By Dr. Jillian Sarno Teta:
Babies born to mothers with gluten sensitivity are more likely to develop gluten sensitivity themselves. There are a numbers of factors that influence and mitigate this risk that are under firm control of you, as the mother or mother-to-be.
In the realm of describing gluten sensitivity, we can make two broad brushstrokes. The first is Celiac disease, an inherited autoimmune condition. Those with Celiac disease are born with a genetic risk for it (up to 30% of the worldwide population has this genetic risk), and have to have some type of injury to their gut and exposure to gluten and these three conditions cause the disease to manifest. Celiac disease is not a strictly genetic disease. While the predisposition must be in place, environmental inputs will be the final determining factor.
With Celiac disease, the immune system destroys the lining of the small intestine upon exposure to gluten. This, in turn leads to a huge variety of local gastrointestinal and systemic body wide consequences, driven largely by inflammation and malabsorption. The cure for Celiac disease is a strict, lifelong adherence to a gluten-free (GF) diet. Taking extra good care of the digestive system is helpful as well, to soothe symptoms that don’t always disperse on a GF diet.
The next broad brushstroke is non-Celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). These are people who do not have Celiac disease, but whose symptoms are eliminated by the removal of gluten from the diet and brought back upon the reintroduction of it. Though there are some voices in the natural blogosphere world who dismiss this as a fad, NCGS is well established in the medical literature.
The cause of NCGS is not well understood, but it is thought – like Celiac disease – to be driven by genetic and environmental factors both. Immune function, health of the microbiome (the 100-trillion cell strong colony of beneficial bacteria that lives in your large intestine), injury to the lining of the digestive tract through illness, chronic stress, dietary indiscretions and a number of other influences and the way they interact in your unique body will determine individual sensitivity or not.
The gluten-free haters will scoff and say that rates of NCGS are the same of Celiac disease – about 1-2% of the population, and they would be right. If we take a more specific look than the entire human race, and narrow our focus to say, those with digestive complaints, autoimmune disease or skin conditions – the rate skyrockets to upwards of 30%. It’s amazing what a bit of context will do for statistics and numerical analysis, isn’t it? It is also interesting to note that rates of both Celiac disease and NCGS are increasing in Western, developed, modernized countries.
One in three people walking around with chronic digestive complaints – gas, bloating, distension, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, reflux, etc – has sensitivity to gluten, and would be well-served to eliminate it.
How do you know if you have NCGS? Unfortunately, there is not a consistent, reliable laboratory testing method to determine if you’ve got NCGS. Thus, the best way to determine if you’ve got it is through an elimination-provocation diet. The crux of an elimination diet is you remove a food from your diet for a number of weeks to months, monitor symptoms, and after a period of removal, add the food back in, watching symptoms, to determine what it does to your body.
The issue with mamas-to-be who are sensitive to gluten is this: if you are sensitive to gluten and eat gluten during pregnancy and/or introduce gluten to your baby before 12-16 months of age, you are greatly increasing the likelihood that they themselves will become sensitive to gluten.
For mamas-to-be with Celiac disease or NCGS, there are a number of things you can do during pregnancy and the neonatal period to reduce the potential for the development of gluten sensitivity:
Minimize gluten intake: obviously women with Celiac disease will eliminate it completely, but those with NCGS eliminate it as well, at least by 90%.
Take a probiotic: probiotics help keep the immune system calm – not overly provoked and not lazy – and they also help keep your microbiome robust. The microbiome has a role in the digestion and degradation of gluten and how the immune system tolerates it.Mamas to be who take probiotics as part of their prenatal regimen have babies with optimal birth weights, fewer ear infections, eczema, asthma and environmental allergies, and return to pre-baby weight faster than those who do not use probiotics.
Eat a wide variety of veggies: veggies are the backbone that your microbiome is built upon. Your microbiome quite literally eats everything that you eat, and veggies are their fuel of choice, making healthy populations grow and increasing production of anti-inflammatory short chain fatty acids.
Skip the hand sanitizers: washing your hands with warm water and soap is just as effective, without the increased risk of allergies, antimicrobial resistance and microbiome imbalance that hand sanitizers and their common active ingredient, triclosan, confers.
Take folate, not folic acid: Many women are genetically not able to turn folic acid into folate. Folate is the “active” form of the nutrient, the form which your body uses for a variety of things, including the formation of rapidly growing and dividing cells, like those found in the digestive tract.
Consider installing a shower filter: these are inexpensive and readily available. Chlorine is a powerful antibacterial compound and has been shown to disrupt healthy microbial balance in the gut, which in turn disrupts immune signaling. Chlorine is also a known endocrine disruptor, something pregnant women should do their best to reduce exposure to.
Have optimal vitamin D status: Levels of vitamin D ideally should be around 50, even though “normal” lab ranges begin at 30. Vitamin D is one of the most powerful immune balancing compounds on the block, and pregnancy and breastfeeding will naturally deplete your stores.
Wait until baby is 12-16 months old before introducing gluten: this allows the immune system to be more mature and developed upon exposure, which means there is less chance for a dysfunctional immune response.
Use antibiotics judiciously in baby: one of the number one risk factors for the development of Celiac disease and NCGS both is the timing of the first round of antibiotics as an infant. Babies exposed to antibiotics before 6 months of age have a much higher risk of developing gluten sensitivity, but also depression and obesity later in life. There should be a clear nee d for antibiotics before given in babies under 6 months of age.
Use probiotics in baby: Most particularly if they have been exposed to antibiotics! Probiotics will actually help mitigate the risk that antibiotics bring. Antibiotics and probiotics can and should be taken together. The probiotics will not reduce the efficacy of the antibiotics, and the antibiotics will not “kill” all of the probiotics. Rather, the probiotics will reduce the short and long term side effects of the antibiotics.
These simple, straightforward steps will go a long way towards building a baby with a balanced immune system and healthy gut microbiome that will not be reactive to gluten. Here is to the health of you and your baby!
Now What do you do? Now that you have read all of this great information you are probably wondering how you can take action. I have some great news for you! Dr. Sarno Teta has opened up her Gluten Free Lifestyle Program to all my readers here at Imprinted Legacy! You absolutely have to check it out!
Jillian Sarno Teta, ND is the author of the best-selling book “Natural Solutions for Digestive Health” and the creator of Fix Your Digestion. Ever-loving of social media, you can find her on Facebook at Fix Your Digestion and on Instagram and Twitter @jillianteta
Internationally recognized for her work in digestive health and wellness, Jillian writes, speaks and blogs extensively on the subject, traveling near and far.
She always makes time for cooking, reading and walks in the woods.