Why must one be eating gluten to test positive for celiac disease? I know, what a completely backwards thought. Testing for celiac disease often puts people in a pickle and sometimes health care providers add to the intensity of this situation.
I must say, a pet peeve of mine is when people visit a practitioner and are told to stop eating gluten to see if it makes them feel better. You wouldn’t believe how often I hear this from people who then decide not ever to eat gluten again. The caveat here is that they never proceed forward with testing because they would need to go back onto a gluten laden diet- and feel sick for the sake of testing. However, the importance of knowing if you have celiac disease cannot be lost here.
What is the difference with being on a gluten free diet and a celiac diet?
Sorry to pop your bubble if you are feeling “right” and “safe” with your current situation, but the difference isn’t small it’s huge. A celiac diet is one in which the term anal is amplified 100% (seriously) and that might not even be enough to save you from being glutened.
The average person on a gluten free diet isn’t following the complexities required of a celiac diet. The sad truth is that even a crumb can be causing untoward health effects on these patients, unbeknownst to them.
Do I advocate for reinitiating gluten in the diet for the interest of testing- you betcha.
And for the sake of repetition, here is what Wm. K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease has to say about this:
“Individuals should not start a gluten-free diet prior to having the blood test, and if positive, confirming the diagnosis of celiac disease by small intestinal biopsy. This is because the damage to the small intestine that is caused by gluten in patients with celiac disease is reversible and eliminating gluten from the diet before the biopsy is obtained can interfere with obtaining accurate test results. This can make it very difficult to obtain an accurate diagnosis in the absence of restarting a gluten containing diet. Currently, treatment for celiac disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet. As the gluten-free diet can be challenging and lifestyle altering, it is very important to undergo an accurate diagnostic work-up for celiac disease before starting a gluten-free diet.”
See these previous celiac disease articles posted on She Sugar-
Can You Diagnose Yourself with Celiac Disease?
Blood Tests to Diagnose Celiac Disease