
May 11, 2001
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from Hutchinson, Minnesota, USA:
My seven year daughter, who has had diabetes since the age of one, was just diagnosed with celiac disease. Is it okay for my son to go on the gluten free diet with my daughter since he doesn’t have celiac disease?
Answer:
There probably is no immediate harm for your son to follow the gluten-free diet, if he is unaffected, but, while I might admire that show of support for his sister, it is such a hard diet to follow that he might be setting himself up to fail. With the help of your dietitian (and perhaps gastroenterologist), if others chose to follow a gluten-free diet, you could learn any possible pitfalls.
Good luck. It is a challenge to watch the carbs for someone with type�1 diabetes and a gluten-free diet for celiac disease.
DS