Should we all go gluten-free?

[freddyboy]

Hey everyone. The doctor isn't sure, but our 2 year old son may have celiac disease. He's been reacting horribly to foods with gluten in them so it does seem like he's got an allergy. That said we won't really know what's up with him until he's a little older and they can run more tests. The hope is that he's just going through a phase and he'll move past it.

My wife thinks we should all adopt a gluten-free diet, but I don't know if that's a smart idea. My son definitely needs to be off gluten, but if you don't have an allergy to it, isn't going completely gluten-free a little extreme and potentially unhealthy? Am I wrong?

[Gina]

I don't see the harm either way. If it will be easier for all of you to go gluten-free so you won't make the mistake of accidentally giving your baby foods with gluten, then cut it out of your diet entirely. But, if you'd rather keep eating your gluten foods, then do that, too. All that really matters is that your little one is eating the diet he needs. :)

[Beth]

I think your son should be on a gluten diet but I don't think you and your wife should be. Having some gluten in your diet isn't a bad thing. You might actually be causing yourself more harm than good following a diet you don't need. The best thing to do is to talk to your doctor.

[tara]

Unless it's going to be the easiest for all of you to be gluten-free I wouldn't recommend it. If you've got an allergy to gluten, definitely avoid it, but if you don't, going out of your way not to eat it could actually cause more harm than good.

Eliminating gluten from your diet entirely can lead to weight gain (lots of gluten-free foods are filled with other ingredients to add the necessary flavor and these ingredients can be fattening) It can also cause nutrition deficiencies.

While lowering the amount of gluten you eat is probably a good idea, because most of us typically consume too much, eliminating it entirely isn't a good idea unless you've got celiacs or some other allergy to it.

[Maggie]

Exactly what Tara said. While you can lower your gluten, it's best to just stick with it unless you've got an allergy, because it can lead to weight gain and other health issues. You need to do what's best for your son and for yourselves.

[freddyboy]

Thanks for all your responses. I think to keep things easier for the time being my wife and I are going to be somewhat off gluten since our boy doesn't eat everything we eat, but for the stuff we do share, we'll just eat what he eats to keep it simple :) I just hope it turns out that he doesn't have an allergy and is just going through a phase...