You don't have to be a Celiac to benefit from avoiding gluten and wheat

Great article in the Wall Street Journal Today Clues To Gluten Sensitivity  I guess I'm not so special after all :-)

I tested negative for Celiac disease, but;

• I generally feel so much better when I avoid wheat and gluten
• I don't ache so much after I work out,  if I don't eat gluten
• The dark rings under my eyes are lighter when I'm gluten and wheat free
• My lungs feel better (I can take deeper breathes) without gluten and wheat in my system
• I don't suffer so badly from seasonal allergies, in fact I don't need any medication if I avoid wheat and gluten
• That phlemy-thing at the back of my throat goes away when wheat and gluten are removed from my diet.  It returns with a vengeance when I fall off the gluten and wheat-free wagon.

I was diagnosed with a form of IBS in my 20s, and suffered on and off with stomach acid and mild ulcers.  During the mid 80's I was told to calm down and relax, nothing more. My friend told me to stop eating fiber. This actually helped because I avoided a lot of whole wheat bread and ate Rice Krispies for breakfast!

My dad's side of the family have acidic stomachs, and my grandfather died of stomach cancer (probably related to stomach ulcers and a life-time of stomach acid-related problems).  Since avoiding wheat and gluten, my symptoms have subsided; I wonder if that would have helped my father and grandfather?

A few other thoughts...

• It is common for women to have bloating, gas, constipation...could it be due to wheat?
• Many people complain about increasing aches and pains as they grow older...could it, in part, be due to acquiring a wheat intollerance?
• Similarly some people notice developing dark circles under their eyes or develop allergies in their 30s when they were allergy-free as juveniles....wheat allergy?

There are definitely smoke signals ...I'm happy to see people are gathering more data.