Dr. Robert Whitfield explains gluten as a protein in wheat, barley, and rye, and how celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are tied to HLA genes. He recommends going gluten-free to reduce inflammation and improve recovery after surgery, using genetic testing to personalize diet advice.
What is the big deal about gluten? This is Dr. Robert Whitfield. I'm a board certified plastic surgeon in Austin, Texas, where we achieve natural results through art, science and innovation. So my patients want to know all the time why I put them on a gluten free diet. Well, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and the products made from these grains. So why is it such a big deal? You can actually have celiac disease if you're 100% gluten sensitive. And so this requires, of course, a gluten free diet. If you're gluten sensitive, you can have diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache. And so how do you even know if you have this? Well, it's based on hla. The HLA genes produce a group of proteins called the human leukocyte antigen complex. These are responsible for how the immune system distinguishes between the body's own proteins and those which are foreign or harmful. So here is my personal genetic predisposition to gluten. And based on these results from nutrigenomics, analyzing my DNA, I'm at high risk for gluten sensitivity, which I can tell you I 100% have. And so these are common sources of gluten. Pasta, bread, cereal, crackers and chips, baked goods, soy sauce, you know, gravy, vinegars. You know, when I was younger, I would, you know, not feel well after drinking a beer. But you can also have trouble with just, you know, ice cream. So these are all things that are commonly found in a western diet. So gluten and I don't get along. So one of the reasons I do this and I explain to patients is because we want to avoid things that are pro inflammatory. We want to avoid things that are going to lead to abdominal discomfort after surgery. So we want things that will avoid diarrhea or constipation or just make them feel unwell. In general, if people are experiencing problems, I really strike first at their diet and put them on a gluten free diet. So it's my goal, always, in summary, just to use tools like nutrigenomics to analyze DNA and get your personal genetic predisposition to guide you in your diet. Diet is critical to recovery. I always discuss diet as a way to optimize results both in person and in any consultation we have regarding a non invasive, minimally invasive or surgical procedure to optimize results. So always, you know, feel free to contact us through my website, start a chat with us, contact us, we'll be happy to see you and help you learn more about your choices you should make to optimize your diet.
