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Am I Gluten Intolerant?

Gluten is a protein contained in wheat, barley, and rye. It gives a doughy/elastic consistency to flours derived from these grains. This is why, over the centuries, gluten-containing grains have come to be used so extensively in breads and other baked goods. Today, gluten is used in many processed and pre-made foods. Though there may be no detectable symptoms of the immune response to gluten, the typical symptoms people develop occur when the reaction begins to damage the intestines.

The symptoms of gluten sensitivity are varied and can sometimes seem unrelated. Because of this, some people may not suspect that gluten is what's making them feel bad. The gluten-free diet is used to treat people with celiac disease and those with non-celiac gluten intolerance.

It is important to pay attention to is how you feel after consuming various foods. While eating a vegetable salad or piece of fruit may not affect you, the bloating and nausea you feel after that sandwich on wheat bread or slice of pizza might be telling you something. Usually, people start to see a pattern if they are careful about keeping track of their diet.

I remember the first time I noticed my gluten intolerance. I ate a bagel and I became bloated and I began to experience severe itching. These symptoms showed up every time I ate bread or pasta. I originally thought that wheat was the culprit. After some research I discovered that barley and rye cause the same symptoms because they also contain gluten.

The following are the top ten indications that you might be sensitive to gluten:

Do you experience any of these symptoms three times per week or more?

1. Gastrointestinal issues:
(Such as: stomach pain or bloating, gas and/or cramps, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux (GERD), heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome).

2. Skin lesions

3. Constant fatigue

4. Frequent headaches or migraines

5. Itching skin

6. Sinus Congestion

7. Weight gain

8. Canker sores

9. Brain fog

10. Dizziness

The process to do a self-check isn't perfect, but it can give you a lot of valuable information. It's a matter of total gluten elimination from your diet and a sudden reintegration (if needed). For this to work, you have to do it perfectly. You can't cheat or just have a little. Ideally, you'd get yourself completely gluten free for 2-3 weeks. You may notice enough benefit and be sold from just the elimination without the need for the reintegration test. If not, try a slice of pizza or one of your old favorites a few weeks later and see if your symptoms come back quickly.

There are also gluten allergy/celiac sensitivity tests that are available through Cyrex Labs, Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics. With any gluten sensitivity test, you must be eating gluten before the test to get an accurate result. This will help identify various forms of allergies or sensitivity to gluten or wheat if you're wanting a more definitive test.

When it comes to switching to a gluten-free diet, it can seem like a big change at first. After a while, rest assured, you will get used to it and you will no longer crave gluten-containing foods. You may initially feel deprived by the diet's restrictions, especially if you weren't having troubling symptoms before your diagnosis. Over time, you will discover that there are so many noticable benefits and delicious foods you can eat instead. If you feel the need to eat some bread or pasta, you will be pleasantly surprised to realize how many gluten-free products are now available that taste just as good as their counterparts. Most grocery stores and online retailers have a good selection of gluten-free foods these days so it's much easier to go gluten free than in years past.

If you're just starting with a gluten-free diet, it can be a bit overwhelming at first. It's always a good idea to consult a nutritionist (like me) who can answer your questions and offer advice about how to best avoid gluten while still eating a delicious and healthy diet. I can be reached on Wellness.com, right here. Also my book called The Gluten-Free Edge: Get Skinny the Gluten-Free Way! is available on Amazon.

Thanks for your comments below. ~G

3/30/2015 7:00:00 AM

Written by Gini Warner

Gini is a nutritionist with a Masters Degree from New York University. She has been practicing nutrition counseling for over twenty years. Gini is the co-author of the book, “The Gluten-Free Edge”.

View Full Profile Website: http://www.healthbygini.com/

Comments

Valuable info.

Posted by Dayalsingh

Hi Gini! Love your article. How have you been?

Posted by Shaline

At least four of these symptoms can be attributed to a brain tumor as well. It is very poor advice to self-diagnose and self-treat. It is NOT as simple as eliminating gluten from your diet. Any carb-free diet will effect positive change because of the inital weight loss and this change will be attributed to so-called gluten intolerance. Get a full physical, rule out serious and major diseases first.

Posted by Harriet

When I went to my nutritionist she said I had a gluten sensitivity. So a month ago I started a carb and sugar free diet. I already feel so much better! I'm no longer fatigued everyday and I sleep so much better at night. After I read your article I also realized I haven't had heartburn and my digestive problems are getting better.

Posted by Rachel

5 years ago, I began to have severe, debilitating inflammation in my joints, attacks would last 10 days or more, sometimes shoulder joint, sometimes hip, sometimes big toe. Thought it was gout or pseudogout. But before I went to the doctor, I tried an elimination diet as suggested above, leaving off wheat, dairy, eggs, sugar, and soy for two months. Symptoms went away. No more pain, no more attacks. I added back in each food one at a time. Turns out wheat was the culprit. I have been wheat free for 2 years, and no more gout-like problems, no more inflammation, no more do I have to wear braces for my joints to keep them immobile. Also, as a huge side benefit, a 20 year, chronic sinus drip with severe coughing is completely GONE. Through the years, no doctor had found a cause. Allergy tests were negative, antihistamines did not work. But taking away wheat was the answer. I am not sure why this issue makes some people so angry, but I am writing this comment in the event that my symptoms resonate with someone else, and maybe they can find relief too. Coughing and debilitating pain are no fun.

Posted by Laurie

Just what I love... a laundry list of common complaints, all of which could be caused by a variety of other factors besides gluten. This is an attribute of almost every quack diagnosis. Only one in 133 people has the disease.

No one should go off gluten until he or she is tested for Celiac disease. Once off gluten, even if you have the condition, you may no longer have enough antibodies to produce positive results on the test.

Posted by Robert

I gave up all grains and sugars last February for reasons related to glucose and diabetes. Gluten didn't factor into my decision. 8 days after I gave up the grains (namely bread) my 20 year issue of psoriasis in and around my ears disappeared. I was stunned and sold on the fact that I was gluten intolerant and had no idea. No doctor ever suggested to stop eating gluten. Just prescribed Triamcinolone to contain the symptoms.

Posted by Rob Greenstein

Seems I am not completely gluten intolerant because I don't have any extreme symptoms, but I have subtle ones that concern me a bit as they could be a mild allergy that could turn into something later. My wife and kids are all completely intolerant. Two turn into monsters, one gets arthritic symptoms and the other gets stuck in the bathroom after eating gluten. They are very careful not to get it, but I am lazy about it. I think its time for me to get serious about it too.

Posted by John Valenty