Living with Gluten and Other Food Intolerances: Self-Reported Diagnoses and Management

• Published in: Nutrients 2020-06, Vol.12 (6), p.1892
• Main Authors: Araya, Magdalena, Bascuñán, Karla A, Alarcón-Sajarópulos, Dana, Cabrera-Chávez, Francisco, Oyarzún, Amaya, Fernández, Alan, Ontiveros, Noé
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; celiac disease; Celiac Disease - diagnosis; Celiac Disease - diet therapy; Chile; Diet; Diet, Gluten-Free; Eating; Female; Food; Food allergies; Food intolerance; Food Intolerance - diagnosis; Food Intolerance - diet therapy; Gastrointestinal Diseases - diagnosis; Gastrointestinal Diseases - diet therapy; Gluten; gluten sensitivity; gluten-free diet; Glutens - administration & dosage; Glutens - adverse effects; Humans; Ingestion; Irritable bowel syndrome; Lactose; Male; Middle Aged; Mood; Questionnaires; Self Report; Signs and symptoms; Software; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu12061892

People suffering from a food intolerance (FI) tend to initiate restrictive diets such as a gluten-free diet (GFD), to alleviate their symptoms. To learn about how people live with these problems in daily life (independent of their medical diagnoses), 1203 participants answered a previously validated questionnaire and were divided into: G1 (those self-reporting symptoms after gluten consumption) and G2 (those informing no discomfort after gluten consumption). Self-reported clinical characteristics, diagnoses and diets followed were registered. Twenty nine percent referred some FI (8.5% in G1). In G1, self-reported diagnoses were more frequent ( < 0.0001), including a high proportion of eating and mood disorders. Diagnoses were reported to be given by a physician, but GFD was indicated by professional and nonprofessional persons. In G2, despite declaring no symptoms after gluten consumption, 11.1% followed a GFD. The most frequent answer in both groups was that GFD was followed "to care for my health", suggesting that some celiac patients do not acknowledge it as treatment. Conclusion: close to one third of the population report suffering from some FI. Those perceiving themselves as gluten intolerant report more diseases ( < 0.0001). A GFD is followed by ~11% of those declaring no symptoms after gluten ingestion. This diet is perceived as a healthy eating option.