top of page
Search
annalouisecoaching

Raynaud's - can your nutrition impact the condition?




A little something I have been reading the research on recently is the impact of gluten intake on Raynaud’s.


For background, I live, during the winter time in a constant battle with managing Raynaud’s which is an autoimmune condition whereby, particularly in the cold, certain parts of the body, usually hands and feet, struggle with circulation, feel dangerously cold, painful and sometimes develop chill blains – this all happens in response to narrowed blood vessels.


Someone that I came across last week mentioned that they eliminated gluten from their diet and experienced a marked decrease in their Raynaud’s symptoms. Now, you know me, I am not a proponent of eliminating food groups from the diet unnecessarily but I am always super keen to explore the research on something if it could benefit the lives of others.


It’s worth saying early that the research linking Raynaud’s and gluten consumption is limited up to now so I won’t be rushing to get it gone from my diet immediately, particularly as links suggesting an association between the two come from very small studies that merely suggested that individuals intolerant to gluten MAY have a higher prevalence of Raynaud’s compared with those that might be considered ‘general population’. Direct evidence linking the two though is practically non-existent. There is a small correlation, NOT causation. That is where the problem lies, the association could literally just be by chance.


So, it goes without saying, as with all of these things, that if you expect that you may be gluten intolerant, you need to see a dietician before changing anything, particularly if you feel that it is causing wider issues like Raynaud’s.


More robust research is needed if you’re going to convince me to eliminate gluten from my nutrition!


Do you struggle to manage Raynaud's? What are your best tips? Let me know in the comments or over on socials!


Peace and love for now, A x

17 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page