

Are you a sporty lady, looking for training performance - better endurance, speed, strength, or improving your explosivity?

Working out

Well, gluten isn't your friend here either, especially in the hours before and after your trainings - simply because during an intense physical effort the intestinal lining suffers.

So just think: what happens with your performance and recovery if you eat a sandwich or a pizza before or after your hard training !?

5. Weight management

Do you maybe struggle to lose weight, a very common struggle of women in menopause transition?

Well, staying away from gluten for at least a while may help you a lot here, too.

We saw how gluten creates inflammation, and we know that inflammation plays on our cortisol levels, creating the stress response - in consequence destabilizing our blood sugar levels, and making it extra difficult to manage weight in a healthy way.  

In conclusion...

Gluten disturbs the lining of our intestines, each time we consume it: not only for the ladies diagnosed with Celiac disease, with "non-celiac gluten sensitivity" or with "gluten intolerance" but for ALL LADIES , disregarding the fact that we have identifiable symptoms or not.  Also: many women feel bloated after eating gluten products, and they don't consider that as a symptom... please know it, ladies: feeling bloated, as well as enhanced flatulence are actually gastro-intestinal symptoms.

If by any chance you suspect that your hormones aren't well balanced (which is the actual normality during the perimenopause and at least the first postmenopausal years), you may want to try to go gluten-free for a while, or at least to limit it as much as you can - at least until you observe what effects it has on you.

Challenge for the ladies in their perimenopause: 

How about, for example, trying a full menstrual cycle, gluten-free? :) 

Or, if a full cycle sounds too long, try it at least for the luteal and menstrual phase, for starters.

Journal the way you feel... and believe me, you're in for A LOT of pleasant surprises!

Symptoms like acne, bloating, water retention, mood swings, fatigue, PMS are likely to decrease greatly, you'll feel lighter and sleep better, too.

Let's make it clear: going gluten-free won’t heal your hormones all on its own - but it really is an important piece of the puzzle.

Working on our stress levels and eating balanced is crucial: enough protein and good fats intake, limiting fast sugar and alcohol as well as other inflammatory elements (dairy from cow, excess of caffeine etc.).

I know it can sound a little sad, this letting go of gluten... but at least we are lucky to be living in a time where so many gluten-free options are available.

Also, make your exceptions, it's not all or nothing: a good idea is to aim at having your exceptions just 1-2 a week maximum - and just 1 meal a day 😊

Having, for example, a sandwich in the morning, pasta at lunch and some random cake in the afternoon = 3 times a day gluten intake, and that is really not good for you, even if you will not overpass your needed caloric intake.

Remember, that when it comes to inflammation, it is not about the quantity of your calories intake, but about their quality!

P.S. Men are also negatively affected by gluten, but as their hormonal system is less changing, most of them tend to have less symptoms.  

However, when they struggle with inflammation or auto-immune conditions, when they are highly stressed or when they train hard, it is best for them to limit gluten, too.

I'm here if you have questions or if you need assistance to implement any of the above in your lifestyle - I know that sometimes the start can be rough, and... it really shouldn't be!

Adjust my nutrition to a tasty, gluten-free regimen