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We are living in a time of heightened gluten awareness. Many people are attempting gluten-free diets and the stores abound with gluten-free products.
But what is gluten and why are so many people eschewing it?
Gluten is a protein in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. It’s acomplex protein network of hundreds of proteins, the two main ones being gliadin and glutenin. Glutenqualities make it an ideal ingredient for improving the texture, moisture retention, and flavor of baked goods.
That’s why gluten is a common ingredient in bread, pasta, pizza, cakes, biscuits, and cereal.
Gluten intolerance is a digestive problem that results from eating food that contains gluten. Scientifically, it is referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).
The condition is still poorly understood, with some scientists suspecting that gluten isnot the only wheat component that causes NCGS symptoms. Research indicates that other wheat proteins may also play a role.In one study, researchers observed that symptoms of NCGS patients improved with reduced FODMAP intake but worsened with gluten or whey protein.
This indicated that certain symptoms attributed to gluten may be due to other components in wheat,such as FODMAPs.
The mainNCGS symptoms includebloating and pain in the upper or lower abdomen,diarrhea, nausea,constipation,canker sores on the inside of the cheeks, lips, tongue, or gums, plus bowel movement habits that alternate between periods ofconstipation anddiarrhea.
Othersymptoms Include
Gluten sensitivity andceliac disease are not the same but they do share certain aspects.
Both involve digestive problems with gluten. They also havesimilar symptoms including stomach pain, fatigue,bloating,diarrhea,constipation, headaches, “foggy mind”, depression, ADHD, and bone or joint pain.
The fundamentaldifference between the two conditions is that celiac disease is an autoimmune disease and gluten intolerance is a digestive issue. Celiac sufferers cannot ingest gluten at all as eating gluten damages the intestines of people withceliac disease.
Gluten intolerance merely causes a person to feel discomfort when eating gluten; there is no damage to the small intestine.
It is estimated the incidence of gluten intolerance ishigher than that of celiac disease.
The symptom picture is not the same for everyone. If you experience any of thefollowing symptoms when you eat food such as pasta, pizza, or bread, you may be gluten intolerant.
Also, most people experience some GI symptoms from time to time. But if you experience symptoms that last for hours or days every time you eat something that contains gluten; then that may be a sign of an underlying problem.
So, if your favorite sandwich makes you feel sick every time, it might be a good idea to pay a visit to your healthcare provider to find out if you are gluten intolerant.
In the case ofirritable bowel syndrome, the classical symptoms are abdominal pain,bloating, diarrhea, or alternation of constipation and loose stools.Researchers have said that gluten intolerance shares these symptoms.
Whilediarrhea andconstipation can have other causes as well, if these symptoms keep returning, you may have an underlying digestive issue and it may be a gluten intolerance.
Fatigue, or extreme tiredness, is a so-called extraintestinal symptom of gluten intolerance. In other words, it’s a non-digestion symptom caused by something you have eaten. Fatigue can have many causes, but feeling tired is common to digestive difficulties. If you persistently feel tired after ingesting gluten it may be a sign that you are gluten intolerant.
Headache is another extraintestinal symptom of gluten intolerance. It seems that headaches andmigraines are prevalent in patients withceliac disease and those with gluten intolerance.
A systematic2018 literature review that looked at the prevalence of headaches and migraine among celiac disease patients also found a link between gluten sensitivity and headaches. If you frequently have a headache after eating gluten, it might be related to gluten sensitivity.
Nausea can be part of feeling uncomfortable when you eat a slice of bread or something similar that contains gluten. If you often feel nauseous after eating something containing gluten, you may have a sensitivity to gluten.
People with gluten intolerance may also sometimes experience other symptoms.
A recent study that provided an update on NCGS, reported blurred mind, fibromyalgia, lack of well-being, dermatitis, joint pain, and depression assymptoms of NCGS. The study also noted that digestive symptoms are more common than non-digestive symptoms like headache or depression.
There isno precise biomarker that doctors can use to diagnose gluten intolerance.
The first step is to excludeceliac disease, to establish your symptoms are not caused by it. The next step is to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms, such as wheat allergy,irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), orinflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
If none of these causes are present, the final step is for you to go on a gluten-free diet for at least six weeks. While on this diet, you’ll have to keep a food diary to record everything you eat and your symptoms. If the symptoms disappear while you are on the diet, you may be intolerant to gluten.
To confirm, you gradually start reintroducing gluten in your diet again. If your symptoms return, they are likely caused by a sensitivity to gluten.
There are several possible reasons why gluten intolerance is on the rise.
No, gluten intolerance can't be overcome. You can manage symptoms with the appropriate diet. If you stop the diet, symptoms are likely to return. The only treatment for the condition is a lifelong commitment to a diet that excludes food that causes gluten intolerance symptoms.
Some foods like those prepared from wheat flour, are the obvious sources of gluten. But others may not be so obvious. Here is a fairly comprehensive list of food items to avoid:
Anything that you can buy in a bakery potentially contains gluten. Most are baked with wheat, so unless the item is marked "gluten-free", you should avoid it.
Some of these items may be baked with gluten-free flour, so check the labels.
Condiments are the one item one doesn’t expect to be a gluten trap, but they are. They are thickened with gluten-containing ingredients, such as wheat, or wheat starch.
Condiments that you should check for gluten are:
Be careful when you buy a snack. One doesn't think about gluten that comes from wheat when you buy a chocolate bar. Snacks that might include gluten are:
Healthy treats like granola, energy, and cereal bars
It's best to avoid all processed foods but it is not always possible or practical. Check the labels on these foods to make sure what they contain.
Some of our most beloved drinks contain gluten and many of us don't realize that. You may be surprised to learn that the following drinks contain gluten.
We have discussed the grains that are not allowed on a gluten-free diet. Fortunately, many gluten-free varieties remain that you can experiment with and enjoy. They include:
Gluten-free flours can be made from:
In gluten-free diets, breads and cereals are often made using refined flour and grains, such as rice flour, corn flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch – all of which are low in fiber. These ingredients are used to produce foods that taste like and have the same texture as food that contains gluten.
However, replacing conventional grains, which are a good source of fiber, with these low-fiber flours, may reduce your overall fiber intake, resulting in constipation.
One way to combat possibleconstipation that might result from a gluten-free diet is to increase your fiber intake by taking fiber powder.
Yes, you can become gluten intolerant at any time in your life even if you have never had issues with wheat or other gluten sources before in your life. Scientific evidence indicates that people are more prone to becoming gluten intolerantas they age.
Gluten intolerance is a condition that is still not well understood. Scientists have not identified a biomarker that indicates intolerance to wheat, so many people go undiagnosed. Gluten intolerance is not as serious as celiac disease, but it causes similar symptoms that can also only be avoided by a gluten-free diet.
There is no cure for it but there are many naturally gluten-free foods to enjoy, and keep you symptom-free.