Tanya C wonders if a gluten-free diet is something that she should consider.

A:      In the early 1990’s, Dr. Cheney and I performed gastrointestinal studies on PWCs who complained of abdominal distress.  We found that a number of patients had abnormal small intestinal biopsies showing intestinal cells with short villi.  These villi are used for absorbing nutrients, among other things, and are typically short in a disorder called “celiac disease” or “sprue.”  Persons with sprue are “allergic” to the nutrient portion of grains, called the “gluten,”  and are unable to ingest barley, wheat or rye without triggering gastrointestinal distress.  Many of these patients did not have a positive blood screening test for sprue , but they did respond remarkably well to avoidance of gluten in the diet. Thus we developed our dairy-free gluten-free “Modified Elimination Diet.”PWCs who suspect wheat or gluten sensitivity should follow the Modified Elimination Diet for just 4-5 days. I once read an article about the Olympic soccer champion and CFS-sufferer, Michelle Akers, who reported that the Modified Elminiation Diet was one secret to her improvement, and helped her to stay in competitive sports!   If you are  clearly improved on this diet, consult a gastroenterologist or nutritionist about pursuing a low-gluten or no-gluten diet indefinitely.