How to Know if You’re Gluten Sensitive

An estimated 3 million Americans have celiac disease, an autoimmune condition in which gluten, when eaten, erodes the gastrointestinal lining and stimulates the immune system. However, one can be sensitive to gluten if even they don’t have celiac disease. Gluten sensitivity has been estimated to affect anywhere from 6% to over 81% of Americans, which could mean that almost 100 million Americans could be silently suffering with gluten sensitivity.

Conventional medical is still hesitant to adopt the notion that non- celiac gluten sensitivity exists, although the medical literature proves otherwise. 

In fact , one study from 2008 in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at over 30,000 patients over almost 4 decades. What they found was incredible: those with celiac disease had a 39% higher risk of death than their cohorts, those with gluten sensitivity had a 35% increased risk of mortality, and those with intestinal inflammation had a 72% increased risk of mortality! I think that justifies saddling up to a gluten free diet.

So if you ask your doctor, don’t be surprised if you get a blank stare, or even told that, “It’s all in your head.” Testing for celiac disease may include a Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody (tTG-IgA) test. The gold standard for definitive celiac disease is a biopsy; however the large majority of intestinal epithelial cells must be damaged for the biopsy to be positive. Instead of waiting for damage, a Functional Medicine Practitioner may run tests such as a food sensitivity test, which test for the immune system’s response for different foods in the body. However, the simplest and cheapest way to see if gluten is a problem is to eliminate it from your diet for 6-8 weeks. This gives the gut a chance to heal and the immune system a chance to rebalance. After 8 weeks, if introducing gluten gives you any kind of symptoms (joint pain, brain fog, upset stomach, change in bowel movements, irritation, memory loss), then you most likely have a sensitivity to gluten. 

Diseases

Gluten can cause problems in any organ in the body. The most classic gluten related disorder is celiac disease. The rise of celiac disease has been dramatic, with a 400% increase in prevalence over the past 50 years. Many researchers and physicians believe that celiac is still widely under-diagnosed. 

Neurologic conditions – The brain is one of the first organs affected by gluten. In fact, conditions likes schizophrenia, epilepsy, and migraines can be worsened by gluten. One study showed that depression and anxiety are much more prevalent in celiac patients. Certain people with ALS have also been reported to have symptoms fade away after going on a gluten-free diet. 

Inflammatory conditions–Inflammation is the root of all disease. Gluten is a well-known inflammatory food. Potentially leading to or worsening  diabetes, heart disease, fibromyalgia, and many more. 

Skin-Since the skin is a reflection of the gut and immune system, skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis can be exacerbated by gluten. 

Gluten and brain health

“But gluten is so good!”

This is response I often get when instructing someone to eliminate gluten from their diet. Not only is gluten a staple in our diets, but it can be physically addicting. There is a reason that gluten can be hard to give up: and it has to do with the way it makes us feel. Once gluten enters the brain, it binds to the brains morphine receptors to produce a sensorial high. This is the same receptor to which opiate drugs like cocaine and heroin bind, creating a pleasurable and addictive effect. So, after you eat a cake, or a fresh bagel, that feeling you get is the gluten stimulating your brain, and not in a good way. Gluten has been shown to be one of the most potent stimulators of the brain. But don’t worry, if it’s the actual food you’ll miss there are gluten free options for almost everything!

https://healthylivinghowto.com/this-is-your-brain-on-gluten/

Is it gluten or something else?

For some, other factors may drive gluten intolerance. For instance, in one study, those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity  were not affected by gluten once the gastrointestinal bacterial overgrowth was eradicated. This means that it could be an imbalance of gut bacteria or GI infections that can drive the immune response to gluten. Other perpetrators have been identified, such as glyphosate. Glyphosate, or Round-Up, is sprayed on most conventionally raised wheat in America. Glyphosate has been shown to shut down our liver’s ability to detoxify; particularly the cytochrome P-450 enzymes. Glyphosate has also been shown to drastically shift the internal bacterial diversity, possibly causing an immune system shift and altered reaction to gluten. Toxins from water, food, and air can also stimulate the immune system, along with vaccines. 

What to do?

If you have any GI symptoms, neurological symptoms, inflammatory symptoms, autoimmune condition, or any disease process, eliminate gluten from your diet for a period of time to see how your body reacts. In order to truly see if you are gluten intolerant, you must eliminate 100% of gluten, not just the majority of gluten. This includes beer, soy sauce, and other hidden sources of gluten. If you are still having symptoms after eliminating gluten, the problem may be the ones listed above. In order to walk you through cleaning up your diet and regaining your health, I would recommend seeing a Functional Medicine practitioner to be your guide. At Core Health, our goal is to find and fix the underlying cause of disease in order to get long-term sustainable results. This allows people to get healthy and stay healthy.