Because of the way gluten intolerance impacts the body it isn’t too surprising that there are increased risks with gluten intolerance and pregnancy. Specifically, women with gluten intolerance can have issues with infertility and carrying a fetus to term.

In this article we’ll take a look at the link between gluten intolerance and infertility, how a gluten-free diet can reduce risks associated with pregnancy and celiac disease and we’ll also share a list of 10 things you can do increase your chances of having a healthy, happy pregnancy.

Gluten Intolerance and Infertility

Some of the celiac disease symptoms seem directly related to fertility issues. Gluten intolerance symptoms can include late onset menstruation, infrequent periods and early onset menopause. But it’s important to know that celiac disease impacts fertility in men as well as women.

While the exact cause of celiac disease and infertility isn’t fully understood, there definitely seems to be a correlation between them. Studies in Europe and the United States show that celiac disease is more prevalent in groups of men and women with unexplained infertility than in the general population.

The two most common themes relating to infertility and celiac disease appear to be with unexplained infertility in both women and men and high rates of miscarriages in women. Anyone diagnosed with unexplained infertility who is trying to conceive should have a celiac screening or a gluten intolerance test. The same is true for women who have had more than one unexplained miscarriage. Some people may find they have silent celiac disease; since they didn’t have typical symptoms they may have been undiagnosed until discovering the infertility issues.

Gluten Intolerance and Pregnancy

The exact cause of infertility and celiac disease isn’t fully understood, but there are a few possible factors that may play a role. It may stem from nutritional imbalances or malabsorption of micronutrients that are needed to metabolize hormones. Another possibility is that the autoimmune response experienced by people with celiac disease (where the body basically attacks itself) may trigger immunological, nutritional and hormonal abnormalities.

On the positive side most people with celiac disease and fertility issues who start and adhere to a strict gluten-free diet are able to conceive and have a healthy baby. A gluten-free diet may be necessary for up to a year before being able to successfully conceive, but for some couples it can happen sooner than this. Many people report that after 9 months they successfully conceived.

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The Importance of a Gluten-Free Diet During Pregnancy

While gluten sensitivity can impact pregnancy, don’t think that if you have celiac disease that you can’t have children. Many women with celiac disease have happily and successfully given birth. The key to an uneventful pregnancy and a healthy baby is to carefully follow a gluten-free diet.

Anyone with gluten intolerance symptoms should always adhere to a gluten-free diet, but this is especially important if you want to have a successful pregnancy. This may seem difficult both because of the cravings and because some women don’t react as strongly to gluten while they are pregnant.

When women are pregnant their immune system is suppressed to allow the baby to be carried to term, so the immune system reaction to gluten may not be as strong during pregnancy. This doesn’t mean you should start eating gluten though. With this type of diagnosis it is important to always remain gluten free.

To learn more about what gluten is and what foods contain gluten, besides the obvious ones, read my article: What Is Gluten?

Keys to a Successful Pregnancy

If you have celiac disease, taking some time to understand the relationship between gluten intolerance and pregnancy before you become pregnant can help you conceive and then experience a healthier pregnancy. Here are a few things you can do to plan for a lower-risk pregnancy:

1. Consult with your OBGYN. Let your gynecologist know that you want to have a child and get his or her input on things you can do to reduce your risks. If you’ve had trouble conceiving they may also be able to do some testing to determine hormone levels and give you some input on your ability to become pregnant.
2. Follow a strict gluten-free diet well before you plan on conceiving. By avoiding gluten you can allow your intestines to heal and your body to regain vital nutrients. Stock your gluten free pantry with your favorite items so when those cravings hit you can make or find gluten-free foods in your pantry.
3. Begin taking folic acid supplements 3 months before conception. Folic acid helps prevent birth defects such as Spina Bifida.
4. During the pregnancy stick to your gluten-free diet. Be careful of cross-contamination with foods that are prepared for others that may contain gluten.
5. Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration can be the cause of many pregnancy complications, including celiac disease constipation.
6. Eat even if you don’t feel hungry. Do your best to eat healthy meals each day. Try eating smaller meals more often. Juicing vegetables can also be a great way to get in extra nutrients.
7. Reduce stress as much as possible.
8. Eliminate alcohol during pregnancy.
9. Do not smoke during pregnancy.
10. Once the baby is born, continue to follow a strict gluten free diet. This is even more critical if you decide to breastfeed your child.

Watch For Gluten Intolerance In Your Children

Because this condition is hereditary it is important to watch for signs of gluten intolerance in children as your baby grows and develops. Your child will have a great advantage if you understand how gluten intolerance manifests in children and you get them on a gluten-free diet if necessary before they have to experience too many of the symptoms.

Celiac disease is a serious condition that can negatively impact fertility and pregnancy. Fortunately following a strict gluten free diet can significantly reduce the risks. Talk with your doctor about gluten intolerance and pregnancy and together you can develop a comprehensive plan to ensure a healthy and successful pregnancy.

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Gluten is at the heart of gluten intolerance, yet most people can’t properly answer the basic question, what is gluten? I’ll try to provide you a clear, comprehensive and useful gluten definition.

When people ask what is gluten online, they usually find themselves with vague, inaccurate or confusing answers. I’ve seen answers from so-called authority sources defining it as a “sticky, elastic substance,” which is true to a degree but vague and not terribly helpful, a “protein,” which is not completely accurate as gluten is a protein composite not a protein itself, and a “3-dimensional network formed from sulfur cross-linkage among proteins,” which is only accurate when kneading gluten-containing dough and not a very useful description for most casual researchers.

Note: If you’re already pretty sure you or your loved one suffers from gluten intolerance, I strongly recommend: The Complete Gluten Free Survival Kit

My goal is for you to be able to leave this page with not only a clear definition for what is gluten, but also with a comprehensive source you can refer back to when you address different issues relating to gluten, whether from a cooking perspective (in baking or gluten-free baking) or from a health perspective (in celiac disease or a non-celiac gluten sensitivity).

Each section will start with a relatively simple and usable explanation, then move to more detailed and complicated explanations of various facets of gluten and gluten’s uses. So if you are looking for a quick answer, you can read the first part of each section and move on. If you want more technical detail on gluten, read each section in full.

Use the following outline to navigate this comprehensive answer to What Is Gluten?

• What Is Gluten?
• What Are Gluten’s Uses?
• How Is Gluten Extracted?
• What Is Gluten Intolerance?
• What Is Gluten Enteropathy?
• What Is Gluten Withdrawal?
• What Foods Contain Gluten?
• What Is A Gluten Free Diet?

What Is Gluten?

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In the simplest terms, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein composite, meaning it is a substance made up of several different proteins, in wheat and related grains in the triticeae family of grassy grains or cereal grains. These grains include barley, bulgur wheat, durum, einkorn, farro, graham, kamut, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale and wheat.

Gluten Origin

Gluten comes from the endosperm within the seeds of these cereal grains (the adjacent picture shows an example of a wheat seed endosperm). This makes gluten proteins plant storage proteins. Storage proteins essentially feed embryonic plants during germination, a process common among the seeds in most flowering plants.

The proteins in gluten are unique storage proteins, however, in that they are also functional proteins. This unique functionality makes wheat difficult to substitute when creating gluten-free baked goods, as I describe in the next section on What Are Gluten’s Uses?

The four primary proteins in gluten are albumins, globulins, glutelins and prolamins. In wheat gluten (or gluten in cereal grains), glutelins and prolamins are far more prevalent than albumins and globulins. Albumins and globulins are the primary storage proteins in corn gluten and rice gluten and are not associated with gluten intolerance. Some take issue with the food industry for even using the terms corn gluten or rice gluten.

The specific proteins constituting gluten that we are most interested in are the prolamin gliadin and the prolamin-like glutelin glutenin. They make up about 80 percent of the protein in wheat. These are the proteins which give gluten its unique structure and function… and these are the proteins responsible for triggering gluten intolerance symptoms, celiac disease symptoms and a non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

The cross-linking of gliadin molecules and glutenin molecules creates the primary properties we identify as what is gluten.

Prolamins are insoluble in water and are a general family of proteins common among these grassy grains. In fact, all the grassy grains related to wheat contain different prolamins, but since the polypeptide chains (sometimes just referred to as peptides) of each of these proteins is so similar to the proteins in wheat, they are still broadly called gluten. For example, while gliadin is the prolamin in wheat, secalin is the prolamin in rye and hordein is the prolamin in barley. These are also known as glycoproteins.

Glutelins are another prolamin-like family of proteins. The glutenin in gluten is a glutelin. Glutelins are heat-labile proteins, which means they are altered by heat (which is important for appreciating how gluten responds to baking), and are insoluble in water but soluble in dilute acids or alkalies (bases). While researchers consider the gliadins the more damaging proteins in gluten for people with celiac disease, the glutenins in gluten have also been shown to trigger a damaging autoimmune response in people with a genetic susceptibility to gluten.

Gluten also contains proteins called albumins and globulins, which are soluble in water or diluted salt water unlike the gliadins and glutenins. These are common storage proteins in many grains and do not greatly contribute to the unique quality of gluten-containing cereal grains. They are not known to trigger the problems triggered by glutenins and especially gliadins. When you see websites define gluten, they often don’t mention albumins and globulins because they are far less significant than glutenins and gliadins when discussing gluten intolerance.

Small side note: I’ve had people write me asking what is gluton? This is a common misspelling. The correct spelling is gluten, not gluton. Unlike with celiac vs. coeliac (which are both correct in different contexts), I haven’t found a context where the spelling gluton would be appropriate.

What Are Gluten’s Uses?

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Because of the cross-linking of gliadins and glutenins, which occurs when you mix a gluten-containing grain with water, gluten provides the chewiness you’ve come to know in baked goods. Baked goods with a higher density of gluten feature greater chewiness (as is the case with bagels and pizza crust). Without gluten, common baked goods would be more sticky and less chewy.

Gluten also traps carbon dioxide produced during dough fermentation before baking, helping dough rise before it is baked. Additionally, gluten traps gases during the baking process, helping baked goods rise even more while baked. This capacity to trap gas also helps provide the light, flaky quality in some baked goods.

When a gluten-containing dough is baked, gluten coagulates to help that bread, muffin or cake retain its shape. This is why early attempts at gluten free bread and gluten-free baking in general tend to result in baked goods that crumble more than we desire.

Heavier, chewier baked products feature higher concentrations of gluten while lighter pastry products feature a lower concentration of gluten. People in the flour industry measure the concentration of gluten (or more precisely the density and elasticity of gluten) within flours using a Farinograph. This measurement helps determine the best cooking or baking role for a particular gluten-containing flour.

The food industry uses gluten, and wheat gluten in particular, in many ways because it is so easy and inexpensive to isolate gluten from starches. As it is a concentrated protein and an absorbent substance, gluten is often used as a food additive, a protein supplement or even as a food by itself. Meat substitutes, also known as imitation meat or wheat meat, are often composed of concentrated gluten. For example, seitan is mostly concentrated wheat gluten.

Perhaps most insidiously, gluten’s capacity to bind and provide thickness makes it common in flavorings and sauces. This is why gluten exists in many more food products than just the obvious baked products.

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Wheat starches are used in many products, partially because they are a cheap by-product of vital gluten manufacturing. Because gluten proteins can’t be completely removed from the wheat starch, products made with any amount of wheat starch are still dangerous for people with any kind of gluten intolerance or gluten allergy symptoms.

How Is Gluten Extracted From Wheat?

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Because gluten is insoluble in water, gluten is easily isolated by kneading whole wheat flour and rinsing it with water. If you knead wheat flour rigorously while slowly rinsing it with water, you will eventually have what looks and feels like an elastic rubber ball. That is the gluten isolated from the starches.

What Is Gluten? The image above shows how gluten looks when isolated from about a cup of wheat flour by kneading it under a standard kitchen faucet for five minutes.

IMPORTANT: It is not possible to completely remove all gluten proteins from a wheat starch. While various forms of the process I just described will separate the starches from the gluten of a wheat flour, significant traces of gluten and its various proteins will remain in the starches. This is why if you are on a gluten-free diet you absolutely must avoid any product containing even a trace of wheat, wheat starch or starch from one of the cereal grains in the triticeae tribe.

Mass producing gluten (usually from wheat gluten) involves using heavy machinery to knead a slurry of whole wheat flour — wheat flours mixed with cold water or saline solution — so the gluten isolates and collects into a distinct gluten mass. A centrifuge collects that gluten mass and passes it to machinery to remove moisture.

First a screw press is used to remove most of the water, then the gluten passes into an evaporation chamber, where the temperature is raised just enough to dry the gluten mass without altering it.

At this point the gluten resembles a flour with minimal moisture. Finally the gluten flour is milled and sifted into the density and evenness required for the intended end product. When you see vital wheat gluten sold in stores or listed as an ingredient, it probably came from this gluten isolation process.

What Is Gluten Intolerance?

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The term gluten intolerance is really an umbrella term, and underneath that umbrella we have three fundamentally different conditions. The two primary forms of gluten intolerance are celiac disease and a non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Additionally, some people can suffer from a wheat allergy, which is quite different from celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, but since it is a food allergy involving wheat you will often see people discuss it alongside gluten intolerance.

When most people use the term gluten intolerance, however, they are likely referring to celiac disease.

Only in the spring of 2011 did doctors and researchers verify and isolate the existence of a non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Unfortunately, because a separate and distinct form of gluten sensitivity has only recently been isolated and defined, diagnosis can be difficult. At this point, the most likely scenario for being diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity is simply testing negative for both celiac disease and a wheat allergy yet still exhibiting clear signs of a poor response to consuming gluten. Currently doctors and researchers are trying to develop more clear and useful biomarkers for diagnosing a non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

When taken all together, these different forms of gluten intolerance indicate some startling gluten intolerance statistics.

What Is Gluten Enteropathy?

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Gluten Enteropathy, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is simply another name for celiac disease, which you will also find called celiac sprue disease, non-tropical sprue or endemic sprue. In different parts of the world celiac is spelled coeliac, which just furthers the confusion.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that manifests itself primarily in the small intestine. It occurs in people who inherit one or both of the celiac genes, which are HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8.

When people with celiac disease consume gluten, the enzyme tissue transglutaminase alters the gliadin in the gluten, which causes an immune system reaction that damages the lining of the small intestine. This is why celiac disease is called an autoimmune disease: the immune system attacks its own body.

This reaction causes inflammation and damages the villi or microvilli along the walls of the small intestine (a phenomenon labeled villous atrophy). These microvilli are tiny hair-like fingers that reach out from our small intestine walls to grab nutrients from food passing through our bowel. When the villi are truncated, we are less able to absorb nutrients from our food.

In addition, this damage creates a phenomenon called intestinal hyperpermeability, more often simply referred to as leaky gut syndrome. When you suffer from leaky gut syndrome, both gluten fragments and toxins that should have remained in your small intestine pass through your intestinal wall into your bloodstream.

It is the combination of these two phenomena — villous atrophy and intestinal hyperpermeability — that cause the broad range of possible celiac disease symptoms.

We don’t know what triggers people to become celiacs. That might sound odd as you might assume that gluten triggers people to develop celiac disease. But suffering from the reaction to gluten is the disease; what we don’t know is what causes somebody who is genetically predisposed to finally develop the disease.

Some people who are genetically susceptible may go most of their lives without developing celiac disease or suffering from a poor response to consuming gluten. Something takes us from susceptibility to manifestation, and scientists still haven’t identified that exact trigger.

What Is Gluten Withdrawal?

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When people eat gluten, it triggers the body to manufacture exorphins, which are opioid chemicals similar to endorphins. This produces a calm, relaxed feeling. And just as opiates cause withdrawal when opiate consumption is stopped, you can experience a degree of withdrawal when you completely remove gluten from your diet.

To make things worse, people who need to go gluten-free often need to go dairy-free or casein-free as well, and casein, the primary protein in cow’s milk, also triggers the body to manufacture exorphins.

This withdrawal can cause irritability and intense cravings you don’t expect or understand.

Additionally, as your body heals during the first week or so of going gluten-free, you may experience some mild rashes, hives and headaches. This is because your body, and in particular your liver, can suddenly better process and eliminate toxins. When you go through this kind of detox period you may experience some temporary symptoms or side-effects resulting from your body working through and eliminating these toxins.

I suspect when many people saw the heading what is gluten withdrawal they didn’t expect to find such a distinct and potent answer.

What Foods Contain Gluten?

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This is the most intimidating and frustrating topic in this What Is Gluten guide. I’ll provide you an outline and foundation for all the foods containing gluten, but I’m afraid you’ll need to flesh this list out with some of your own research as needed. A single static and complete list just isn’t possible as brands, recipes and formulas are constantly changing. Please always check the label and never assume anything.

When in doubt, contact the manufacturer. And because the person answering the phone or your email may not always fully understand what is gluten, be prepared to ask if any of the terms, products or ingredients mentioned below are in the products (such as wheat starch, hydrolyzed protein, or even non-wheat gluten products, such as barley or rye).

Recent gluten-free labeling guidelines released by the FDA in the United States should make this process a little easier eventually, but it will take some time for them to be useful for the average consumer.

Most Common and Potent Source of Gluten: Wheat

First, we start with any food made from — or supplemented with — one of the cereal grains in the Triticeae tribe:

• Barley
• Bulgur wheat
• Durum
• Einkorn
• Farro
• Graham
• Kamut
• Rye
• Semolina
• Spelt
• Triticale
• Wheat

The most important here are wheat, barley and rye, especially wheat and barley. Each of these make it into foods as hidden sources of gluten because different parts of them are used as flavor enhancers, binders, thickeners, protein enhancers and more.

Wheat starch — which despite being separated from gluten still contains significant and harmful traces of gluten — must be avoided and you will often find it used in sauces like soy sauce, barbecue sauce or hydrolyzed flavor enhancers. Malted barley also makes it into a ton of foods as a primary ingredient (like in beer, which is why it can be hard to find good gluten free beer) or as a flavor enhancer (like in malted milk). Any product suggesting a wheat germ was used in it will also contain gluten.

The following is a strong foundation list of foods containing gluten, but please understand a comprehensive list would be far larger. I still hope it is enough to give you a more clear and helpful picture of what you must avoid.

This list includes foods that can and often do contain gluten, but in some cases you can find variations of them that are gluten-free. In some cases, an item on the list may be fine, but I put it on this list to alarm you to a food you may need to further research.

• Bouillon
• Bran
• Breakfast Cereals
• Broth (Chicken Broth, Beef Stock and Vegetable Stock, including Stock Cubes)
• Burgers
• Canned And Prepared Soups
• Cooking Wines
• Couscous
• Cured Meats
• Dextrin
• Flavored And Herb Cheeses
• Flavored Coffees
• Flavored Dairy Products, Like Yogurt And Pudding
• Flavored Liqueurs And Liquors
• Flavored Vinegars
• Gravy
• Herbal Teas (Barley is sometimes added)
• Hot Dogs
• Imitation Meats or Meat Substitutes (even when they’re Soy-Based)
• Instant Coffee, especially Flavored Instant Coffee
• Jerky
• Ketchup (or “Catsup”)
• Marinades
• Matzo
• Orzo
• Pickles
• Roasted Or Flavored Nuts
• Salad Dressings
• Sauces
• Sausage
• Seitan
• Self-Basting Poultry
• Soy Sauce
• Spice Blends (including Curry Powders)
• Tamari
• Veggie Burgers
• Veggie Dogs
• Veggie Sausages

And while the following should be obvious, you can never be too safe:

• Bagels
• Biscuits
• Bread
• Cakes
• Croissants
• Muffins
• Pancakes
• Pasta
• Pastries
• Pie Crusts
• Pizza Crusts
• Pretzels

Because gluten can be used as a stabilizing agent and thickener, the number of subtle, hidden sources of gluten can be alarming. For example, some manufacturers use gluten in the sticky stuff you use to seal envelopes!

One last area: oats. I’m developing an entire guide to gluten in oats because it has become so confusing and controversial. The bottom line is that oats by themselves are technically gluten-free, but in most cases they are not safe for people on a gluten-free diet because of cross contamination. Oats are so often grown and processed alongside gluten-containing grains that they are almost always cross-contaminated.

To makes things even more difficult, just because an oat product is certified gluten-free doesn’t mean you should splurge. A small percentage of people who are sensitive to gluten are also sensitive to the storage proteins in oats, so even if you want to start eating certified gluten-free oats, you should only do so slowly and with your physician’s supervision.

You will need to be diligent about reading labels and you will need to grow accustomed to regularly contacting manufacturers.

What Is A Gluten Free Diet?

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Of course the simple definition is that a gluten-free diet is a diet that strictly excludes gluten. To understand what that means you need to understand what is gluten and what is gluten intolerance, but you also have to understand how manufacturers and researchers define the term gluten-free.

Simply put, you’ll discover some confusing and controversial elements to the term gluten-free and what has been defined as acceptable on a gluten-free diet.

First, when you see something labeled as gluten-free, that means that it contains less gluten than the minimum standard considered to be harmful. Unfortunately, that minimum standard varies all over the world and is a bit controversial.

The FDA set guidelines to define a gluten-free food as a food containing less than 20 ppm (parts per million) gluten, or a food with 0.002% gluten. This is the same as the international Codex Alimentarius standard. But in Australia they have determined that a food must contain 5 ppm gluten (0.0005% gluten) to be considered gluten-free.

When you embark on a gluten-free lifestyle, you must make certain you obtain enough fiber, folate, iron, niacin, riboflavin, selenium and thiamine. These are nutrients often lacking in a gluten-free diet because they are often fulfilled by gluten-containing foods on a standard diet. In addition, you need to be careful you don’t fill your diet with too many simple carbohydrates.

When you go gluten-free, you still need to try to eat gluten-free whole grains and gluten-free nuts. Too many refined flours like white rice flour will not provide you a healthy way forward. Replacing relatively healthful gluten-containing grains with too many simple carbs often leads to the phenomenon of gluten intolerance and weight gain.

My Gluten Free Pantry may be a good starting point for people learning how to replace gluten in their everyday baking.

Because you may need to avoid lactose or casein as well, at least when you first start your recovery, you may have to avoid dairy products. So calcium and protein will also need to be monitored and you may need to be deliberate in how you replace these nutrients.

Discover a helpful list of gluten-free foods in the following section on my home page: What Is Gluten Free?

And that ends my comprehensive guide to What Is Gluten? I don’t expect you to read this entire guide in one session, but I hope you will bookmark it and refer to it as you need.

It is a strange phenomenon, but you would be surprised how many people living a gluten-free lifestyle can’t really answer the seemingly simple question, what is gluten? If you’ve followed along here, now you will be one of the few people who can.

Because they develop after consuming gluten, celiac disease symptoms are often misinterpreted as signs of more common digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. But celiac sprue disease is an autoimmune disease, and often the most insidious and serious celiac disease symptoms are not as tangible and immediate as more common gastrointestinal symptoms. Celiac disease may manifest itself differently in different people, so it is challenging to isolate a checklist of celiac symptoms and expect patients to identify their own celiac disease symptoms.

Note: If you’re already pretty sure you or your loved one suffers from gluten intolerance, I strongly recommend: The Complete Gluten Free Survival Kit

Since the symptoms of celiac disease can be so complex and varied, they require a comprehensive discussion. Below you will find a Table of Contents with a clickable outline you can use to jump to a specific section. Then in each section, you will find links back to the outline so you can select a different section. Within each topic you will find links to more celiac disease or gluten intolerance resources you may consult to clarify and deepen your understanding of the symptoms and signs of celiac disease.

Table of Contents for Celiac Disease Symptoms:

• What Is Celiac Disease?
• Celiac Disease Symptoms and Signs
• Celiac Disease Symptoms In Children
• Celiac Disease Symptoms In Adults
• Celiac Disease Causes
• Diagnosing Celiac Disease Symptoms
• Treating Celiac Disease Symptoms
• Refractory Celiac Disease

It all begins in your gut: your immune system reacts to consuming gluten by attacking and causing severe damage to the lining of your small intestine, particularly to the villi or microvilli. This damage prevents your small intestine from absorbing nutrients your body needs from the food you eat and allows proteins and toxins to pass through your intestinal wall into your bloodstream (a phenomenon sometimes referred to as leaky gut syndrome). And thus manifest the many celiac disease symptoms I discuss here.

What Is Celiac Disease?

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Celiac disease is commonly referred to as gluten intolerance, although the clinical distinction between the two terms is more complicated. Gluten is a protein composite mostly found in grassy grains like barley, rye, spelt and especially wheat. Gluten itself, however, is used in a broad range of products where you might not expect it. For a better understanding of gluten itself, I recommend you read my guide: What Is Gluten?

Celiac disease (CD), also referred to as coeliac disease, celiac sprue disease, coeliac sprue disease and sometimes just gluten intolerance, refers to an autoimmune disease where one’s body responds to gluten by attacking itself. Basically, your body over-reacts to gluten by producing a high concentration of specific antibodies. Here is a clinical or technical definition of celiac disease:

Positive antibodies (AGA, EMA and Anti-tTG) to the protein peptides gliadin and glutenin or secalin or hordein, intestinal endomysium, and tissue transglutaminase, in addition to a positive test for the genes HLA-DQ8 or HLA-DQ2.

People susceptible to Celiac Disease contain the genes HLA-DQ8 or HLA-DQ2 and the primary culprit which triggers the ill effects in those who are genetically susceptible is called gluten. While gluten is casually referred to as a protein, the term gluten actually represents a specific component and composite of proteins called peptides. The protein that contains these peptides varies in different gluten-containing grains: rye contains secalin, barley contains hordein and in the most common culprit, wheat, the proteins are called gliadin and glutenin.

Celiac Disease Symptoms

One confusing part is that celiac disease is not a wheat allergy. You might suffer from a wheat allergy yet not be gluten intolerant and you might be gluten intolerant but not suffer from a wheat allergy. Wheat allergies are not an autoimmune disease like celiac disease; instead a wheat allergy is an allergic reaction, like hay fever or a peanut allergy. Wheat allergy symptoms occur when mast cells and basophils in your body react to IgE (or Immunoglobulin E).

While the most pronounced effect celiac disease will trigger occurs in your small intestine along the intestinal wall and its villi (or microvilli), the more we understand this autoimmune disease the more we realize it may affect far more of our anatomy than we previously assumed. Celiac disease can develop at any stage of your life. It has been diagnosed in babies and it has been diagnosed in the elderly. Adult onset celiac disease is not uncommon.

In case you can’t tell, the definition of celiac disease is a little confusing for many people. Often times, the only distinction between gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance and celiac disease involves clinical diagnosis. People suffering from non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) can experience severe consequences of eating gluten despite not being diagnosed with celiac disease. And yet, even the means for diagnosing celiac disease seems to be evolving. Different degrees of gluten-sensitive enteropathy seem to indicate more genes than just the ones I’ve mentioned, and I wouldn’t be surprised if our definition of celiac disease changes a bit within just the next couple of years.

Celiac Disease Symptoms and Signs

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While the effects of celiac disease are not entirely understood yet and may be more far-reaching than we currently realize, the main effect we do understand is this: over time, people with celiac disease have a high concentration of antibodies (AGA, EMA and Anti-tTG) that attack their intestinal lining. These antibodies cause intestinal inflammation and gradually atrophy the tiny finger-like hairs along the intestinal wall called villi or microvilli. These villi absorb nutrients from foods as they pass through the intestine.

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When these villi are worn down, several things happen. First you are less able to absorb nutrients from the food you consume, causing even people with healthy diets to manifest symptoms of malnutrition or malabsorption. Secondly, because these foods aren’t as well-digested earlier in the intestine, they catalyze various problems later in the digestive tract, which include constipation and increased toxicity in your intestinal tract. And third, because the intestinal wall is less protected, the gluten peptides triggering this problem can pass across your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream, further exacerbating the autoimmune response.

The phenomenon where proteins, toxins and perhaps more pass through the intestinal membrane and into the blood is often called leaky gut syndrome. In the past, the term leaky gut syndrome was used by alternative medicine practitioners, but recent research by Dr. Alessio Fasano, professor of pediatrics and physiology and director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland, suggests an association between intestinal permeability and not only celiac disease, but other autoimmune diseases as well.

But what are the exact symptoms of celiac disease, you may be asking at this point. Well it isn’t an easy list to compile, but here goes my attempt.

The signs and symptoms of celiac disease differs with each individual. The symptoms sometimes look like the symptoms of other digestive diseases. This disease is many times confused with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and many of the symptoms overlap with the symptoms of conditions like lactose intolerance, candida infections, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. Some people report not having any symptoms at all. There are over 250 documented celiac symptoms, which makes listing all symptoms feel pretty futile, but I will try here anyways as I really want to help my readers identify and treat their ailments.

Celiac Disease Symptoms In Children:

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• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal distention
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Intermittent diarrhea
• Malodorous flatulence
• Weight loss
• Vomiting
• Delayed growth, stunted growth or Failure to Thrive
• Grayish stools with a foul odor
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis
• Urticaria

You should note several serious conditions which many people associate with celiac disease, although a direct connection isn’t 100 percent clear at this point. These include:

• Sjogren’s Disease
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
• Turner Syndrome
• Peripheral Neuropathy (including tingling in your feet and legs)
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Autism

Please note several recent studies indicated celiac disease does not cause Autism, so I don’t want to accidentally create unsubstantiated hope for people trying to treat Autism with a gluten-free diet. However, many people believe significant anecdotal evidence suggests a correlation between Autism and some form of gluten intolerance, and also believe that a study will eventually find the connection (even if it is not yet clear). Some doctors also still prescribe a gluten-free diet for some children with Autism. This is a bit controversial and still being debated, but I thought I should at least mention it.

For more on children with celiac disease, read Gluten Intolerance In Children and the challenges often faced by Children With Celiac Disease. You can also learn to appreciate the confusion of the different terminology used by reading my article on gluten allergy symptoms in children. And for my essay that narrows down the focus to just symptoms most likely to occur in children, read my comprehensive guide: Celiac Disease Symptoms In Children.

Celiac Disease Symptoms In Adults:

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• Anemia
• Arthritis
• Bone density loss
• Borborygmi (stomach rumbling)
• Depression and irritability
• Fatigue
• Infertility (see Celiac Disease and Infertility)
• Joint pain
• Nausea
• Seizures
• Numbness in the patient’s hands and feet
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis
• Urticaria

For more discussion specific to to the symptoms of celiac disease in adults, please see my article: Celiac Disease Symptoms in Adults.

Inclusive Celiac Disease Symptoms List:

• Abdominal pain
• Bloating
• Constipation, specifically Celiac Disease Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Vomiting
• Delayed growth, stunted growth or Failure to Thrive
• Gluten Ataxia
• Sjogren’s Disease
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
• Turner Syndrome
• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Autism
• Anemia
• Arthritis
• Bone loss
• Bone pain
• Depression, irritability or Celiac Depression
• Fatigue
• Infertility
• Joint pain
• Mouth sores or mouth ulcers
• Seizures, Epilepsy
• Numbness or tingling in the patient’s hands and feet
• Stomach pain
• Gas
• Foul smelling or bloody stools
• Hypoglycemia
• Hair loss (Alopecia)
• Lactose intolerance
• Teeth and gum problems
• Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis (a skin rash)
• Osteoporosis
• Steatorrhea (high fat or lipids within the stool or feces); often causes floating stools
• Urticaria

In addition, it may be critical to mention that often times we may experience silent celiac disease symptoms, which make the disease all the more insidious and troublesome, especially among otherwise healthy adults. Latent celiac disease symptoms may make diagnosis difficult as well. A latent celiac disease symptom is a delayed symptom that may seem to come and go while not occurring consistently, making it difficult to define as a celiac symptom rather than a symptom of an altogether unrelated condition.

Celiac Disease Causes

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There still is not a definitive and 100 percent cause of celiac disease. It is believed that the disease is genetic in nature. Research is still being done to understand this disease. Fundamentally you could best boil it down to a genetic vulnerability somehow being exploited by a trigger. Some might think the trigger is gluten, but in fact, some people with the celiac disease gene can eat gluten without difficulty for decades without celiac disease manifesting itself. Something is triggering the transition from genetic vulnerability to disease manifestation.

The nearest theory at this point seems to indicate a possible relation to a change in the bacteria of your gut. For that reason, more and more people are recommending probiotics as a means of helping you treat celiac disease. Additionally, some evidence suggests a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and celiac disease. Still more anecdotal evidence suggests environmental issues could trigger problems, which is one reason many celiac specialists recommend not only strictly adhering to a gluten-free diet, but also strictly adhering to a diet containing all natural and organic foods.

Another recent and promising development indicates that many people with autoimmune diseases (including celiac disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis) often have a leaky gut (or permeable intestinal wall), which means food components pass more easily across the intestinal wall into your bloodstream. While there is still much research to be done on this matter, this discovery could help pinpoint autoimmune disease causes and treatments in the future.

Diagnosing Celiac Disease Symptoms

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A blood test can help determine if the special antibodies (AGA, EMA and Anti-tTG) are present in your blood. If the test comes back positive an intestinal biopsy is done to test a piece of your small intestine. A biopsy is then done after several months of being diagnosed with the disease to see how you are responding to treatment. Additionally a genetic test (to look for the HLA-DQ8 or HLA-DQ2 genes) can be done to see if you are considered at risk for the disease. Usually these tests are combined to pinpoint celiac disease as the culprit and not another similarly manifesting condition such as Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

Celiac disease is still misdiagnosed most of the time because the symptoms resemble many other diseases. In particular, if you’ve ever been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or lactose intolerance, I suggest you discuss your situation and the possibility of celiac disease with your doctor. These are two of the most common misdiagnoses made related to celiac disease symptoms, and gluten intolerance statistics strongly indicate that a majority of celiac disease sufferers have not been diagnosed and thus are not being treated.

To read more on diagnosing celiac disease, please read gluten intolerance test.

Treating Celiac Disease Symptoms

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The one proven way to manage celiac disease is to eliminate all gluten from your life. Many of the foods that contain gluten are grains, particularly grassy grains like rye, barley, spelt and wheat, and other high carbohydrate foods. But unfortunately, gluten may also hide away in unexpected places, like as a filler or binder for pills and supplements and a texturizer for sauces (like barbecue sauces) and other foods. Thus adapting to a gluten-free diet means you must do more than just avoid wheat products.

However, please don’t despair. You will find plenty of other tasty foods you can still eat and easily maintain a healthy balance and lifestyle. More and more manufacturers support a gluten-free lifestyle with increased quantity and quality of gluten-free foods and you will find more online and offline resources to assist you on your way today than ever before. You will find the path to healing your celiac disease symptoms significantly more smooth and accessible now than it was just a few years ago.

Many people have found that their symptoms improve within a couple of weeks of changing their diet, but for some who have gone undiagnosed for a long time it may take much longer to recuperate. But let me be clear: a disciplined and completely gluten-free diet is a must. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can just reduce gluten or occasionally cheat by sneaking in an occasional gluten-containing food. You must commit to totally gluten-free diet.

I have several pages which may help you adapt to your new gluten-free diet. Please see my gluten-free pantry for a comprehensive guide to replacing gluten in your everyday meal choices.

As I mentioned earlier, I recommend both probiotics (especially Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus reuteri) and a vitamin D supplement to aid your body in repairing your intestine and get back to health.

I also recommend you take a comprehensive gluten-free vitamin and mineral supplement along with gluten-free enzymes because you have probably been suffering from malnutrition and you need to recuperate from your insufficient intake of vital nutrients. Some evidence suggests L-Glutamine may help heal the small intestine just as it helps repair muscles.

Additionally, you may need to supplement your diet with a lactase supplement as people with recently diagnosed celiac disease or gluten intolerance are often also lactose intolerant. Make sure it is a gluten-free enzyme supplement. As your gut heals with a strict and healthy gluten-free diet, it is likely it will produce lactase on its own again. Again, make sure all of them are gluten-free supplements. This may require contacting the manufacturer as labeling isn’t always explicit.

Most importantly, however, I urge you to consult both your doctor and a nutritionist as you approach this endeavor.

Refractory Celiac Disease

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In some rare cases, people don’t seem to heal despite a gluten-free diet. In cases where a patient reaches a year of remaining strictly gluten-free, the patient will be diagnosed as having refractory celiac disease. I am researching and writing a new article to cover the delicate topic of refractory celiac disease symptoms. Refractory celiac disease is a serious condition which often requires serious medications such as orticosteroids (like prednisone) and immuno-suppressive drugs (like azathioprine). Many researchers are beginning to refer to refractory celiac disease as a malignant condition, or cancer.

Patients with Type I Refractory Celiac Disease (RCD) will have a normal T-cell population along the lining of their intestines while Patients with Type II Refractory Celiac Disease will have an abnormal T-cell population. The distinction is further clarified depending on a patient’s response to azathioprine or steroids, with Type II celiac disease sufferers not responding well. This is a very serious condition as people with Type II Refractory Celiac Disease have a high chance of developing T-cell Lymphoma, a serious malignant cancer.

Before you panic, however, please note that people who don’t respond to a gluten-free diet are usually suffering from another undiagnosed condition and not type II celiac disease. These conditions could include ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis, Crohn’s disease, fructose intolerance, lactose intolerance or small bowel bacterial overgrowth (or small intestine bacterial overgrowth syndrome). However, if after six to ten months of being strictly gluten-free you are not getting better, I suggest you consult a doctor and a nutritionist to improve your prognosis or help you isolate the reason you’re not getting better.

Recently, promising research conducted in The Netherlands suggested that cladribine therapy (2-chlorodeoxyadenosine or 2-CdA) may be an effective treatment for type II refractory celiac disease.

Please note that a gluten-free diet is not a fad diet or a way to lose weight. I can’t believe I’m seeing some people treat it as such. While there are some rare situations where a relationship between gluten intolerance and weight gain exists, a gluten-free lifestyle is not a hot weight loss solution but a necessary prescription for people suffering from gluten intolerance or manifesting gluten allergy symptoms.

Even though the medical community has come a long way in dealing with celiac disease, research must still continue to better understand what triggers celiac disease symptoms and how to better treat them. Celiac disease is a very difficult and troubling condition but I hope my writings help as many people as possible. I appreciate your reading my Gluten Intolerance website and I hope you found this Celiac Disease Symptoms guide helpful.

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Welcome to Gluten Intolerance Symptoms, where I will help you understand gluten intolerance and then live a healthy and fun life despite living with either wheat allergy symptoms or celiac disease symptoms.

A growing number of individuals are wondering if they are suffering from gluten intolerance symptoms or celiac disease symptoms and researching gluten sensitivity. I aim to help you determine whether or not you’re experiencing gluten intolerance symptoms or symptoms of a wheat allergy (these two conditions are not the same thing), and then help you through a new world of gluten-free cuisines. Being gluten intolerant shouldn’t stop you from living a healthy, happy life.

Note: If you’re already pretty sure you or your loved one suffers from gluten intolerance, I strongly recommend: The Complete Gluten Free Survival Kit

Don’t view your gluten intolerance symptoms as a harbinger of darker days. I’ll help you restore hope. I’ll try to keep this as comprehensive yet accessible as possible. Use the following index to skip to your desired section of this gluten intolerance guide:

• What is Gluten?
• What Is Gluten Intolerance?
• What Are Gluten Intolerance Symptoms?
• Is Gluten Intolerance a Wheat Allergy?
• What Is Celiac Disease? What Are Celiac Disease Symptoms?
• What Is Gluten Ataxia?
• What Is Gluten Free?
• Can Adults Develop Food Allergies or Gluten Intolerance?

Specifically, I hope to help you understand the difference between symptoms of wheat intolerance and gluten intolerance symptoms (or gluten allergy symptoms). Many mistake these to be the same, but they’re not! Please note this guide does not use wheat and gluten interchangeably as they are two distinct terms. Also, it is possible to experience celiac disease symptoms but test negative for celiac disease, which you’ll sometimes see spelled coeliac disease or coeliac sprue disease, or with the clinical label gluten enteropathy. You may also see celiac disease abbreviated as CD.

What is Gluten?

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Gluten is not a protein itself but rather a protein composite, composed of the proteins glutenin and gliadin (in wheat), secalin (in rye) and hordein (in barley), which are elastic proteins in the protein family known as prolamins. Gluten is insoluble in water and comes from the endosperm (see the accompanying picture) within the seeds of grass-related grains.

Gluten Origin

Gluten exists in the grass-like grains wheat, barley, rye, kamut and spelt. Gluten provides an elasticity and glue-like capacity to hold its flour products together and provide them with a chewy texture. Some argue that other grains, including rice, corn and oats, contain some form of gluten, even if it is not the gluten with the profile of peptides associated with any form of gluten sensitivity.

Others argue that the peptide sequences in these grains do not have the unique qualities that define gluten as it is widely understood, particularly as it is understood in wheat. For the sake of studying gluten intolerance, these other grains are considered safe as their protein profiles do not match the profiles of the troublesome grains. Oats, however, usually must be avoided because oats are often harvested and processed alongside wheat and thus may be cross-contaminated. You can see how the question what is gluten can be surprisingly difficult to answer in a concise manner.

While western civilization has come to rely on gluten not only as an important nutritional protein but also as a utility for obtaining a desired texture and elasticity in foods, in recent years some substantial and controversial studies suggest our bodies may not tolerate and digest gluten as well as everyone had always assumed. It is worth noting that some people believe this applies to everyone, and not just people suffering from some degree of gluten sensitivity.
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One key point to consider is that gluten is in more foods and products than you may realize. If you think removing gluten from your diet involves not eating bread and baked goods, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. Gluten is often used in sauces, flavorings, flavor enhancers and even as a binder or filler in vitamins and supplements. Adapting a gluten-free diet requires more than just removing wheat products from your lifestyle.

I’ve found so many vague and inaccurate answers to the question what is gluten that I’ve written my own guide to this deceptively simple topic: What Is Gluten?

What Is Gluten Intolerance?

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First you must separate gluten intolerance into three distinct categories: Celiac Disease, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity and a Wheat Allergy. (Technically, a wheat allergy is not a gluten intolerance. I’ll get to that in a bit.)

Celiac Disease Symptoms | Gluten Intolerance

Celiac Disease occurs when the proteins in gluten (glutenin and gliadin) trigger your immune system to overreact with strong and unusual anitbodies. Over time, such antibodies wear down the little hairs called villi, which line the walls of your intestine (this process is called villous atrophy). These finger-like tiny hairs grab and absorb nutrients as foods pass through your lower digestive tract. As celiac disease symptoms slowly destroy these villi, you become less and less able to process any nutrition from your food. This sets off a domino-effect of increasingly serious health problems. Celiac disease is also associated with leaky gut syndrome, also known as a permeable intestines. Undigested gluten moves through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream. This may be the root of such gluten intolerance symptoms as Dermatitis herpetiformis, a nasty gluten intolerance rash.

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity is currently a little more difficult to pinpoint. Basically, individuals who suffer from NCGS suffer very similarly to people with Celiac Disease, but the blood test which identifies and diagnoses celiac disease returns as negative. The only way to confidently diagnose NCGS is through a gluten free diet (I’ll write more about NCGS in the future as it is an interesting topic which more directly addresses the controversy around the term gluten allergy symptoms).

Recent research and current gluten intolerance statistics suggest that 5% to 10% of the population may suffer from some form of gluten intolerance, and yet a vast majority of these individuals have not yet been properly diagnosed.

The third category is wheat allergy symptoms. The origin of wheat allergy symptoms are fundamentally different than gluten intolerance or celiac disease symptoms, but some might call it gluten allergy symptoms. This is a histamine response to wheat, much like a peanut allergy or hay fever. Wheat allergies manifest themselves in a wide variety of manners which can be different for different people. Some people experience hives while others might experience stomach pain. A wheat allergy, unlike a gluten intolerance, is considered a Type 1 Hypersensitivity.

A wheat allergy may also sometimes occur as a cross-reactive condition related to an Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS), which some people refer to as Pollen Foods Allergy Syndrome.

What Are Gluten Intolerance Symptoms?

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It may help you to have a more succinct gluten intolerance symptoms checklist. I will try to provide you one here, but keep in mind how there are over 250 documented symptoms of a gluten sensitivity and their manifestation varies greatly from person to person. With this list I think I have isolated both the most common symptoms and the most important symptoms you should know about right away. Some symptoms are rare and even counter-intuitive (for example, gluten intolerance and weight gain goes against the grain of normal gluten intolerance symptoms). Please let me know if you feel I have missed something obvious or important.

• Abdominal Distention
• Abdominal Pain and Cramping
• Alternating Bouts of Diarrhea and Constipation
• Anemia
• Arthritis
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• Autism
• Bloating (see Gluten Intolerance Bloating)
• Bone Density Loss
• Borborygmi (stomach rumbling)
• Constipation (see Celiac Disease Constipation)
• Stunted Growth and Failure to Thrive
• Depression, Anxiety and Irritability (see Celiac Depression)
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis (skin rash — see my Dermatitis Herpetiformis article)
• Diabetes
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Malodorous Flatulence
• Malodorous Stools
• Gluten Ataxia (see my Gluten Ataxia article)
• Grayish Stools
• Hair Loss (Alopecia)
• Headaches and Migraines
• Hypoglycemia
• Infertility (see Gluten Intolerance and Pregnancy)
• Joint pain
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
• Lactose intolerance
• Mouth sores or mouth ulcers
• Nausea
• Numbness or tingling in the patient’s hands and feet
• Osteoporosis
• Peripheral Neuropathy (including either a tingling or sensation of swelling your toes and fingers)
• Sjogren’s Disease
• Steatorrhea (high lipids in the stool, which may cause the stool to float)
• Teeth and Gum Problems
• Turner Syndrome
• Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
• Vomiting
• Unexplained Weight loss
• Urticaria

I hope this gluten intolerance checklist helps you, but again, do not try to diagnose yourself with a list you find on the Internet. Always consult a professional because this is a very serious condition.

Is Gluten Intolerance a Wheat Allergy?

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Even though it occurs as a reaction to protein in wheat, Celiac Disease is not specifically a wheat allergy. A wheat allergy — like most well-known allergies — is the response of white blood cells called basophils and mast cells to something called Immunoglobulin E (or IgE for short). In laymen terms, this is a traditional allergy where you develop antibodies to an allergen, in this case wheat. Believe it or not, you can have a wheat allergy and not have Celiac Disease (or gluten intolerance), and you can have Celiac Disease and not have a wheat allergy. They’re two completely different responses in your body.

In a vast majority of cases, gluten intolerance symptoms will be systemic and will be a result of consuming gluten over a period of time. But symptoms of wheat intolerance will instead manifest themselves more like you perceive a typical allergy: quickly and with single exposure. Being gluten intolerant can be frustrating as this autoimmune disease can be subtle and insidious.

For example, if you eat a large, dense piece of gluten-rich bread and have immediate reactions, you are more likely experiencing wheat intolerance symptoms or a wheat allergy rather than symptoms of gluten intolerance which specifically represent celiac disease symptoms.

I know this can be confusing, but think of a wheat allergy reaction as similar to the way a person might react to cats if he or she is allergic to them. If he pets the cat and breaths around the cat, then he will almost immediately start having watery, itchy eyes and begin sniffling and sneezing.

In contrast, gluten intolerance symptoms manifest themselves more like a nutritional deficiency, with symptoms that sometimes arise slowly over time. The symptoms can be severe and serious, but in most cases they’re systemic, not immediate like symptoms of wheat intolerance. To make this even more confusing, people frequently refer to this condition as gluten allergy symptoms. General gastrointestinal distress or digestive disorders also sometimes originate from gluten intolerance. For example, some symptoms of Candida may develop as a result of gluten intolerance.

What is Celiac Disease? What Are Celiac Disease Symptoms?

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The cold clinical definition to a celiac sprue disease diagnosis is this: Positive antibodies to the proteins glutenin and gliadin, tissue transglutaminase, and intestinal endomysium, along with the verified presence of HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 genes. Fun, huh? Such an explanation doesn’t exactly insinuate celiac symptoms.

If you and your doctor (or natural physician) determine your gluten intolerance symptoms are distinctly a result of consuming gluten, you may be diagnosed as having celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine. It can rear its troublesome head at any point from infancy to old age. Currently, celiac disease is believed to be inherited. However, as it has often gone misdiagnosed or undiagnosed in the past, you may have gluten intolerance in your family and not realize it. Thankfully, people are becoming more sensitive and aware of gluten intolerance in children so gluten intolerance symptoms in children are now much more likely to be diagnosed than they were just ten years ago. Gluten intolerance symptoms in adults, however, are still somewhat nebulous as they often dovetail with conditions such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, lactose intolerance and yeast intolerance. And because adults too often grow accustomed to some discomforts, celiac disease symptoms in adults often go left untreated.

It is important to recognize that clinical tests (a blood test and/or an intestinal biopsy) can determine to some certainty that you have coeliac disease, but inconclusive or negative results in these tests do not necessarily mean you’re free from wheat gluten intolerance. In fact, most people experiencing legitimate and significant gluten intolerance symptoms have officially tested negative for Celiac Disease. These individuals are categorized as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitive, or NCGS.

Update: Please note that information on gluten intolerance vs celiac disease is undergoing quite an evolution right now. Please see gluten intolerance test for more. For example, testing for steatorrhea, or excess fat or lipids in one’s stool, has become part of a more rigorous gluten intolerance test and examination of one’s gluten sensitivity.

Because it is difficult to test conclusively, many people will be diagnosed based on a wide variety of screenings and observations. The most common symptoms are gastrointestinal problems (or gastrointestinal distress) such as diarrhea, flatulence, gas and bloating. Other symptoms may include joint pain, fatigue and headaches but many other peripheral symptoms may also lead to a celiac disease diagnosis or non-Celiac gluten sensitivity, such as gluten ataxia. (I don’t want to make everyone reading this paranoid so over time this site will provide a wide range of essays on different ways people have come to evaluate gluten intolerance symptoms.)

Keep in mind that currently there are an estimated 250 or more symptoms related to gluten intolerance or celiac disease symptoms and many of these symptoms may overlap with other diseases and conditions. While you will often see celiac disease symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, fatigue and joint pain mentioned as the most common celiac disease symptoms, keep in mind that such symptoms can occur with dozens of other diseases and ailments as well. Always consult a medical professional rather than attempt to diagnose yourself. In some cases, these may manifest as silent celiac disease symptoms and go undiagnosed for years.

The most accurate way to identify and diagnose your gluten intolerance symptoms is to use an elimination diet, a strict diet in which you completely eliminate gluten and gluten-associated foods for a significant period of time, then use careful record-keeping and observation to compare your symptoms before the elimination period to your symptoms after the elimination period. But gluten-free diets can be difficult for the uninitiated, so doctors often like to evaluate a patient’s condition thoroughly before prescribing a gluten free diet. If you’re new to a gluten-free lifestyle, I encourage you to get the Gluten Free Survival Kit.

Celiac Disease is caused by the inflammatory interaction of gliadin — a gluten protein in wheat and other grains such as barley and rye — and the enzyme tissue transglutaminase. This inflammation flattens the lining of the small intestine and thus impedes your small intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients. The best and likely only way to deal with this disease is a strict gluten-free diet. Thankfully, gluten-free foods are much more widely available than they were a decade ago.

What Is Gluten Ataxia?

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As a term for a condition, gluten ataxia is a relatively new designation. Ataxia itself is a neurological dysfunction where a person experiences reduced coordination and muscle control. The three basic categories of ataxia are cerebellar ataxia, sensor ataxia, and vestibular ataxia. Gluten ataxia is essentially cerebellar ataxia where gluten has been determined to be the trigger.

Gluten ataxia was initially discovered and verified with the examination of the cadavers of individuals who suffered from ataxia in their lives. Upon examination, the same antibodies that are triggered in celiac disease and gluten intolerance were found at the base of the cerebellum, the part of the brain that governs motor control. Further studies indicated that reduced gross motor control could result from untreated gluten intolerance.

I expand on this specific topic in a new post: Gluten Ataxia.

What Is Gluten Free?

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While a complete list of what is gluten free would take pages and pages to convey, the following list should cover the most frequently desired gluten alternatives for cooking and baking.

It should also illuminate some food opportunities you hadn’t previously considered.

First, let’s start with some common pre-made ingredients.

• Brown and white rice pasta
• Brown rice tortilla wraps, when made from 100% brown rice flour
• Corn pasta, when made from 100% corn
• Corn tortillas and corn taco shells, when made from 100% corn
• Nut butters (check the label, but you should be fine in most cases): this includes almond, cashew and peanut butters.
• Polenta rolls, but always check for the gluten-free label
• Quinoa pasta and some quinoa pasta combinations (look for gluten-free label)
• Rice noodles and rice glass noodles
• Rice paper or rice and tapioca paper wraps
• Seed butters: This includes hemp seed butter, sesame tahini, sunflower seed butter.
• Soba noodles (make sure they are 100% buckwheat)
• Soy pasta (if labeled gluten-free)
• Teff wraps created with 100% teff flour

Remember to always look for a gluten-free label, and in the case of products made with a specific gluten-free flour, make sure it is made from 100% of that flour.

Now let’s consider common gluten alternatives.

When you consider wheat flour replacements, you will find a number of plants, nuts and grains used in combinations (you can view some of my suggested combinations in my gluten free pantry). This list includes flours, starches and thickeners. There is no one-for-one replacement for wheat flour, and most recipes will include two or more of the following in combination:

• Amaranth flour
• Arrowroot starch
• Buckwheat (includes Kasha)
• Chick pea or garbanzo flour
• Coconut flour
• Corn (including cornmeal, corn starch and masa harina)
• Millet flour
• Nut meals and flours, including almond, cashew, chestnut, pecan and walnut (almond flour is a favorite of mine)
• Potato flour (as a thickener)
• Potato starch (for baking)
• Quinoa flour
• Rice flour (includes white rice, sweet rice and brown rice flours)
• Sorghum flour
• Soy flour
• Tapioca starch, also called tapioca flour
• Teff flour

I should make a special mention about oats. For most celiacs, certified gluten-free oats and oatmeal made with certified gluten-free oats will be okay.

The conventional wisdom of avoiding oats on a GF diet has more to do with cross-contamination with gluten-containing grains during processing. However, if you have not been eating oats, I recommend you only begin eating them under the supervision of your doctor.

In some patients the protein in oats appears to cause a similar reaction to the reaction caused by consuming gluten. This is rare, so please don’t panic, but it is possible. In most cases, when oats are certified gluten-free, they should be fine for people with gluten intolerance to consume.

For a list of foods containing gluten, read my new guide: What Is Gluten?

Can Adults Develop Food Allergies or Gluten Intolerance?

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Too many adults develop a belief that once they reach adulthood, they have a full understanding of their sensitivities and allergies. It is also possible that you’ve either ignored or misread your gluten intolerance symptoms or wheat allergy symptoms. Celiac sprue disease is infamously under-diagnosed and diagnosis takes some study and thought. There isn’t a simple single test to give you an outright answer and the best and most comprehensive research on the matter has only become widespread in recent years. While sometimes a simple blood test (an antibody level profile testing for AGA and Anti-tTG) may indicate whether you have celiac disease, if you test negative you may still experience gluten intolerance symptoms, often referred to as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS).

Adults experiencing unexplained joint pain, anemia, infertility or osteoporosis should discuss the possibility of gluten intolerance with their primary care physician. I encourage you to explore my in-depth articles on silent celiac disease symptoms and celiac disease symptoms in adults for more on adult-onset gluten intolerance.

I hope this helps you gain a basic understanding of gluten intolerance. In the coming months, I will provide multiple perspectives to evaluating gluten intolerance symptoms and I will begin rolling out some great ways to handle being gluten intolerant and live gluten free, including some fun gluten free recipes for the gluten intolerance diet.

For example, check out our comprehensive Gluten-Free Pantry or our first collection of Gluten-Free Bread Recipes. Or keep up-to-date with our changes and additions with our Gluten Intolerance Symptoms blog.

Thank you for visiting and please return to my Gluten Intolerance site soon!

With this article, Gluten Allergy Symptoms, I will attempt to clarify something I feel may confuse people researching Celiac Disease (or Celiac Sprue Disease) and Gluten Intolerance (or gluten enteropathy).

Note: If you’re already pretty sure you or your loved one suffers from gluten intolerance, I strongly recommend: The Complete Gluten Free Survival Kit

To be honest, the term gluten allergy symptoms itself creates confusion and I’m not fond of it. I titled this article this confusing term on purpose to draw those using it so I might educate them on why it isn’t the best term for this condition. And yet even as I wrote it, I’ve decided that “gluten allergy symptoms” may still have a purpose if we can get the health community to use it in a specific way and in a consistent manner.

The first aspect you must understand is that clinical Celiac Disease and even Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) is fundamentally different than an allergy in the traditional sense. Someone suffering from celiac disease symptoms isn’t simply suffering from a food allergy; they’re suffering from an autoimmune disease. I explain this to some degree with the main article of this site, but because I receive an overwhelming number of emails targeting the phrase gluten allergy symptoms, I thought I better address the term more directly in its own article.

• Wheat Allergy Symptoms
• Gluten Intolerance Symptoms
• Gluten Allergy Symptoms: Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity
• Usage of the Phrase “Gluten Allergy Symptoms” Online
• Legitimate Gluten Allergy Resources Online

Wheat Allergy Symptoms

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Gluten Allergy Symptoms

First, you should understand exactly how an allergic reaction to wheat occurs. It’s important for people to understand that an allergic reaction is completely different than the systemic reaction your body experiences over time with gluten intolerance.

A wheat allergy is the result of a histamine response. By itself, such an allergy doesn’t indicate Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance. An allergic reaction to wheat is more like the kind of allergy you might associate with allergies to pollen (hay fever) and pets (I’m sure you’ve known someone allergic to cats or dogs).

With such a histamine response, what’s happening is that white blood cells known as basophils and mast cells over-react to Immunoglobulin E. This causes an immediate response. Symptoms of wheat intolerance manifest themselves not unlike other allergic reactions you may recognize: hives, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, stomach discomfort and even pain.

But just because you eat something with wheat in it and you experience these symptoms does not specifically mean you suffer from gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease. This instead is a relatively simple food allergy.

One example how fundamentally different this can be from gluten intolerance is that often times people can be allergic to foods containing wheat but can do fine with other gluten-based foods, such as spelt or barley.

It is vital that you understand how this is NOT the case for people who are truly gluten intolerant. Spelt and barley are just as bad for you as wheat if you are truly gluten intolerant and not just allergic to wheat.

Please note that I am not trying to downplay the seriousness of a wheat allergy. Anaphylactic shock can be deadly.

Gluten Intolerance Symptoms

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One could argue that gluten intolerance and celiac disease are in fact more complicated, more subtle and yet just as serious (if not more serious, in some cases) over the long term. And because so many cases in involve silent celiac disease symptoms, the gluten intolerance statistics reveal a disturbing trend of unaware patients walking around undiagnosed.

(Note: I don’t mean to marginalize the seriousness of allergic reactions. However, it is imperative for people to appreciate how real gluten intolerance has long-term consequences far more serious than most immediately recognizable symptoms. If you suspect real gluten intolerance, you should look into a gluten intolerance test.)

Celiac Disease, and the formal definition of gluten intolerance, is when you have overly strong antibodies reacting to the proteins in gluten (giadin and glutenin). These overreacting antibodies lash out at your intestinal enomysium. For a more detailed definition, please see my site’s home page: Gluten Intolerance Symptoms. For a more detailed understanding of the peculiar substance at the heart of this phenomenon, read my article: What Is Gluten?

If that last paragraph looked like a Martian language to you, don’t worry. I’ll try to explain it a little more simply. What basically happens here is that when you eat a gluten-containing food, your body overreacts to it and that overreaction affects certain innocent bystanders of your intestines: villi (also known as microvilli).

These villi, which are tiny hairs or tiny fingers along the inner lining of your intestines, perform the vital role of grabbing nutrition from your food as it passes through your small intestine.

Gluten Intolerance and Intestinal Villi

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Over time, villous atrophy occurs. What this means is that your body’s overreaction to gluten slowly wears down and kills off the villi, making your small intestine less capable of digesting all foods — not just gluten-containing foods. This malabsorption has serious and far-reaching consequences. Short term consequences include:

• Celiac Disease Constipation
• Gluten Intolerance Bloating
• Gas
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Joint Pain
• Headaches
• Skin rashes, especially Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Real gluten intolerance will lead to vitamin deficiencies and nourishment deficiencies in your nervous system, your brain, bones and other organs (especially your liver).

This in turn may lead to a whole array of health problems, including severe malnutrition, autism and current studies may indicate even cancer. Children with gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease frequently suffer from a failure to thrive and grow.

(Just to further confuse you, there are rare cases where gluten intolerance and weight gain have become associated. Please read my article on that matter: Gluten Intolerance and Weight Gain.)

Gluten Allergy Symptoms: Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

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To make this matter all more confusing, you can experience gluten intolerance but still not test positive for Celiac disease. There is still much to learn about this new subset of Celiac Disease, but the vital part is that you can be gluten intolerant yet test negative for Celiac Disease. Some of these individual may be enduring silent celiac disease symptoms for years without knowing it.

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) or Gluten Related Disease (GRD) may ultimate prove to be Celiac Disease once better forms of diagnosis are discovered, but for now you it exists as its own diagnosis and phenomenon. Please note that both Celiac Disease and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity should be treated the same: Both require you completely eliminate all traces of gluten from your diet.

Wheat Allergy Symptoms

It’s possible that NCGS is the most accurate single health condition for the phrase gluten allergy symptoms, as it is neither a wheat allergy nor a formal, clinical diagnosis of Celiac Disease. It is often the heart of gluten allergy symptoms in adults. This is because adults sometimes grow accustomed to a certain level of health and physical discomfort and don’t proactively pursue in an improvement in their life. When gluten intolerance in children appears, attentive and responsible parents often do everything possible to address it. Gluten allergy symptoms in children are often addressed promptly compared to gluten allergy symptoms in adults.

So what are gluten allergy symptoms anyway? If you are experiencing an allergic reaction to wheat, the symptoms will likely manifest themselves through gluten allergy hives or gluten allergy rashes. You might also experience gluten allergy bloating. However, symptoms like fatigue and extended irritable bowel syndrome symptoms typically are more likely to indicate a gluten intolerance. More severe skin reactions, like Dermatitis herpetiformis, can indicate Celiac disease as well.

Additionally, peripheral conditions may develop. These could include gluten intolerance bloating or symptoms of Candida.

Usage of the Phrase “Gluten Allergy Symptoms” Online

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However, please note that this is just my own attempt to find a use for the overly used and misused term. When you are researching wheat allergies and gluten intolerance, please note that in most cases you will likely see the phrase gluten allergy symptoms used by sources which you shouldn’t entirely trust as knowledgeable sources.

In fact, when I Google the exact phrase “gluten allergy symptoms,” several of the sites that returned at the top of the results provided contradictions and even serious misinformation. In those cases I suggest you double-check with reputable sites such as the Mayo Clinic and or WebMD before you accept their suggestions or conclusions.

Please take gluten intolerance very seriously. Begin eliminating gluten entirely from your diet immediately and be vigilant. To help you get started I have a Gluten Free Pantry, which helps you to understand how to replace gluten in your everyday meals and recipes. To help allay your fears of never eating good bread again, I have two recipe pages: Gluten Free Bread Recipes and Gluten Free Bread Machine Bread Recipes.

Legitimate Gluten Allergy Resources Online

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For a more thorough and scientific look at the Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity phenomenon, try Dr. Scott Lewey’s excellent article on Celiac.com:

Gluten Sensitivity: A Gastroenterologist’s Personal Journey Down the Gluten Rabbit Hole

And here’s a short video of a well-known doctor and immunologist describing the difference between a wheat allergy and Celiac Disease (which should help you understand why I’m not fond of the phrase gluten allergy symptoms):

I hope this helps you better understand gluten allergy symptoms and thank you for reading Gluten Intolerance Symptoms.

As you begin to research gluten allergy symptoms in adults, you will discover how the two primary difficulties of identifying and defining gluten allergy symptoms in adults are not symptoms at all but the nebulous nature of the term gluten allergy symptoms and the complicated nature of all its related conditions, especially for adult onset celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Additionally, it can be a bit difficult isolating adult symptoms from gluten allergy symptoms in children.

Note: If you’re looking for a complete solution for embarking on your gluten-free journey with greater confidence and clarity, I strongly recommend: The Gluten-Free Survival Kit.

Identifying Gluten Allergy Symptoms In Adults

Before you can identify the symptoms of a gluten allergy in any person, you need to determine whether you are trying to identify the symptoms to one of three somewhat separate conditions. Gluten allergy symptoms in adults can fall under three separate areas of symptoms:

Wheat Allergy Symptoms In Adults

A wheat allergy is completely different from gluten intolerance or celiac disease. It is a histamine response to consuming wheat, and not an autoimmune response to consuming gluten (which can be in many more products than just wheat products).

The symptoms of a wheat allergy for people of any age include a rash or hives, stomach pain, intestinal distress (bloating and gas), as well as sneezing, watery eyes and in some cases lung irritation and difficulty breathing. You should see an allergy specialist to help you with identifying and diagnosing a wheat allergy.

Gluten Sensitivity Symptoms In Adults

A gluten sensitivity is much more similar to celiac disease than a wheat allergy. In fact, some believe people diagnosed with a non-celiac gluten sensitivity may one day be defined as having celiac disease, they just don’t fit the current clinical definition (which may evolve).

Gluten sensitivity symptoms can sometimes be difficult to identify in adults. While the primary symptoms involve gastrointestinal problems, like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, cramping and gas, sometimes people develop what some call silent celiac disease symptoms. This occurs when you are experiencing either celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, but your symptoms are not the the most common symptoms. Since these symptoms are generally the same as those discussed in the next section, read on for the specific gluten sensitivity symptoms in adults.

Celiac Disease Symptoms In Adults

Celiac disease is different from gluten sensitivity in one primary way: it can be clinically diagnosed with one or more of three specific methods. First, a genetic test can determine if you have the gene one must have (HLA-DQ8 or HLA-DQ2) to be considered susceptible to celiac disease. Second, blood work must reveal unusually high levels of the antibodies a celiac sufferer endures when exposed to gluten, which include AGA, EMA and Anti-tTG. Third, one can have an intestinal biopsy to help determine the degree of villi atrophy along the lining of one’s small intestine. Please see my celiac disease symptoms in adults article for more on these distinctions.
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As I mentioned in the gluten sensitivity section, the most common celiac disease symptoms in adults can sometimes not be present. Instead, the following non-digestive symptoms can occur, which people often don’t immediately associate with celiac disease. These can occur in people suffering from a gluten sensitivity or from clinical celiac disease:

• Joint Pain
• Headaches and Migraines
• Ataxia (which in this case will be referred to as Gluten Ataxia)
• Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies in Blood Work
• Bone density loss
• Dermatitis herpetiformis

For more comprehensive symptom lists relating to a general gluten allergy, gluten intolerance or celiac disease, please read the following pages of my site:

• Celiac Disease Symptoms
• Gluten Intolerance Symptoms
• Gluten Allergy symptoms

Treating Gluten Allergy Symptoms In Adults

If you determine that you are suffering from any of these types of gluten allergy symptoms besides a wheat allergy, you must adapt a strict gluten-free diet regardless of the subtlety or vagueness of symptoms. Long-term consequences (gluten ataxia, malnutrition and even cancer) are too severe to not be proactive in your approach.

People suffering from a only wheat allergy need to be strict in avoiding all wheat products, but other gluten containing grains may be acceptable (like Barley and Rye). However, a wheat allergy this isn’t to downplay the potential severity of a wheat allergy compared to a gluten intolerance. Anaphylaxis (Anaphylactic shock) can be deadly.

Additional treatments for gluten allergy symptoms in adults can include probiotics and enzymes. I also suggest you obtain a blood panel to determine vitamin and mineral deficiencies and then take the appropriate supplements to help you recover. Make sure you research and select gluten-free supplements.

Gluten allergy symptoms in adults can be difficult and confusing. Please take the time to read some of the articles on my site to delineate the differences between the different associated conditions and make sure you always consult a medical professional before settling on any kind of diagnosis. Self-diagnosis can be dangerous, especially when it comes to matters like celiac disease and Gluten Intolerance.

In many cases celiac disease symptoms in adults can be particular difficult to discern as many adults have slowly become accustomed to subtle discomforts. Among gluten sensitivity issues, celiac disease symptoms remain the most severe and consequential. Unfortunately, they are not easy to identify or understand. And latent celiac disease may also occur, where the symptoms of celiac disease in adults occur but then fade.

(Note: Already sure you need to be gluten-free? I strongly recommend: The Complete Gluten Free Survival Kit.)

For this article I will focus specifically on the celiac disease symptoms in adults. For a more inclusive list of celiac symptoms see the following essay: celiac disease symptoms. For comparison’s sake, you might also reference my new article on celiac disease symptoms in children.

Not all gluten intolerance symptoms are indicative of celiac disease. Some people may be diagnosed as non-celiac gluten sensitive. In some cases, people call it gluten allergy symptoms, but as you will understand if you read my article on that matter, the phrase gluten allergy is a bit of a misnomer and it is best to separate a wheat allergy from a gluten intolerance or a case of coeliac disease.

What Is Celiac Sprue Disease?

Celiac disease, also known as coeliac sprue disease or gluten enteropathy, is an autoimmune disease affecting primarily the small intestine, although evermore symptoms are indicating effects throughout the body. It can occur at any time in a person’s life, from infancy to old age. For more comprehensive coverage of celiac disease itself please read my front page, Gluten Intolerance, or my article about Celiac Disease Symptoms, a thorough guide which covers celiac sprue disease in great detail.

Celiac Disease Diagnosis

Celiac disease testing involves clinically specific practices. You cannot self-diagnose celiac sprue disease, and you cannot diagnose celiac disease just through an examination or a profiling of symptoms. There are two fundamental tests required to be certain celiac disease is present.

The first is a blood panel to measure for levels of antibodies. These antibodies are EMA, AGA as well as Anti-tTG. The second is a DNA test to check for the gene present in those capable of developing celiac disease. These genes are HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8. To learn more about ways doctors may investigate a celiac disease symptom and diagnose a gluten intolerance, please go over to my gluten intolerance test overview.

Celiac Disease Symptoms In Adults

Many people seek a straightforward celiac disease symptoms checklist. Sadly, because more than 250 documented symptoms of celiac disease in adults exist and that list grows every year, it is very difficult to provide a simple, clean list of coeliac disease symptoms. Many symptoms begin as gastrointestinal symptoms, but if left untreated or undiagnosed, the symptoms become more complex and more difficult to specifically associated with celiac disease.

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But here I will try to provide you a resource for some of the most typical symptoms of celiac disease in adults.

Common Celiac Disease Symptoms In Adults:

• Infertility
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Muscle weakness
• Joint Pain
• Panic Attacks
• Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage)
• Arthritis
• Anemia
• Fibromyalgia
• Bacterial Overgrowth
• Addison’s Disease
• Headaches and Migraines
• Psoriasis
• Gluten Ataxia
• Mineral and Vitamin Deficiencies in Blood Work
• Lost of Bone Density
• Dermatitis herpetiformis

Common Celiac Disease Symptoms In Adults That Also Occur In Children:

• Heartburn and Abdomen Pain
• Intestinal Cramping
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Flatulence
• Gluten Intolerance Bloating
• Chronic, itchy rashes (including Dermatitis Herpetiformis)
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Vitamin K deficiency

Silent celiac disease symptoms and latent celiac disease symptoms are believed to occur more often in adults than children.

As I stated earlier, you might also view my articles on celiac disease symptoms for a more inclusive list as well as read my posts on gluten intolerance symptoms and gluten allergy symptoms in adults.

Celiac Disease Symptoms In Women Vs Celiac Disease Symptoms In Men

It can be difficult to discern the real difference between celiac disease symptoms in men and celiac disease symptoms in women.

A study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology indicated that women with celiac disease experience, or possibly express, more gastorintestinal symptoms than men. In fact, the study indicated that women experienced twice as many gastrointestinal symptoms than men. Specifically, constipation, indigestion, and abdominal pain occurred in women with celiac disease at a much higher rate than in men with celiac disease.

A study by researchers and doctors with the University of Federico II of Naples (Italy) indicated that there may be around three times as many women suffering from celiac disease than men and that women were diagnosed as suffering from celiac disease at a younger age than men.

However, some more recent papers suggest that this difference may not be clinically accurate, that the lower statistical manifestation of symptoms in men does not necessarily reflect lower occurrence of celiac disease, only that celiac disease symptoms in men manifest differently than celiac symptoms in women.

Infertility from celiac disease appears to be a greater concern among women than men currently, however further research still needs to be conducted and verified, and there still appears to be some statistical correlation between infertile men and celiac disease.

Celiac disease can seem overwhelming when you first learn about it or find yourself diagnosed with it. You must understand that a disciplined gluten-free diet will be the only effective way to directly address celiac disease at any age. I hope this helps you better understand celiac disease symptoms in adults and the complexity and variability of this serious condition.

If you’re new to researching gluten intolerance statistics, you may be surprised to learn just how many people suffer from celiac disease or some degree of significant gluten intolerance. I think it is important to discuss these gluten intolerance statistics because they illuminate how broad and pervasive this condition really is. And because celiac disease symptoms are often either silent or atypical, a vast majority of people with celiac disease are walking around undiagnosed. We have got to do something about this.

Note: If you’re already pretty sure you or your loved one suffers from gluten intolerance, I strongly recommend: The Complete Gluten Free Survival Kit

Table of Contents for Gluten Intolerance Statistics:

• Gluten Intolerance Statistics Provide a Wake-Up Call
• How Common is Celiac Disease?
• Celiac Disease Runs in Families
• Celiac Disease is Relatively Unknown
• Celiac Disease Increases Likelihood Of Several Serious Conditions
• Gluten Intolerance Even More Widespread Than Celiac Disease
• The Costs Associated with Gluten Intolerance

Gluten Intolerance Statistics Provide a Wake-Up Call

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We’ve gathered some eye-opening statistics about gluten intolerance. What stands out most clearly is that celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are fairly widespread conditions, yet a very small percentage of those afflicted even realize it. Far more people have celiac disease or gluten intolerance than anyone previous suspected and yet a vast majority of these afflicted individuals are walking around without any idea they may be suffering from symptoms of this condition. As a proponent of celiac awareness, I find this very frustrating, but the good news is that with greater prevalence comes greater awareness. Increased numbers of people are learning more about what is gluten and how it can impact those who are on strict gluten-free diets.

How Common is Celiac Disease?

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The most common cited statistic indicates that more than 3 million people in the US suffer from celiac disease, which is approximately 1 in 133 people. However, more recent numbers suggest the number may be closer to 1 in 100. Either way, the more disturbing statistic is that only 1 in 4,700 have received an official diagnosis.¹

That means there are millions of undiagnosed cases of celiac disease in the United States. How many of these people will develop additional autoimmune disorders simply because they don’t know that gluten is making them ill?

Celiac Disease Runs in Families

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Celiac disease is a hereditary condition and if you have celiac disease, you can expect that 4 to 12% of your first-degree relatives will also have the condition.²

This statistic shows how important it is to have your entire family tested if one person has been diagnosed with celiac disease. While some people will experience celiac disease symptoms such as bloating, fatigue, headaches and weight loss, even more people will be asymptomatic, especially in the early stages.

Celiac Disease is Relatively Unknown

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Celiac disease impacts more people than Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis combined.³

While there are a number of ways to interpret this particular statistic, what stands out is that multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis are better known to the public than celiac disease, yet celiac disease is a much more widespread condition. Perhaps if more people were aware of this disease, more people would be diagnosed and treated before serious complications set in.

Celiac Disease Increases Likelihood Of Several Serious Conditions

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More than one of every ten individuals with celiac disease (more than 10%) may develop one or more of the following conditions:

• Arthritis
• Ataxia (see Gluten Ataxia)
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Lactose Intolerance
• Liver Disease
• Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (Cancer)
• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Obesity
• Osteomalacia or Low Bone Density
• Thyroid and Pancreatic Disorders
• Type I Diabetes

Anemia, Dermatitis, Migraines, and Osteoporosis are also common conditions suffered by Celiacs, and people with untreated celiac disease are at far greater risk of developing some form of gastrointestinal cancer than the average person (some numbers suggest they are more than 50 times likely to develop a GI cancer).

Gluten Intolerance Even More Widespread Than Celiac Disease

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Research conducted by Dr. Alessio Fasano, medical director of the University of Maryland’s Center for Celiac Research, and Dr. Peter Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center and author of Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, indicates that between 5% and 10% of all people may suffer from a gluten sensitivity of some form.

I haven’t seen a number tallied or calculated to suggest how many people have a gluten sensitivity but are not aware of it, since only 1 in 4,700 who suffer from celiac disease have actually been diagnosed, you can imagine how the number is even worse when you include undiagnosed cases of non-Celiac gluten sensitivity.

To further complicate matters, recent findings indicate that many people with a gluten intolerance but not celiac disease may have a different form of disease altogether. In the past, it had been assumed that there were different degrees of gluten-sensitive conditions, however a new study published in the BMC Journal in early 2011 suggests that there is a form of gluten sensitivity that is medically different from celiac disease. And none of this takes into consideration the confusion over gluten allergy symptoms.

The Costs Associated with Gluten Intolerance

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It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be diagnosed with celiac disease. The average cost of a misdiagnosis is $5,000 – $12,000 per person per year.⁴

Gluten-free foods are on average, 242% more expensive than their non-gluten free counterparts.⁴

Not only are there increased costs and risks associated with not being diagnosed, once diagnosis is made, following a gluten-free diet will be more expensive than a traditional diet. As more people become diagnosed, hopefully the cost of gluten free foods will come down as food providers can reduce costs as they increase production.

These gluten intolerance statistics make it easy to see that the pre-conceived notion that this condition was rare is incorrect. In the past, the amount of people affected by celiac disease was greatly underestimated.

Citations:

(1) Fasano A, Berti I, Gerarduzzi T, et al. Prevalence of celiac disease in at-risk and not-at-risk groups in the United States. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2003;163(3):268–292.
(2) Rodrigo L. Celiac disease. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2006;12(41):6585–6593.
(3) National Institute of Health (NIH) via www.celiac.com – http://www.celiac.com/articles/1164/1/Celiac-Disease-Statistics/Page1.html
(4) http://glutenfreeraleigh.blogspot.com/2008/10/celiac-disease-awareness-month-celiac.html

Additional Research Sources:

Dr. Peter Green, Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0061728160/glutenside-20
Divergence of gut permeability and mucosal immune gene expression in two gluten associated conditions: celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/9/23

I’ve answered direct questions on my gluten intolerance site, such as what is gluten, and I’ve tried to elucidate complicated topics, such as celiac disease symptoms. But one different and confusing topic that arises a little more than I’d like to see is the issue of gluten intolerance and weight gain. This topic has a few different angles to it.

Note: Looking for a complete solution for embarking on your gluten-free journey with greater confidence and clarity? I strongly recommend: The Gluten-Free Survival Kit.

Navigate Gluten Intolerance and Weight Gain:

• A Gluten-Free Diet Is Not A Hot Weight Loss Solution
• When Gluten Intolerance Causes Weight Gain
• Gluten Intolerance Symptoms
• Why Weight Gain and Not Weight Loss?
• Gluten Free Diet and Weight Gain
• Properly Diagnosing Gluten Intolerance
• Treating Gluten Intolerance and Weight Gain

A Gluten-Free Diet Is Not A Hot Weight Loss Solution

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The gluten-free diet is not a fad diet and it is not a new means to lose weight for any random person. It is a necessary lifestyle change for people with a specific and serious autoimmune disease. While I question the heavy role of gluten in our diets, particularly the kind of gluten our agricultural industry has evolved to produce in recent decades, you should not arbitrarily look at a gluten-free diet as a new, diet to help you lose weight.

No matter what diet you decide to adapt for weight-loss, remember that ultimately it comes down to your body’s thermodynamics: you have to burn more calories than you consume.

When Gluten Intolerance Causes Weight Gain

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With my disclaimer regarding how the gluten-free diet is not a weight-loss solution out of the way, there are real and seemingly counter-intuitive situations where weight gain and gluten intolerance appear to be related.

While it is less common, some people who suffer from unexplained weight gain, or who are overweight and having difficulty losing weight, may be suffering from gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance and weight gain can be closely related because a gluten sensitivity or intolerance has a direct impact on the digestive system. Although weight loss is usually the first thing that doctors will look for when diagnosing gluten intolerance, the opposite can also be an indicator.

Let’s look at the gluten intolerance and weight gain connection. With the right information, you may be able to shed those unwanted pounds and treat an unknown illness at the same time.

Gluten Intolerance Symptoms

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While other parts of my site go into far greater detail (see my sidebar), gluten intolerance and celiac disease are similar, overlapping phenomenons. Beyond gastrointestinal distress, most of the time these diseases present themselves as malnutrition or malabsorption symptoms like anemia and osteoporosis. In advanced cases, patients who cannot absorb enough nutrients experience severe weight loss. For more on gluten intolerance symptoms, please consider these three essays on my site:

• Gluten Intolerance Symptoms
• Celiac Disease Symptoms
• Gluten Allergy Symptoms

As you should see from these various gluten intolerance essays, the association between gluten intolerance and weight gain is somewhat counter-intuitive to what most commonly occurs.

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Why Weight Gain and Not Weight Loss?

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Since most celiac disease sufferers experience weight loss, why and how would weight gain indicate gluten intolerance or celiac disease? The answer lies in the body’s will to survive. When the antibodies triggered by consuming gluten damages the villi along the lining of the small intestine, the amount of nutrients these villi can absorb diminishes. For some (in fact, for most), this is likely to lead to some degree of weight loss. For others, however, this creates an insatiable appetite. The body calls for more food so it can try to obtain the nutrients needed to survive and thrive. Villi damage can also impede fatty acid absorption, which in turn can cause an increase in appetite and reduce your body’s ability to break down fats.

Gluten Free Diet and Weight Gain

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Another way weight gain and gluten intolerance can be connected is through the change to a gluten free diet. While a gluten free diet is necessary and much healthier for anyone who can’t properly digest gluten, this type of diet is different and will require some additional thought and consideration. Gluten containing foods, at least those made with whole grains, generally contain more protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals than their gluten free counterparts.

When eliminating gluten containing foods it is important to substitute them with gluten free foods that will provide the same nutrients as the foods you are replacing. Unfortunately most conventional, store-bought gluten free substitutes for those carbohydrate foods we crave are lacking in fiber and other nutrients.

Even if you make them at home you’ll notice you need to replace wheat flour with a blend of other flours and starches. Some of these blends are lacking in fiber, protein and nutrients. Eating too many of these foods can lead to weight gain. But if you do a little research to find a healthier blend of flours using gluten free whole grains, for example brown rice flour instead of white rice flour, and you don’t overindulge in these foods you shouldn’t have a problem with a gluten free diet and weight gain. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new flours like quinoa, buckwheat, bean and nut flours as these flours offer more nutritional value.

Properly Diagnosing Gluten Intolerance

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If you have struggled to lose weight to no avail yet you feel like you are lacking nutrients or you have constant food cravings it may be worthwhile talking with your doctor about celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Depending on your doctor, you may need to be persistent as weight loss rather than weight gain is more commonly associated with these conditions. However, a simple anti-gliadin antibody blood test can help indicate if you have a sensitivity to gluten. An intestinal biopsy can then provide a conclusive diagnosis and should be done if the blood test is positive. You can learn more about this process in my article, Gluten Intolerance Test.

Treating Gluten Intolerance and Weight Gain

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Fortunately, there is hope. If you are diagnosed with gluten intolerance you can treat the condition by strictly avoiding gluten and stocking a healthy gluten free pantry so you can easily cook gluten free at home. As your intestines heal you will experience reduced food cravings and over time, you may notice a substantial reduction in weight. Living a gluten-free life is not exactly convenient, but more ready-made products are being introduced all the time. With some planning and a bit of perseverance, living gluten-free is absolutely possible.

If you are intimidated by the prospect by living a gluten-free life, I strongly recommend you consider obtaining The Gluten Free Survival Kit.

If you suspect that gluten could be playing a part in your struggle with weight, it is worth taking the time to get tested and to discuss the matter with your doctor. But first you may want to do some research on your own to better understand what is gluten and how it can impact your health and weight. It’s worth checking into when you consider the compounded problems gluten intolerance and weight gain can have on your long-term health and well-being.
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I’ve received some requests to discuss a wheat allergy in greater detail, so here we go. When you eat wheat do you notice digestive discomfort? Do you ever sneeze, wheeze or have a rash after consuming pizza, bread or other wheat based foods? If so, then you may have a wheat allergy. A wheat allergy is fundamentally different from a gluten intolerance, but that doesn’t mean someone suffering from this type of allergic reaction won’t experience serious and troubling wheat allergy symptoms.

NOTE: Already know you have a wheat allergy and just looking for help on living a wheat-free lifestyle? I strongly recommend the excellent: Gluten-Free Survival Kit. Mary Frances has a wheat allergy and her husband has celiac disease, so their comprehensive survival kit was developed for both conditions.

Wheat Allergy vs. Gluten Intolerance

Unfortunately you will find tons of misleading information on the web where people use the terms wheat allergy, gluten intolerance and even celiac disease interchangeably. However, these are not all the same condition.

• A Wheat Allergy is a histamine based allergic reaction. When a person with this allergy ingests wheat, a hypersensitive immune system produces antibodies known as IgE (Immunoglobulin E). When histamine stimulates H1 and H2 receptors, it triggers an inflammatory response in your body. Histamine helps dilate blood vessels so that white blood cells (in this case mast cells and basophils, specifically) can fight off the allergy trigger (called the allergen or antigen). As a result, more fluids enter the cells and skin. This causes swelling and other symptoms, which may cascade in severity (untreated anaphylactic shock can be fatal). An allergy is a type I hypersensitivity, implying it triggers an immediate response. Although most people associate Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) with allergies to fruits, nuts and vegetables, a wheat allergy may also manifest as a cross-reactive condition of OAS. Oral Allergy Syndrome is sometimes referred to as Pollen Foods Allergy Syndrome.
• Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system of a patient who ingested gluten (a composite protein found in grassy grains like wheat, spelt, rye and barley) produces excessive antibodies (specifically AGA, EMA and Anti-tTG), which attack the walls of the small intestine (and possibly the cerebellum as well — see my Gluten Ataxia guide). Over time, exposure to gluten causes significant damage to the villi (or microvilli) along the lining of the small intestines and can lead to frustrating gastrointestinal problems at first and then serious malnutrition, which then catalyzes a long list of more severe consequences. Celiac disease symptoms include (but are not limited to) nutritional deficiencies like anemia, osteoporosis and weight loss. Some people also experience general digestive distress and indigestion, bloating and alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation. Celiac disease is a serious condition that can even lead to death if not treated in a timely manner. One problem with identifying celiac disease symptoms is that they may not manifest themselves in an obvious way at first, which leads many people to not understand their condition until serious damage to their small intestine has already begun.
• Gluten Intolerance, or Gluten Sensitivity, is similar to celiac disease (and many people use the two terms interchangeably, although recent research suggests a gluten sensitivity can manifest as a distinct entity separate from celiac sprue disease), but the difference is that people with gluten intolerance may have similar symptoms to someone with celiac disease, yet they might still have healthy villi in their small intestines. In some cases gluten intolerance is simply an early stage of celiac disease. Until recently, some people believed a non-celiac gluten sensitivity existed, but doctors and researchers remained skeptical. However, first a study in Australia and now a more recent study published in the BMC Medicine Journal finally corroborates this belief with real scientific data. What this means is that one can test negative for the various celiac disease tests (antibody check, intestinal biopsy, and celiac gene check — see gluten intolerance test for more on celiac testing) but still experience some degree of impairing gluten sensitivity.

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Wheat Allergy Symptoms

If you suffer from a wheat allergy, here are some of the symptoms you can expect:

Wheat Allergy, Image Credit to SciencePhoto.com

• Asthma
• Eczema or atopic dermatitis
• Headaches
• Hives
• Inflamed sores
• Intestinal bloating or cramping
• Itching
• Itchy eyes
• Sensation of a racing heart
• Sore throat, or a feeling of the throat swelling
• Stomach discomfort
• Swelling in the face or mouth
• Swollen-feeling or itchy tongue
• Vomiting in severe cases
• Urticaria
• Wheezing

Additional, cumulative effects may develop if a wheat allergy is left untreated and undiagnosed, including reduced energy, brain fog and anxiety or even depression. Specifically, as with all allergies, anaphylactic shock is a possibility and can be deadly. Some common gluten intolerance symptoms, such as diarrhea or constipation, are not as common with a wheat allergy, but they still may occur.

Gluten intolerance symptoms can be similar, except that you may notice them anytime you eat any kind of gluten grain or gluten grain food product. Gluten grains are wheat, spelt, rye and barley. Oats are also usually contaminated with gluten as they are almost always processed with gluten grains, though they don’t contain the gluten peptides causing gluten intolerance.

However, what is troubling about a gluten sensitivity is that many patients do not experience an immediate response to ingesting gluten. Unlike an allergy, a gluten intolerance or celiac disease is not a type I hypersensitivity. This does not mean it is any less serious a condition and in fact it may lead to more severe long-term consequences because people often don’t realize they are suffering from the disease. For a better understanding of gluten and gluten intolerance read the home page of my website (Gluten Intolerance Symptoms) and for help understanding the technically inaccurate term gluten allergy symptoms please read my guide on that strange semantic matter: Gluten Allergy Symptoms.

Wheat Allergy Treatment

While living with a wheat allergy can be inconvenient and even frustrating at first, feel comforted by the fact that you will find effective treatment. The best way to combat a wheat allergy or a gluten intolerance is by following a wheat-free diet or a gluten-free diet. Fortunately, today you will find many products on the market which do not contain wheat or gluten. At first, it may be easiest to do more of your own cooking and avoid eating out. You will experience a learning curve as you discover which foods contain wheat or gluten — particularly in restaurant food. I suggest you peruse my gluten free pantry to help you get started on gluten-free and wheat-free cooking. When you do go for meals out, choose Asian restaurants initially (but bring wheat-free soy sauce) since you will usually find more wheat-free offerings at Japanese, Thai and Chinese restaurants.

Until you develop the knowledge and skills to live wheat-free or if aren’t yet sure that wheat is causing your allergic reactions, you might consider taking an antihistamine, such as Benedryl (diphenhydramine), Claritin (loratadine), Allegra (fexofenadine) or Zyrtec (cetirizine). But please discuss this suggestion with a pharmacist or better yet your doctor. You should never prescribe yourself medication by what you read on the Internet without consulting an in-person medical professional first. Also, please note that antihistamines are useless for gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

You might also consider that medications often have side-effects and their own consequences. So you should not take any of those antihistamines without serious consideration. You should carefully weigh their benefits against their side-effects before deciding to proceed with one of them. If you would prefer a natural alternative to antihistamine medications you might look into quercetin, a plant-derived flavonoid found in foods like grapefruit, green tea, apples, and red onions. I’ve heard it works well, but it won’t be as potent as the aforementioned allergy medications and I’ve heard some people complain about mild heartburn when they take quercetin.

Once you understand the cause of your allergic reaction, avoiding the consequences by avoiding exposure to wheat will become easier. By respecting your wheat allergy and adhering to a strict wheat-free diet, you may never have to suffer another wheat allergic reaction again.
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Did you know foods as seemingly innocent as a slice of bread or a bit of barbecue sauce could cause to suffer from gluten intolerance bloating? Gluten hides in more foods than you realize, and even if you aren’t diagnosed with celiac disease you could still manifest this uncomfortable and frustrating gluten intolerance symptom. Learn how gluten intolerance bloating happens and what you can do about it.

If you’re already pretty sure you or your loved one suffers from gluten intolerance, I encourage you to start with this: Gluten Free Survival Kit.

Gluten intolerance bloating is one symptom in a long list of symptoms associated with various forms of gluten sensitivity. One does not need to be diagnosed with celiac disease symptoms to suffer from this uncomfortable phenomenon.

Table of Contents for Gluten Intolerance Bloating:

• What Is Bloating and What Causes Bloating?
• What Causes Gluten Intolerance Bloating?
• What is Celiac Disease?
• Common Gluten Intolerance Symptoms
• Treating Gluten Intolerance Bloating

What Is Bloating and What Causes Bloating?

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Bloating is simply swelling of the abdomen. This can occur in the upper abdomen or the lower abdomen (or both), but for the most part this post addresses intestinal bloating. It is sometimes accompanied by gas, flatulence, cramping and stomach growling (borborygmus). You know you’re experiencing bloating when you experience the sensation of feeling overly full and your belly either feels or appears distended.

Gluten Intolerance Bloating

Bloating is fundamentally about your body not properly digesting your food. As simple as that sounds, however, bloating causes can vary wildly. Sometimes bloating occurs because of the food itself, sometimes it may occur because of an existing health condition, and sometimes it occurs because of the way you ate your food (too fast, with too much water, too little water or too much breathing between bites). Here are the most common causes of bloating:

• Aerophagia (air swallowing)
• Celiac Disease
• Constipation
• Dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain)
• Eating Too Fast
• Food Allergies
• Gluten Sensitivity
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Lactose Intolerance
• Overeating
• Wheat Allergy

Some people may see gluten sensitivity, celiac disease and wheat allergy and think, “Isn’t she being redundant?” No, these are three separate conditions. A wheat allergy is Type 1 Sensitivity and a histamine response, not an autoimmune disease like gluten intolerance and celiac disease. And recent research suggests that a non-celiac gluten sensitivity features some significant differences from celiac disease, making it more than just a less severe form of gluten intolerance (and that “less severe” part is sometimes debated as well). In any case, all three can cause chronic bloating.

Even though bloating and gluten intolerance go hand-in-hand, don’t simply assume this is the cause of your bloating; examine the above list of common bloating causes and see if you can find simpler bloating relief. There are also additional causes, such as Crohn’s Disease and ovarian cancer, however those are less common and beyond the scope of this article. Please talk to your doctor if you experience severe and chronic bloating.

What Causes Gluten Intolerance Bloating?

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In people who suffer from some degree of gluten intolerance, gluten triggers an autoimmune response, resulting in damage to the lining of the small intestine. As lining of the small intestine becomes more and more damaged, a phenomenon known as villous atrophy occurs. As villous atrophy begins, your intestines don’t digest your food as well. This results in a series of uncomfortable symptoms, including both gas and bloating. If gluten intolerance is left untreated, villous atrophy grows more and more severe.

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In addition to pain and gas related directly to the swollen, damaged intestinal wall (think of it as being a little like a sunburn), when this intestinal villi (little finger-like hairs along the intestinal wall) can’t absorb nutrients from your food and help process food as it passes, it causes a chain reaction along the bowel as your intestines further down expect the food to be better digested when it reaches that part.

However, more and more researchers are beginning to suggest that a large percentage of the non-Celiac population may also not digest gluten as well as we once thought. Whether it’s because we inherently shouldn’t be eating this much gluten or whether it has something to do with the way the agriculture industry has modified gluten sources for maximum production and quality is still being debated.

But it appears likely that almost everyone would benefit from less reliance on gluten-containing foods to fulfill their hunger and nutritional requirements, not just those suffering from gluten intolerance and bloating. Learn more about gluten in my post: What Is Gluten?

If you’re looking to distinguish gluten intolerance bloating from other forms of bloating, I’m afraid it isn’t very simple. Beyond being chronic and not sporadic, you’ll need to look at other gluten intolerance symptoms to see if your bloating is accompanied by these other symptoms.

What is Celiac Disease?

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Formerly a disease that could make individuals suffer for years before being properly diagnosed, Celiac Disease is beginning to be better understood by the patients suffering from the disease, as well as the doctors who diagnose it. Celiac disease implies sensitivity or intolerance to gluten, a protein composite that is found in wheat, barley, and rye as well as in lesser known grains such as spelt and kamut. It is often cross-contaminated to oats as well.

Celiac disease, which is also referred to as celiac sprue disease and sometimes spelled coeliac disease, is not a simple topic. I encourage you to read my series of articles addressing this difficult topic:

• Celiac Disease Symptoms
• Silent Celiac Disease Symptoms
• Celiac Disease Symptoms In Children
• Celiac Disease Symptoms In Adults

For more on what is gluten and what is intolerance, consider reviewing my articles on gluten allergy symptoms, celiac disease symptoms and gluten intolerance.

Common Gluten Intolerance Symptoms

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For some individuals, symptoms may include gluten intolerance bloating, gas, and irregularity with alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea, joint pain, headaches and mouth sores. These symptoms are mild in comparison to some, which can include severe migraines, anemia, diabetes, arthritis and, if left unaddressed, various forms of cancer. Thankfully however, most individuals with gluten intolerance can avoid all of the above-listed symptoms by avoiding the consumption of foods that contain gluten.

Please not this is very short and simple list of gluten intolerance symptoms. See my home page for more comprehensive coverage of these symptoms: Gluten Intolerance.

Treating Gluten Intolerance Bloating

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If you have been diagnosed with any form of gluten sensitivity you must adhere to a strict gluten-free diet. Depending on how damaged the villi have become, you may also need to avoid dairy for a while. As you enjoy healthy gluten-free foods, your intestines will slowly heal. As they heal, you will experience less and less bloating. If you wish to relieve your bloating a little more quickly, you could try probiotics and digestive enzymes. Sipping fennel tea helps some people. However, no matter what anyone tries to sell you, there is no replacement for a gluten-free diet when it comes to treating gluten intolerance.

This is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination, considering that the majority of processed foods contain gluten or some derivative of it. The good news is by learning about the options available and creating your own well stocked gluten free pantry will help you cook and bake gluten-free versions of your favorite foods. Due to increased awareness of the disease maintaining a balanced diet is being facilitated by the production of a number of gluten-free food products.

If this is all intimidating you, I encourage you to consider this great resource: Gluten Free Survival Kit.

From a greater respect for the importance of diet on our overall well-being to improved awareness for where our food originates, people are increasingly conscious of their eating habits and our food supply chain. From choosing to eat organic to becoming more aware of the nutritional values of common foods, individuals are showing an increased interest in what they are consuming on a day to day basis.

This phenomenon is excellent news for individuals suffering from celiac disease and other similar kinds of food intolerance, because it means that they have better chances of living their lives free of discomfort and illness.

Before choosing to embark upon a gluten-free diet, or assuming that you are experiencing gluten intolerance bloating, be sure to consult with a doctor. Your symptoms may be indicative of some other condition that needs to be treated in a different way. Explain your symptoms and let the experts do the diagnosing. If you do end up being diagnosed with Celiac disease, you can take comfort in knowing that you are not alone, and that due to heightened awareness, you can still live a normal life that includes eating and enjoying a variety of gluten-free foods, all experienced more comfortably with gluten intolerance bloating in your past.