How long until you see the benefits of a gluten free diet? This is an important question if you are on an elimination diet to test for a gluten allergy, or if you have been diagnosed with celiac disease and wondering how long it will take for you to feel better.
The length of time varies for each person. You may see an improvement in a few weeks. It may take longer, depending on how much gluten damage your body has to heal, and how quickly your body can flush itself of gluten-related toxins.
In the case of a gluten allergy, the main the the body has to do is flush the gluten and allow your immune system to settle. You may start seeing an improvement in two to three weeks. It may take six or eight weeks for a full recovery – possibly longer if this is your first time going on a gluten free diet.
For celiac disease, you may notice improvements in a few days. The small intestine may heal within three months for some, and up to two years for others, especially older adults. You will feel better before full healing has taken place.
All of this assumes that once you start your gluten free diet, you stay 100% clean. If you ‘cheat’ on your diet, or accidentally eat something with gluten in it, healing will take longer.
Depending you how your body deals with gluten, and how much you have, a slip in your gluten free diet could set you back weeks, or send you back to the beginning.
This is the real challenge with a gluten free diet – eliminating 100% of gluten from your diet.
This may be hard, especially if you have a gluten allergy, and notice no difference at all by eliminating gluten in the first couple of weeks.
The results though, are night and day. If you have a gluten allergy or celiac disease, it is well worth sticking with a gluten free diet, no matter how hard it is. Don’t cheat or you’ll be back to square one.