Gluten-Free January Survey Data, Part II: Health Effects of a Gluten-Free Diet

GFJ participants chose between three diet styles: a simple gluten-free diet; a "paleo light" diet diet that eliminated sugar and industrial seed (vegetable) oils in addition to gluten; and a "paleo full monty" diet that only included categories of food that would have been available to our pre-agricultural ancestors. The data in this post represent the simple gluten-free diet group, and do not represent the other two, which I'll analyze separately.

To get the data I'll be presenting below, first I excluded participants who stated on the survey that they did not adhere to the diet. Next, I excluded participants who were gluten-free before January, because they would presumably not have experienced a change from continuing to avoid gluten. That left us with 53 participants.

For each of these graphs, the vertical axis represents the number of participants in each category. They won't necessarily add up to 53, for several reasons. The most common reason is that for the questions asking about changes in health conditions, I didn't include responses from people who didn't have the condition in question at baseline because there was nothing to change.

Question #1: What is your overall opinion of the effect of gluten free January on you?

Participants had a very positive experience with the gluten-free diet. Not one person reported a negative overall experience.

Question #2: Did you note a weight change at the end of gluten free January?

And here are the data for people who described themselves as overweight at baseline:

Two-thirds of people who were overweight at baseline lost weight, and only one person out of 37 gained weight. That is striking. A number of people didn't weigh themselves, which is why the numbers only add up to 37.

Question #3: Before January 2011, did you have a problem with intestinal transit (frequent constipation or diarrhea)? If so, did your symptoms change during the month of January?


Responses are heavily weighted toward improvement, although there were a few instances where transit worsened. Transit problems are one of the most common manifestations of gluten sensitivity.

Question #4: Before January 2011, did you have frequent digestive discomfort (pain, bloating, etc.)? If so, did your symptoms change during the month of January?


Digestive discomfort was common, and the gluten-free diet improved it in nearly everyone who had it at baseline. I find this really impressive.

Question #5: Before January 2011, did you have acid reflux? If so, did your symptoms change during the month of January?

Acid reflux responded well to a gluten-free diet.

Question #6: Before January 2011, did you have a problem with tiredness/lethargy? If so, did your symptoms change during the month of January?
Lethargy was common and generally improved in people who avoided gluten. This doesn't surprise me at all. The recent controlled gluten study in irritable bowel syndrome patients found that lethargy was the most reliable consequence of eating gluten that they measured (1, 2). That has also been my personal experience.

Question #7: Before January 2011, did you have a problem with anxiety? If so, did your symptoms change during the month of January?

Anxiety tended to improve in most participants who started with it.

Question #8: Before January 2011, did you have a problem with an autoimmune or inflammatory condition? If so, did your symptoms change during the month of January?

Autoimmune and inflammatory conditions tended to improve in the gluten-free group, although one person experienced a worsening of symptoms.

Question #9: If you ate gluten again or did a gluten challenge after gluten free January, what was the effect?

Just under half of participants experienced moderate or significant negative symptoms when they re-introduced gluten at the end of the month. Two people felt better after re-introducing gluten.


Conclusion

I find these results striking. Participants overwhelmingly improved in every health category we measured. Although the data may have been somewhat biased due to the 53% response rate, it's indisputable that a large number of participants, probably the majority, benefited from avoiding gluten for a month. At some point, we're going to compile some of the comments people left in the survey, which were overwhelmingly positive. Here's a typical comment in response to the question " In your own words, how would you describe your January 2011 experience" (used with permission):

Amazing! I would recommend the experiment to anyone. I felt completely more alert, and less bloated. When I ate some gluten at the close of the experiment, I felt gross, bloated, and lethargic.

I think it's worth mentioning that some participants also eliminated other starches, particularly refined starches. Judging by the comments, the diet was probably lower in carbohydrate for a number of participants. We may try to assess that next year.

Corn, Okra and Tomato Stew

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• Low-fat cooking spray
  
  


• 1½ cups frozen okra, sliced
  
  


• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  
  


• ¼ cup lean ham, chopped
  
  


• 1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
  
  


• ¼ cup fresh basil, shredded
  
  


• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  

Preparation:

• Spray a large-size saucepan with low-fat cooking spray. Add okra, corn, ham, tomatoes and basil then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, uncovered and simmer until okra is tender (about 15-20 minutes).
  
  


• Add salt and pepper to taste.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight loss recipes Amount Per Serving(¼ of recipe (220 g)): 98 Calories, 5 g Protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 4 g Dietary Fiber, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 328 mg sodium

Chipotle Chicken Soup

(makes 3 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  
  


• 1 onion, chopped
  
  


• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
  


• 12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  
  


• 1 (14½ oz.) can low-sodium chicken broth
  
  


• 2 tsp chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  
  


• ¼ tsp salt
  
  


• ½ tsp sugar
  
  


• 2 cups chopped tomatoes or 1 (14½ oz.) can diced tomatoes
  
  


• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  
  

Preparation:

• In a Dutch oven, cook garlic and onion in oil over medium-high heat until onion is tender (about 4 minutes).
  
  


• Add chicken and cook for about 2 minutes.
  
  


• Add chicken broth, chipotle peppers, salt and sugar.
  
  


• Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Uncovered and simmer for about 15 minutes.
  
  


• Transfer from heat and add tomatoes and cilantro.
  
  

Make 3 Servings:

Weight loss recipes Amount Per Serving(⅓ of recipe (431 g)): 237 Calories, 31 g Protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 2 g Dietary Fiber, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 66 mg cholesterol, 323 mg sodium

How the other half lives... or... What I wouldn't give to have THIS report!

The other half of me - my brother - came up the other weekend. On the way to our house he stopped at a service station and after having a Burger, chips, coke (full fat!) and 6 dunkin' donuts, jumped on those pay per weigh scales that these places have. He was obviously fully clothed and also in his coat.

How the other half lives...


Yes, that's right. Even after a full meal and loading him down with his clothes, he is underweight with a BMI of 19.5. He also has only 12% body fat.

I, on the other hand, have the fat index of a pork scratching.

How is it possible to be the complete opposite of my ever loving brother? It reminds me of the poem Jack Sprat...

Jack Sprat could eat no fat
His wife could eat no lean
And so betwixt the two of them
They licked the platter clean

 
Yes, it is indeed the conundrum of my life.

Chilled Melon Soup

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 large cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cubed (about 4 cups)
  
  


• 2 tbsp honey
  
  


• Juice of 3 limes
  
  


• Pinch of ground cardamom
  
  


• ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
  
  


• Sliced strawberries for garnish
  
  

Preparation:

• Place cantaloupe in a microwave-safe container and microwave on 50% power until lightly soften melon (about 2 minutes).
  
  


• Transfer melon to a blender then add honey, lime juice and cardamom, cover and blend until smooth. Pour melon mixture into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
  
  


• Serve with mint sprinkled on top of each serving and garnished with strawberries.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight loss recipes Amount Per Serving(¼ of recipe (414 g)): 243 Calories, 11 g Protein, 47 g carbohydrates, 8 g Dietary Fiber, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 363 mg sodium

Chickpea Stew

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• Low-fat cooking spray
  
  


• 1 large onion, diced
  
  


• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  
  


• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
  


• ½ tsp paprika
  
  


• 1½ tsp ground cumin
  
  


• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
  
  


• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
  
  


• 1½ cups water
  
  


• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen corn
  
  


• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
  
  


• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  
  


• 1 cup tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  
  


• 2 tbsp green onions, sliced (optional)
  
  

Preparation:

• Spray a large-size saucepan with low-fat cooking spray then raise heat to medium-high. Add onion, green bell pepper, garlic and stir fry until onion is tender (about 5 minutes). Stir in paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly
  
  


• Stir in vegetable broth, water, corn and oregano then bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 7 minutes.
  
  


• Add chickpeas and tomatoes, then stir thoroughly. Cover and simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Serve stew with a sprinkle of green onions.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight loss recipes Amount Per Serving(¼ of recipe (414 g)): 243 Calories, 11 g Protein, 47 g carbohydrates, 8 g Dietary Fiber, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 363 mg sodium

Gluten-Free January Survey Data, Part I: Demographics and Limitations

Thanks to Matt Lentzner for organizing Gluten-Free January, and everyone who participated and completed the survey, we have a nice data set illustrating what happens when a group of people stop eating gluten for a month. Janine Jagger, Matt and I have been busy analyzing the data, and I'm ready to begin sharing our findings.

GFJ had over 500 participants, 527 of which received the survey and 279 of which completed the survey at the end of the month. Of those who received the survey, 53 percent completed it. I think these are respectable numbers for a survey of this nature, and it reflects the conscientious nature of the people who participated in GFJ.

Demographics

Although respondents were primarily from the United States, I'm happy to say that the data represent 18 different nationalities:

Respondents represented a diversity of ages, the largest group being 30-39 years old, with similar numbers in the 20-29 and 40-49 year groups.
Respondents were just under 2/3 women.

Respondents represented a variety of weights, but the sample was biased toward lean people, in comparison with the general population. There were not many obese participants.
Overall, I was pleased to see that the demographics were quite diverse, particularly in the age and gender categories.

Limitations

There are a few caveats to keep in mind when interpreting the survey results:

1. GFJ participants do not represent a random cross-section of the population at large. They represent primarily health-conscious individuals who were motivated enough to make a substantial dietary change. In addition, many of the people who participated probably did so because they already suspected they had a problem with gluten.
   
2. The survey response rate was 53%. Although I think that's a reasonable number considering the circumstances, it leaves open the possibility that survey responders differ from non-responders. It's conceivable that participants with better adherence and better outcomes were more likely to complete the survey than those who did not adhere to the diet or had neutral or unfavorable outcomes, despite our efforts to encourage everyone to complete the survey regardless of adherence or outcome. So the results could be biased toward positive outcomes, meaning that we will need to see a strong effect for it to be believable.
   
3. This was a non-blinded diet trial without a control group. There's no way to know how much of the effect was due to avoiding gluten per se, how much was due to overall changes in diet patterns, and how much was a placebo effect.
   

With that in mind, what can we take from the survey data? I feel that we can use it to answer the following question: "what is likely to happen when a motivated, health-conscious person decides to avoid gluten for a month?" And I think we can also use it to generate (but not test) hypotheses about the effects of eating gluten on the general population.