Celiac disease, sometimes called celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. If you have celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune response in your small intestine.
Non-celiac gluten intolerance means that your body's digestive system can't tolerate any form of the protein gluten. If consumed, your body fights against it with inflammation, causing digestive issues like fatigue, abdominal pain, diarrhea and gassiness.
The five major illnesses associated with gluten are celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, wheat allergy, gluten ataxia, and dermatitis herpetiformis. Each is distinct, but all are related and manageable.
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a condition characterized by intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms related to the ingestion of gluten-containing foods in the absence of celiac disease and wheat allergy.
“Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, whereas gluten intolerance is a sensitivity,” says Northwestern Memorial Hospital Clinical Dietitian Bethany Doerfler, MS, RD, LDN. “NCGS does not typically have a full negative impact on overall health like celiac disease can.”
The exact causes of gluten intolerance aren't well understood. Some research shows that people may not be sensitive to gluten, but to a certain carbohydrate found in many foods. Their bodies don't absorb the carbohydrate as they should. It stays in their guts and ferments, causing sickness.
“There are some instances where blood tests are borderline positive or mildly positive,” Adams added, “and the patient doesn't actually have celiac disease.” A positive blood test but a negative biopsy could indicate a different autoimmune disease and warrant further testing, Adams explained.
Gluten belly, also known as wheat belly, is a common phrase that refers to stomach swelling after eating gluten as a result of bloating. Along with bloating, one may also develop symptoms such as stomach pain, flatulence, or irregular bowel movements.
Celiac disease is clinically defined as classic, non-classic, subclinical, potential, and refractory.
“Many health care providers don't recognize the more subtle signs of celiac disease,” Brown explains. “They don't realize, for example, that celiac disease can cause weight gain as well as weight loss, so they often don't even consider referring overweight or obese patients for testing.
Your genes combined with eating foods with gluten and other factors can contribute to celiac disease, but the precise cause isn't known. Infant-feeding practices, gastrointestinal infections and gut bacteria might contribute, as well.
Symptoms of gluten intolerance may include constipation, fatigue, headaches, and nausea. Those who report gluten intolerance say regular instances of diarrhea and constipation are a common symptom.
There is no cure for gluten intolerance or coeliac disease. A gluten-free diet is the only effective treatment. Go for a blood test to determine if you are really allergic to gluten before going on a gluten-free diet.
Eliminating gluten may not only strip your diet of valuable nutrients, but also hinder the accuracy of tests for celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition in which gluten signals the body to attack the lining of the small intestine. Celiac disease affects about 1 in 141 people in the US.
The primary treatment for gluten sensitivity from any cause is a change in diet. Several dietary recommendations have been used for gluten sensitivity treatment, including the gluten-free diet, FODMAPs, or a restricted α-amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATI diet).
In fact, if your body can't process gluten you can have many problems including weight gain. However, weight gain isn't as common as weight loss. With gluten intolerance, your body has trouble absorbing the protein gluten that's found in wheat, barley, and rye.
bloating and flatulence. diarrhoea or constipation. fatigue, weakness and lethargy. nausea and vomiting.
Gluten intolerance, or gluten sensitivity, is a disorder where your body reacts badly to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley grains. Gluten intolerance has some of the same symptoms as celiac disease, but doesn't cause permanent damage to your small intestine.
The rise in poor gut health likely plays a key role in increasing adverse reactions to gluten. A primary cause of poor gut health, or dysbiosis, is an unhealthy diet that is high in processed foods but other practices in the modern day world can also be contributors.
One person might have diarrhea and abdominal pain, while another person has irritability or depression. Some patients develop symptoms of celiac disease early in life, while others feel healthy far into adulthood. Some people with celiac disease have no signs or symptoms at all.
Studies debate the extent of the connection between Crohn's disease and celiac disease, but all conclude that Crohn's disease is more common in those with celiac disease than in the general population. Overlapping symptoms include: abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia, and short stature.