Anonymous Question Anonymous question for the forum

[Administrator]

I have been type 1 diabetic for about 30 years, and carb count confidently. In the vast majority of cases sugar goes up with a meal and comes back to target, but not always. I recently worked out that the times my sugar does not respond as expected are linked with meals which contain a lot of gluten. I conducted an experiment and ate a normal pizza and my sugar spiked up. After 3 hours my sugar was something like 15 and I corrected, and 2 hours later my sugar was 17 and again corrected and 2 hours later my sugar was 20 and corrected and 2 hours later it came down slightly to 17. Then slowly returned to target over a period of about 24 hours. The amount of insulin delivered in total was over double the amount I would expect to be needed for this meal. When I ate a gluten free pizza after 3 hours my sugar went up to a maximum of 12 and after 3 hours my sugar was 9. One correction and my sugar returned to target. By comparing 2 pizza types I am attempting to control variables and only change the gluten content. I am sure fat content is not identical but I think would be comparable With the first pizza I experienced bloating burping painful indigestion which now leads me to think I may be gluten intolerant....(but not coeliac) My theory is that as the gluten is digested it creates in the body a level of insulin resistance. This resistance explains why there is insufficient insulin in my system to bring the sugar back down, it also explains why my sugar is continuing to rise 6 or 8 hours after the meal is consumed, and also explains why the correction values (which usually work and bring me to target) do not work after a pizza. Is there any evidence anecdotal or research based that would support my supposition and observation, or am I own my own with this one. Is there any advice out there that could help me

 

[Melgar]

I am going to ask this one question, as I‘m not on insulin, but I am coeliac. Have you been tested for coeliac? I ask this because there is such a thing as ‘silent’ coeliac. Simply put, it’s when you have no symptoms, but your small intestines are being damaged in an immune response to the presence of gluten. This was my situation, until the coeliac suddenly, for no know reason became symptomatic. As a type 1 you are at risk for coeliac. A high proportion of people don’t even know they have coeliac.

 

[AndBreathe]

I have been type 1 diabetic for about 30 years, and carb count confidently. In the vast majority of cases sugar goes up with a meal and comes back to target, but not always. I recently worked out that the times my sugar does not respond as expected are linked with meals which contain a lot of gluten. I conducted an experiment and ate a normal pizza and my sugar spiked up. After 3 hours my sugar was something like 15 and I corrected, and 2 hours later my sugar was 17 and again corrected and 2 hours later my sugar was 20 and corrected and 2 hours later it came down slightly to 17. Then slowly returned to target over a period of about 24 hours. The amount of insulin delivered in total was over double the amount I would expect to be needed for this meal. When I ate a gluten free pizza after 3 hours my sugar went up to a maximum of 12 and after 3 hours my sugar was 9. One correction and my sugar returned to target. By comparing 2 pizza types I am attempting to control variables and only change the gluten content. I am sure fat content is not identical but I think would be comparable With the first pizza I experienced bloating burping painful indigestion which now leads me to think I may be gluten intolerant....(but not coeliac) My theory is that as the gluten is digested it creates in the body a level of insulin resistance. This resistance explains why there is insufficient insulin in my system to bring the sugar back down, it also explains why my sugar is continuing to rise 6 or 8 hours after the meal is consumed, and also explains why the correction values (which usually work and bring me to target) do not work after a pizza. Is there any evidence anecdotal or research based that would support my supposition and observation, or am I own my own with this one. Is there any advice out there that could help me

As someone who lives a gluten-free (GF) lifestyle, my knee jerk reaction was that it would be useful to repeat your experiment, but not with pizza.

I am not insulin dependant, but as I understand it, pizza is a tricky one to dose for for almost all, because of the combinations of carbs and fats. Like Chinese food, some experience a couple of waves of blood glucose peaks.

Perhaps try repeating your experiment with a home made sarni, using shop bought bread, with identical fillings - to the extent of weighing the sandwich filling.

I see an Endo for my thyroid, and whilst my coeliac panels have been classified as "Inconclusive", he recommentds gluten free living. In fact, he shared that he has found that people with auto-immune challenges, like T1, rheumatoid arthritis or some forms of thyroid disease do very well, living GF.