<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I recently asked the listserv if people had noticed a reduction in chigger
bites after going GF.

Four people replied that they noticed a definite improvement after going GF,
although Ruth admitted to being bit by several chiggers after bragging about
being immune.  Shame on you, Ruth!

One person said he was well liked by chiggers both before and after going GF.

Eight people broadened the scope of my question and said they were getting
fewer mosquito bites after being GF.  Julia said she thought an important
factor was the drinking of soda pop, both regular and diet (i.e. pop
attracts insects).  That would be a cofactor in my case since I quit
drinking Pepsi or equivalent about the start of chigger season.

Connie said she had had no problem with mosquitoes her entire life, either
before or after GF.

Sherri, a non-celiac, noticed that mosquitoes stopped biting when she quit
using sugar and refined flours.

One person suggested the cause was a change in body chemistry and another to
an improved immune system.  I have not noticed much change in my immune
system.  I get the flu about once in five years, and likewise for a cold.
My wife has about 40 piano students and substitutes in the public school
system, and has the flu or a cold at least once a year, so it is not like I
live in isolation.

One other change in my health is that of an allergy to Western Red Cedar
pollen that I have had for at least 30 years.  This was diagnosed by an
allergy doctor using skin tests.  I usually have about 10 days of misery
with sinus and a sore throat in early spring from this.  This year, however,
I could not tell that they were pollenating.

This brings me back to the original question of whether there are any
benefits to being GF.  Counting myself, there are 5 of us who think we have
fewer chigger bites after going GF, 1 who saw no improvement, and 8 who
experienced fewer mosquito bites while GF.  The numbers are too small to
declare a definite trend, but might be enough to raise the status of my
question from wild-eyed speculation to that of a hypothesis.  It would be
most interesting if, a few years from now, the standard wisdom were to go
gluten free (or soda pop free) a few days before leaving for a camping trip
in order to reduce the incidence of bug bites without spraying yourself with
a bunch of toxic substances.

If there are other people with comments on frequency of insect bites or
severity of allergy reactions before and after being gluten free, I would be
glad to summarize.

Gary Johnson