Gluten allergy, gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity and wheat sensitivity are terms that are thrown around a lot by the media and people searching for answers to mysterious health symptoms. (For more information on celiac disease, go here.)
You may have heard it called non-celiac gluten sensitivity, gluten intolerance, gluten allergy, wheat allergy, or a host of other combinations.
What is Gluten Sensitivity or Gluten Intolerance?
Bottom line: they all mean the same thing. Gluten sensitivity is a real medical condition that affects approximately 6% of the population to some degree; a recent study suggests the numbers are similar to those with celiac disease — at least 3 million in the United States, alone. Other experts speculate the numbers are actually much higher.
Gluten sensitivity is not an allergy to gluten, but rather, a condition where the body is unable to properly digest gluten. Recent studies have found that those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity also produce an abnormally high number of proteins that activate inflammation (the immune system’s first defense) and an abnormally low number of suppressor T cells which suppress the inflammation.
The inflammatory response, like that brought against the flu virus, can cause fatigue and dizziness. Symptoms can range from quite mild to very serious, but unlike a true “allergy,” anaphylaxis leading to death will not occur.
What are the Symptoms of Gluten Sensitivity?
Here is a list of possible symptoms of gluten intolerance:
- ADHD
- adrenal imbalance
- autism
- autoimmune diseases
- behavioral changes (can include depression, irritability, failure to concentrate)
- bloating, gas or distended abdomen
- bone or joint pain
- changes in appetite
- chronic diarrhea
- colitis
- constipation
- Crohn’s Disease
- dizziness
- eczema
- fatigue and lethargy
- fibromyalgia
- Hashimoto’s (chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis)
- headaches
- hypothyroidism
- immunodeficiency
- irritable bowel syndrome
- lactose intolerance
- mental fog
- migraine headaches
- multiple sclerosis
- muscle cramps
- nausea and/or vomiting
- rheumatoid arthritis
- schizophrenia
- schleroderma
- Sjogren’s
- tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
- ulcerative colitis
- vitiligo
- weight loss/gain
How Do You Know if You Have Gluten Sensitivity?
If you have been tested for celiac disease and also for wheat allergy and your test results are normal but you still have unexplained symptoms like those listed above, you may have Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) or your symptoms may moderate on a gluten free diet for other reasons.
Researchers have determined that symptomatic patients with negative celiac serologies (bloodtests: IgA tTG or IgA/IgG DGP) while on a regular diet, and who show no evidence of malabsorption are unlikely to have celiac disease but are highly likely to have NCGS. Those with equivocal serology should undergo DNA (HLA typing) testing to determine whether there is a need for biopsy.
While there is currently no accepted medical test for gluten sensitivity (one may be in the works), if you have suspicious symptoms, but have tested negative for celiac in bloodwork ordered by your doctor, you may indeed have NCGS. Removing gluten from your diet is a great way to see if your body functions better without gluten, indicating NCGS. It also may help to reduce inflammation in the body, for example (gluten free is part of the “anti-inflammatory diet“).
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How Do You Treat Gluten Sensitivity?
A gluten free or even a low-gluten diet may help alleviate these symptoms, but the only way to know is to try a completely gluten free diet for a period of several weeks to see if you feel better. If you do, then your body is telling you your answer, whether a doctor gives you a diagnosis or not.
Unlike with celiac disease, a person with gluten sensitivity may be able to eat small amounts of gluten without damaging their body — the symptoms suffered will dictate whether and how much gluten is tolerated.
Need to know what you can eat, if you think you should go gluten-free? It can be tricky to get started, but I’ve broken it all down for you in my post, Going Gluten Free: Your First 7 Steps.
There is also promise with further study of the microbiome; we know that people with celiac disease have different gut flora patterns than others, but more research is ongoing to learn about how to affect the microbiome of those with gluten sensitivity. Probiotics and prebiotics may help alleviate symptoms of gluten sensitivity and make the gut more tolerant.
In addition to gluten sensitivity, there are many other conditions which may be mediated or significantly abated by following an anti-inflammatory diet which includes removing gluten and other refined carbohydrates, processed foods, soda, red meat and dairy from the diet. The good news is that a gluten free diet can be much healthier than the typical western diet!
Focus on including leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts, fruits and olive oil. Those with conditions like Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Disease, Colitis, Hashimoto’s Disease, rheumatoid arthritis, eosinophilic esophagitis and many more may derive significant benefits by simply removing gluten from their diets.
Of course, you can still enjoy your favorite carbs, just switch them up for gluten free versions.
Find out exactly what you CAN and CANNOT eat on a gluten free diet in my comprehensive post, Going Gluten Free: Your First 7 Steps.
Many people who avoid gluten due to intolerance, sensitivity or other medical condition are often ridiculed and their condition is not taken seriously. I call this unfortunate reaction “Gluten Intolerance Intolerance.” It is important if you feel better after removing gluten from your diet, that you stick with it, despite peer pressure or inconvenience. Your happiness and your health are too important to compromise.
To learn more about the condition of gluten sensitivity, listen to my radio interview with Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Mass General Center for Celiac Research: full podcast from my radio show, The Gluten Free Voice.
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