Gluten Sensitivity
& Celiac Disease
According to a recent study, between 6 and 7% of people may suffer from gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance globally. That would work out to be hundreds of millions of people in total.
Do you believe you may have a gluten allergy that is taking a toll on you? Or is one of your loved ones concerned that their body may not be processing gluten like it should?
Either way, it would help to get a better overview of gluten sensitivity and gluten intolerance so you have a solid understanding of the situation.
How We Help
Do you believe gluten sensitivity could be impacting your health or the health of a loved one? Revolution Gut Health can help you take control of gluten intolerance once and for all.
Request a health consultation today to get the assistance you need.
Disclaimer: The health information on this site is provided for general informational and education purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. The use or reliance of any information contained on this site is solely at your own discretion. Revolution Gut Health does not claim to heal, treat or cure any of the conditions mentioned.
Signs of Gluten Intolerance in Adults
There is still quite a bit of research being done on gluten intolerance and what exactly causes it. Some evidence suggests that gluten intolerance may be caused by the negative impact that wheat can have on the stomach lining. It might prevent the lining from stopping bacteria from leaking out of the stomach, which may result in bacteria making its way into a person’s bloodstream and leading to health complications.
At any rate, there are some signs of gluten intolerance in adults that shouldn’t ever be ignored. Here are some of the symptoms that adults with a gluten sensitivity might face:
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Brain fog
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Vomiting
It’s also fairly common for adults who have been diagnosed with gluten intolerance to suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, better known as IBS.
Signs of Gluten Intolerance in Kids
In theory, people might think all the signs of gluten intolerance in adults would also be many of the signs of gluten intolerance in kids, which can be true. There are also additional signs of glucose intolerance in kids that won’t often be spotted in adults. Here are some of the symptoms that kids with gluten intolerance might face:
- Chronic ear infections
- Short stature
- Autism
- ADHD
- Frequent nose bleeds
- Severe allergies
Gluten Sensitivity Test / Gluten Testing
Unfortunately, there isn’t a quick and easy test that can be performed to figure out whether or not a person has a gluten intolerance. Instead, a doctor will typically recommend that a person make some systematic adjustments to their diet over time to see what effect gluten has on them. It should shed some light on if they’re suffering from gluten sensitivity.
If a doctor suspects a person may have gluten intolerance, they’ll often ask them to eat a diet that contains gluten for 6 weeks. During this time, they’ll run both blood and skin tests to see if they have either a wheat allergy or celiac disease.
If, after all that, a doctor finds a person doesn’t have a wheat allergy or celiac disease, they’ll then ask them to cut out all gluten from their diet. They’ll be asked to monitor the gluten intolerance symptoms they’ve been experiencing to see if they improve.
If a person’s gluten sensitivity symptoms do improve, a doctor will ask them to start eating gluten again to see if their previous symptoms return. If they do, it’ll indicate they most likely have gluten intolerance.
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Gluten Withdrawal Symptoms
If a person goes through gluten testing and finds they do have gluten sensitivity, they should try to cut gluten out of their diet immediately to stop it from impacting their health. They must be mindful of the gluten withdrawal symptoms that may come with removing gluten from their diet.
Everyone’s body will respond to adopting a gluten-free diet differently. But these are a few of the gluten withdrawal symptoms people have reported in the past:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Hunger
- Anxiety
- Depression
The good news is that these gluten withdrawal symptoms shouldn’t last forever. Most people will start to see them dissipate within a few weeks, if not sooner.
How to Reverse Gluten Intolerance
As of right now, there isn’t a cure for gluten intolerance. A person should be able to relieve gluten sensitivity by removing gluten from their diet. They may also be able to figure out how to reverse gluten intolerance.
For example, adding probiotics to their diet may work wonders for those with gluten intolerance. It may help keep symptoms like gas, constipation, and bloating at bay.
Studies are also being done to see if adding enzymes to a person’s diet might prevent some gluten intolerance symptoms. This is still being researched, so it would be worth keeping an eye on it to see if it proves to be an effective treatment for gluten sensitivity.
Detoxing From Gluten
If a person eats their fair share of gluten each day, detoxing from it might be more challenging than they anticipated. A person can take a few simple steps to make the gluten detox process easier. Here they are:
- Cultivate a health first perspective
- Locate gluten free restaurants and establishments when wanting to go out for food
- Keep a food journal and write in it when craving gluten containing foods.
- Identify foods with gluten in them and avoid eating them
- Keep hydrated while detoxing from gluten, especially when suffering from diarrhea
- Begin taking probiotics
- Attempt to only eat anti-inflammatory foods
Detoxing from gluten may present challenges. But these steps should make detoxing more manageable.
Detoxing from Gluten Symptoms
One other thing a person can do while detoxing from gluten to make life easier on themselves is to prepare for the side effects it might bring. Here are several detoxing from gluten symptoms that might pop up:
- Digestive trouble
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
These symptoms should start to subside as soon as the body gets used to life without gluten.
Differences Between Celiac Disease & Gluten Intolerance
Although a reaction to gluten results in both conditions, the way the body responds is what differs most. When someone is sensitive to gluten, most of the reaction happens in the digestive system. In Celiac Disease, the immune system reacts, causing pain in the small intestine.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that makes the small intestine hurt when gluten is eaten. Celiac disease, unlike gluten sensitivity, can cause serious health problems if it is not taken care of properly.
Celiac Disease Signs & Symptoms
Celiac disease can cause a wide range of symptoms, such as:
- Diarrhea
- Tiredness
- Weight loss
- Bloating
- Anemia
It can also slow down or stop the growth and development of children.
What Can I Do If I Have Gluten Sensitivity?
The most important part is understanding why you are reacting to gluten. You might have heard of some people who had known sensitivities to gluten living in the United States who, when they travel or move to Europe, report that those sensitivities go away. So, it’s all because my gut can’t process food? The truth is that it is not entirely your body’s fault.
Varieties of Wheat
First, there are several issues with the way we grow wheat in the United States compared to Europe. Both the United States and Europe grow different kinds of wheat. Most of the wheat grown in the United States is hard wheat, which has more protein, including gluten, than the soft wheat grown mostly in Europe. People who are sensitive to gluten may get sick more often or have more severe symptoms if there is more gluten in the food.
The difference is in how wheat is processed in the U.S. and Europe. Some enzymes and food additives, which may be used in food processing more often in the U.S., could change gluten proteins and make them more immunoreactive.
Processed Foods
The way people eat in the United States can also make them think that gluten is more dangerous. American diets tend to have a lot of processed foods, which may have gluten sources that are hard to find. This could cause the average amount of gluten in the American diet to be higher than in the European diet.
Pesticides
The use of certain pesticides, like glyphosate, greatly affects how dangerous gluten could be. In the United States, glyphosate is often used to dry out wheat before it is picked. Glyphosate changes the way gluten is made or affects the microbiota in the gut, which could make gluten sensitivity or celiac disease more likely. Avoiding glutamine can be a good idea, but we also want to optimize our microbiome and our digestive pathways to improve our tolerance to gluten.
Due to gluten imbalances in the gut, there may also be a higher risk of reacting to many other proteins that can trigger inflammatory responses and create damage in the body. The journey to health has been in some instances directly correlated to our everyday relationship with food. Improve your gut health and enjoy life and food!
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