How To Know If You Actually Have Gluten Intolerance
Up to 18-million Americans identify as having a gluten intolerance. For health reasons and otherwise, gluten-free diets have been trending over the past few years, with an estimated 30 percent of Americans reporting a desire to cut out gluten in 2013. On top of that, the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice projects gluten-free products to reach $10 billion in sales by the end of 2019.
Curious about following a gluten-free diet? Heres an RD-approved list of things to know about gluten intolerance.
Inside this article:
The Signs And Symptoms Of Gluten Sensitivity
Chances are, you know someone on a gluten-free diet. Or maybe you know someone who cant eat gluten, a protein combination found in cereal grains like wheat, rye and barley.
There are a few reasons for this recent interest in going gluten-free: About 1 percent of the United States population has celiac disease. When these people eat foods with gluten, it triggers an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine and can lead to long-term problems, like lymphoma and other autoimmune diseases like thyroid dysfunction, osteoporosis or osteopenia. But as much as 6 percent of the population may have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity . These people tend to feel better when they avoid gluten, even though they test negative for celiac disease.
Wondering if your child could be sensitive to gluten or benefit from a gluten-free diet? We asked Ritu Verma, MBChB, a pediatric gastroenterologist, Lustgarten Endowed Chair for Clinical Care of GI Motility Disorders, and director of CHOPs Center for Celiac Disease, for help in recognizing the signs of a gluten sensitivity. She also offers advice for what you should do if you think your child has a gluten sensitivity.
When Gluten Is A Problem
Whats not great about gluten is that it can cause serious side effects in certain individuals. Some people react differently to gluten, where the body senses it as a toxin, causing ones immune cells to overreact and attack it. If an unknowingly sensitive person continues to eat gluten, this creates a kind of battle ground resulting in inflammation. The side effects can range from mild to severe as seen in the autoimmune disorder celiac disease. Estimates suggest that 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease, or about 1% of the population, but about 83% of them are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions. Research shows that people with celiac disease also have a slightly higher risk of osteoporosis and anemia infertility nerve disorders and in rare cases cancer. The good news is that removing gluten from the diet may reverse the damage. A gluten-free diet is the primary medical treatment for celiac disease. However, understanding and following a strict gluten-free diet can be challenging, possibly requiring the guidance of a registered dietitian to learn which foods contain gluten and to ensure that adequate nutrients are obtained from gluten-free alternatives. Other conditions that may require the reduction or elimination of gluten in the diet include:
Does gluten cause brain fog?
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Things You Might Not Know About Celiac Disease
Know What’s Natural For You
As a general rule of thumb, its acceptable to open your bowels three times a day before its diarrhoea, and three times a week before its constipation. Thats the by-the-book definition,” says the Professor.
But if someone who was opening their bowels twice a week and wasnt uncomfortable, I wouldnt do anything about it. If someone goes once a day but can’t get to the toilet fast enough, and it comes out in a torrent, that looks like trouble.
If your bowel function is causing you problems, you should think about doing something about it. If not, leave it be. Everybody is different.
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How To Tell If You Have Gluten Intolerance
According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness as many as 18 million Americans have gluten sensitivity. This is a little bit different than having celiac disease. When someone with celiac disease eats gluten, what happens is their body overreacts to the protein, damaging the small finger-like projections called villi found along the wall of the small intestine. Those villi then cant absorb nutrients from food like theyre supposed to, which leads to a host of problems. Learn more about gluten intolerance and celiac disease with this quick video quiz.
Are Gluten Intolerance And Celiac Disease The Same Thing
Gluten intolerance and celiac disease are different. People with celiac disease have an autoimmune response to gluten. This means their bodies try to fight against gluten as if it were a virus. This reaction causes inflammation and damage to their digestive tracts. Celiac disease is the result of an abnormal gene. People with celiac disease also have high levels of certain antibodies in their blood, which are substances that fight gluten.
Gluten sensitivity and celiac disease cause a lot of the same symptoms. But people with gluten sensitivity dont have an abnormal gene or antibodies in their blood.
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You Have An Autoimmune Disease
An autoimmune disease is the term given when your immune system mistakenly attacks and damages your own tissue.
There are more than 80 types, characterised by which tissues or organs in the body are damaged.
Gluten intake is consistently linked with numerous types, but whether its the cause remains to be seen. Its influence in Celiac disease is the obvious example, but research indicates gluten likely affects Hashimotos hypothyroidism and Graves disease, to name a few.
Some researchers speculate the potentially negative effect of gluten is to do with the effect that gliadin may have on gut health and function .
In any case, it seems gluten intolerance is more likely in those with an autoimmune condition.
Diagnosing Gluten Sensitivity / Gluten Intolerance
It is important to distinguish between celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, also known as gluten intolerance, in order to ensure you get the right care. Your doctor can test for celiac disease with a simple blood test. If your test results for celiac disease are negative but you still have symptoms, you may then be diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Learn more about getting tested for celiac disease.
An important note on getting tested: you must continue to eat gluten. Going gluten-free before getting tested can affect your results. If youre already gluten-free but want to get tested, consider undergoing a gluten challenge.
Complete our celiac disease symptoms checklist and then share the results with your doctor to get the conversation about getting testing started.
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Supplement To Support Digestion
Still have gluten in your diet? Since naturally occurring gut enzymes dont break down gluten easily, it helps to supplement with digestive enzymes. They can help break down gluten into smaller components, thus making digestion easier and minimizing gluten intolerance symptoms. Additionally, consider taking a gut-supporting probiotic. The health of the gut microbiome plays a protective role in the integrity and function of the intestinal lining. Together, a probiotic and digestive enzyme work in harmony for ultimate gut support.
If youve been diagnosed with or suspect you have a gluten sensitivity, visit the Gluten Intolerance Group. Its a great resource for updated information and research, recipes, label reading, support groups, and more.
Causes Of Gluten Intolerance:
According to Cleveland Clinic, the exact causes of gluten sensitivity arent fully understood.
What we do know is that:
- Unlike celiac disease, gluten sensitivity doesnt have the intestine damage or typical markers used for diagnoses of that autoimmune disorder.
- Unlike a wheat allergy, gluten sensitivity doesnt have the traits of an allergy.
At a glance, a gluten-free diet often relieves irritating symptoms, suggesting theyre triggered by the gluten protein or other compounds in gluten-containing grains.
Possible causes for negative symptoms:
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You Feel Down A Lot Of The Time
Mood changes, or feeling an increase in depression and/or anxiety after eating gluten-containing foods is a symptom in those with NCGS, says De Latour.
In fact, one 2014 study published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, found that gluten-intolerant subjects reported increased depression after just three days of eating gluten.
Whats The Difference Between Gluten Sensitivity And Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten. People with celiac disease have intestinal damage when they eat gluten. People who are gluten intolerant, while they may experience symptoms similar to those with celiac disease, do not have the intestinal damage or antibodies found in those with celiac disease.
New research indicates that gluten could cause brain damage in people with gluten intolerance, although more research is needed to confirm this.
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Why Are Many Doctors Against A Gluten
If youre diagnosed with celiac disease, youll have to stay on a gluten-free diet even after you feel well because eating gluten can damage the small intestine, cause nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition, keep the immune system from working properly, and make it hard for the body to fight infections.
Labs And Tests For Gluten Sensitivity
Celiac disease must be ruled out before gluten sensitivity can be diagnosed. Doctors usually start with a panel of celiac blood tests. These tests look for certain antibodies. There is some evidence that two of those tests could also find non-celiac gluten sensitivity:
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The Truth About Gluten Intolerance
Gluten is the glue that holds it all together, and its a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Meaning its found in foods you probably eat every day bread, pasta, crackers, cereals, salad dressings and more.
So what happens when your body has an intolerance or sensitivity to gluten? The results can be unpleasant, painful and downright dangerous to your long-term health. Heres what you should know about gluten intolerance.
Grain Free Blueberry Muffin Mix
Searching for a quick on-the-go gluten free breakfast? You’ve found it. This tasty Grain Free Blueberry Muffin Mix skips the grains altogether. A recipe similar tasting to that of traditional blueberry muffins, just the aroma alone will leave your mouth watering. Made in minutes, these tender and flavorful treats make for the perfect energizing breakfast or snack.
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Gluten Sensitivity May Be A Misnomer
Several studies suggest that most people who believe theyre gluten sensitive dont react to gluten at all.
One study put 37 people with irritable bowel syndrome and self-reported gluten sensitivity on a low-FODMAP diet before giving them isolated gluten instead of a gluten-containing grain like wheat (
SUMMARY
FODMAPs not gluten may be the cause of digestive problems in non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Some scientists believe that wheat sensitivity is a more appropriate name for this condition.
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Signs You’re Gluten Intolerant
More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.It is also estimated that as much as 15% of the US population is gluten intolerant. Could you be one of them?
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Treating Symptoms Of A Gluten Allergy
The best and really only known effective treatment for wheat or gluten allergies, gluten intolerance and celiac disease is to follow a strict gluten-free diet. This means removing all gluten containing grains and products made from these grains from your diet. In addition, you will need to start monitoring labels for gluten, as it is often used as a filler or binder in products such as barbecue sauces and vitamin supplements.
I also recommend integrating gluten-free enzymes, probiotic supplements and vitamin D into your diet. Vitamin D is one of the first vitamin deficiencies associated with gluten intolerance and more and more research seems to indicate a change in intestinal bacteria is associated with people suffering from many autoimmune diseases . But none of these are a replacement for a strict gluten-free diet, which is a must. They are just a supplement to help with recovery. As I mention in my gluten allergy symptoms in adults article, you might have a blood panel done to help you determine any vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
While this may sound daunting at first, after a short period of time youll soon discover how many gluten-free products are now on the market. With a positive attitude and a willingness to explore new foods you will find that living gluten free is not as difficult as you first imagined.
How To Manage Symptoms Of Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a lifelong condition that has no cure. However, people with this condition can manage their symptoms effectively by adhering to a strict gluten-free diet.
This means that you must avoid any products containing wheat, barley, rye, or spelt, including any foods that may have been cross-contaminated, such as oats, unless theyre labeled as gluten-free.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Gluten Intolerance
There is a huge fad component to the gluten-free movement.
However, many people genuinely cannot tolerate it, even if they dont have celiac disease.
The problem is they dont realise this, and then live with digestive symptoms as though its normal.
This article looks at the most common signs and symptoms of gluten intolerance.
Contents
The 14 Most Common Signs Of Gluten Intolerance
Gluten intolerance is a fairly common problem.
It is characterized by adverse reactions to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
Celiac disease is the most severe form of gluten intolerance.
It is an autoimmune disease that affects about 1% of the population and may lead to damage in the digestive system .
However, 0.513% of people may also have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, a milder form of gluten intolerance that can still cause problems .
Both forms of gluten intolerance can cause widespread symptoms, many of which have nothing to do with digestion.
Here are the 14 main signs and symptoms of gluten intolerance.
Depression affects about 6% of adults each year. The symptoms can be very disabling and involve feelings of hopelessness and sadness .
People with digestive issues seem to be more prone to both anxiety and depression, compared to healthy individuals .
This is especially common among people who have celiac disease .
There are a few theories about how gluten intolerance can drive depression. These include :
Take Home Message
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Easy Gluten Free Pizza
Prepare for your next family pizza night with this Easy Gluten Free Pizza recipe. A gluten free pizza that’s simple and delicious, it’s sure to be a hit at the dinner table. Made with our Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour, this pizza can be topped with whatever you like, as long as it’s free of gluten! In this recipe, we chose to top our pizza with fresh vegetables, and hummus making it a vegan dish.
Celiac Disease Tests And Diagnosis
Doctors use blood tests and other tests to help find out if you have celiac disease:
- Serology tests look for certain antibodies.
- Blood tests check other parts of your immune system.
- Intestinal fatty acid binding protein tests show if thereâs damage to the intestine.
- A complete blood count looks for anemia .
- C-reactive protein tests show if thereâs inflammation.
- Metabolic panels test liver and kidney function.
- Vitamin D, B12, and folate tests look for vitamin deficiencies.
- Iron and ferritin tests look for iron deficiency.
- Swallowing a small camera can show problems in your digestive tract.
- Imaging tests show signs in the intestine, like wall thickening or changes to blood vessels.
- Genetic testing looks for human leukocyte antigens to rule out celiac disease.
If you’re on a gluten-free diet, you’ll need to come off it before having the antibody test so the results will be correct.
If blood and other tests show that you might have celiac disease, youâll probably need to have an endoscopy. This procedure lets your doctor look at your small intestine and take a bit of tissue to see whether itâs damaged.
If you have a rash, doctors will take a small sample of your skin to look for signs itâs caused by celiac disease. This rash is easy to confuse with other skin problems.
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