Gluten Intolerance Symptoms Vs. Celiac
Confused about Gluten Sensitivity? Is it a real thing? Are you going crazy? This is how I felt when I first found out about my sensitivity to wheat and gluten. Yes, these are two different things and I’ll explain in a second, but first I want to make sure to tell you that you are NOT alone and there is a solution! Gut healing is at the core of your food sensitivity to wheat and gluten, so regardless of you having celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, there is a lot more hope than your doctor and popular belief has led you to believe.
Research shows non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), otherwise known as Gluten Intolerance, is estimated to be 6 - 10 times more prevalent than Celiac Disease (CD). (1) Most people make assumptions that if you don't have a "real" allergic reaction to gluten or celiac disease you are probably just making your symptoms up. But the research shows that Gluten Sensitivity symptoms include 'foggy mind', headache, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, leg or arm numbness, dermatitis (eczema or skin rash), depression, and IBS symptoms. (1)
Celiac VS. Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS)
The differences between celiac and gluten sensitivity (non-celiac gluten sensitivity) are important mostly for diagnosis purposes and the seriousness of avoiding gluten. This is because Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease which can mean more serious reactions to gluten exposure and potentially lead to malnourishment and other chronic diseases. On the other hand, NCGS is an innate immune response that doesn’t have as urgent of reactions. This is similar to the IgA or IgG response to dairy that I mention in this article. However, from a nutrition and functional medicine perspective, the root cause of both NCGS and CD are the same (i.e. leaky gut) and so the seriousness for someone with gluten sensitivity might not be as urgent but it is just as serious in the long run.
As mentioned before, NCGS is far more common than Celiac disease which only afflicts 1% of the world’s population. So this means that gluten sensitivity is a pretty serious issue when it comes to mood health, skin health, energy, and digestive health.
Can you Heal Gluten Sensitivity?
I say this a lot in my articles but there is hope! Although your MD might suggest that research hasn’t figured out why you are sensitive to gluten (1), the truth is you don’t have to live confused forever. I mentioned before that the root cause of these conditions, gluten sensitivity, and celiac disease, are the same. The origin of these conditions is Gut Dysbiosis AKA Leaky Gut. An imbalance of your intestinal flora contributes to food intolerances and chronic inflammation which can actually lead to autoimmune conditions like Celiac Disease. Though many people will have to continue to avoid gluten and wheat for the rest of their lives, there are some amazing stories of healing on the GAPS diet where folks have been able to reverse their Gluten Sensitivity. This does not mean they were able to eat Wonder Bread or other processed wheat items; however, these individuals were able to reincorporate gluten in the form of real sourdough bread and other high-quality ancient grain wheat.
In conventional medicine, the best practice for NCGS is to support and recommend a gluten-free diet. This step is incredibly healing and essential to relieving the other symptoms of low energy, depression, IBS symptoms, and skin issues. (2) However, the framework of conventional medicine doesn’t provide much else in terms of treatment. (3) That is where alternative medicine and nutrition can step in to make sure that what was contributing to the food sensitivity to gluten and wheat doesn’t manifest into future diseases.
Eating gluten-free might not be the only thing that relieves your symptoms. In fact, researchers question whether it is gluten or non-gluten components of the grain that are even evoking symptoms. Some suggest that fermentable carbohydrates, amylase trypsin inhibitors, and wheat-germ agglutinin can also be responsible culprits. (4) This is why temporarily removing all grains while doing a gut healing nutrition protocol can not only resolve symptoms but also reverse the leaky gut and dysbiosis which caused the food intolerance in the first place.
Share your comments below about your own story or questions about gluten sensitivity or Celiac!