Hiya Gorgeous,
You probably know at least one person who’s gone gluten-free. They may have been diagnosed with celiac disease or self-reported gluten intolerance. Perhaps they just feel healthier, think more clearly, and have better digestion without gluten on their plate.
Maybe you’ve even removed it from your diet (or at least thought about it!). Regardless, you can’t turn around in a grocery store or browse most restaurant menus without seeing the gluten-free label.
Despite the incidence of celiac disease remaining flat, the number of people following a gluten-free diet has more than tripled since 2009 (reference). Among those eating gluten-free, 72% are classified as “PWAGs” (people without celiac who avoid gluten).
Why are so many people going gluten-free if they don’t have celiac disease? Well, there are several ways gluten can wreak havoc on your health.
We’ll cover 13 of the most common symptoms of gluten intolerance so you can start figuring out whether or not a gluten-free diet could be for you. Then we’re gonna break down the differences between celiac disease, wheat allergy, gluten intolerance, and gluten sensitivity.
The 13 Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance
So if you don’t have celiac disease—and you’re not allergic to wheat but you still feel crappy after eating—how can you tell whether or not gluten is the culprit? Because there are no tests for gluten sensitivity or intolerance, it’s not always easy!
But if you pay close attention to how you feel when you eat foods that contain gluten vs. foods that don’t, you may notice a pattern.
Start by watching out for these common signs of gluten intolerance:
#1: Upset Stomach, Bloating, Heartburn, and “Celiac Burping”
People with gluten intolerance or sensitivity are often very burpy and bloated, get heartburn, and feel stomach pain or discomfort after eating. They may feel like food is stuck and isn’t digesting properly, and may even have productive burps (aka regurgitation) soon after eating.
Do you feel like a Pepto Bismol commercial yet?
#2: Diarrhea, Constipation, and Abdominal Pain
Folks who are sensitive to gluten might experience digestive symptoms such as frequent diarrhea or constipation (or both!) after consuming it. These symptoms are very similar to those experienced by people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
People who have especially sensitive digestive systems often experience increased intestinal permeability when they eat gluten. This means that harmful bacteria and toxins pass through the intestinal lining into the rest of the body (you may have heard this referred to as leaky gut syndrome).
People with leaky gut often eliminate gluten to help heal the lining of their intestinal tract (study). Healing a leaky gut also often involves avoiding yeast, dairy, sugar and alcohol, managing stress, and eating a nutrient-dense diet.
#3: Arm and Leg Numbness
Arm and leg numbness—referred to in the medical field as neuropathy—can be a surprising symptom of gluten intolerance. This is also commonly seen in people who are diabetic or have B12 deficiencies.
#4: Iron-Deficiency Anemia
Did you know that iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutrient deficiency? Approximately 10 million people in the United States are deficient in iron (source). People who have an iron deficiency have symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, and overall weakness.
#5: Skin Reactions
Gluten intolerant individuals can also struggle with skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis. Dermatitis herpetiformis is a skin condition characterized by blistering and most commonly associated with celiac disease.
#6: Fatigue
Another common symptom of gluten-sensitive individuals is fatigue, a feeling of persistent tiredness that impacts daily functioning. However, this can be related to numerous other autoimmune diseases as well.
#7: Migraines
Do you get headaches or migraines frequently without a clear cause? Migraines are yet another symptom that can overlap with other disorders.
#8: Autoimmune Disorders
Unfortunately, research has found that having one autoimmune disorder can make you prone to other autoimmune diseases (source). People with celiac disease are also commonly diagnosed with autoimmune liver diseases, autoimmune thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and even type I diabetes. Conversely, people with autoimmune thyroid disorders makes celiac disease more likely.
#9: Stunted Growth in Kids
One of the major health concerns is seen in children who have a gluten allergy. Celiac disease leads to poor nutrient absorption, which can cause unintentional weight loss and a failure to thrive. If you notice any symptoms of gluten intolerance in a child, seek professional medical help immediately!
#10: Weight Loss
If you experience unintended weight loss, it can be a sign of poor nutrient absorption. If it’s accompanied by other digestive issues, consider getting tested for a gluten allergy.
#11: Brain Fog/Mental Fatigue
Brain fog is characterized by an inability to focus, sluggish thinking, forgetfulness, confusion, and memory issues.
#12: Emotional and Depressive Disorders (Depression and Anxiety)
The way gluten intolerance can worsen anxiety and depression is connected to its impact on the gut microbiome. Research has shown that gluten intolerance can destroy beneficial bacteria in the gut and wreak havoc on the digestive system, in turn impacting your mood.
#13: Joint and muscle pain
Feeling a little bit of pain everywhere? People who are gluten sensitive often experience widespread pain. These symptoms should diminish for sensitive guys and gals after going gluten-free for a few days.
Whether you’re dealing with any of the above symptoms or not, if you’re ready to start feeling better, use our handy wellness tracker to get back on track!
What is Gluten?
Now that we’ve established common symptoms to keep an eye out for, let’s backtrack and take a deeper dive into other need-to-know terminology.
Gluten, Latin for “glue,” is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, triticale, malt, brewer’s yeast, wheat starch, and wheat derivatives like wheat berries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, and farina.
What is Gluten Intolerance (Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity)?
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) is also commonly referred to as gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance. If you have a gluten intolerance, you’ll feel digestive discomfort after you eat gluten or wheat because you’re sensitive to the stuff. You’ll also exhibit some of the same symptoms.
There are no medical tests for non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and the complications aren’t yet fully understood. The majority of people who avoid gluten fall into this category.
The major difference between someone who has a gluten sensitivity and someone who is gluten intolerant is in the severity of the symptoms. It may take someone who is gluten intolerant several weeks to feel relief from symptoms once they remove gluten from their diets.
However, people with gluten sensitivity may see improvements almost immediately.
Both gluten sensitivity and intolerance aren’t well defined by the medical community. Eliminating gluten and documenting the results is the only “test” available. Researchers are currently trying to determine if gluten exposure for those with sensitivity or intolerance can lead to any long-term complications like damage to the intestinal tract or issues resulting from inflammation.
What Causes Gluten Intolerance?
No one knows what causes celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Research is ongoing to determine a genetic component and look at environmental factors.
What’s the Difference between Gluten Intolerance and a Wheat Allergy?
A wheat allergy is a disorder in which the immune system treats gluten proteins in wheat as foreign invaders and releases antibodies to defend against them. Reactions range from anaphylaxis (when your throat swells up and you can’t breathe—EpiPen needed!) to asthma when wheat is consumed. Other common symptoms include.
- Chronic urticaria (skin rashes like hives)
- Digestive issues (stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea)
- Nasal congestion (more commonly associated with baker’s asthma)
Docs usually use skin prick tests to diagnose wheat allergies, which involve pricking wheat extracts into the skin’s surface (usually on the forearm) and observing the reaction. Blood tests looking for wheat-specific antibodies are also an option.
Although gluten is in all wheat products, people with wheat allergies can consume wheat-free foods that contain gluten (such as barley, rye, malt, and some oats). Like celiac disease, wheat allergy is a serious condition that requires strict avoidance of wheat-containing foods.
How is Gluten Intolerance Diagnosed?
If you think you or your child have undiagnosed celiac disease, you can schedule an appointment with a specialist. Doctors test for celiac disease by doing a blood panel that checks for celiac antibodies the body produces when it detects gluten.
Because of this, it’s important for people being tested for celiac disease to continue consuming gluten during the testing period. When the blood panel finds celiac antibodies, the physician often recommends doing a biopsy of the small intestine to confirm the diagnosis.
Those with celiac disease must strictly avoid all gluten to live symptom-free. Celiac is not technically a food allergy, but it’s often referred to as such to emphasize how important it is for celiac disease patients to steer clear of gluten.
However, if you are not diagnosed with Celiac Disease, there is no diagnostic test to determine if you gave a gluten intolerance or sensitivity at this time.
How is a Gluten Intolerance Different from Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disease and the most severe form of gluten intolerance. People who have it have adverse reactions when they consume gluten. Their bodies create antibodies that destroy villi, which are finger-like projections in the small intestine that assist with nutrient absorption, damaging the digestive tract.
People with celiac disease experience inflammation after eating gluten, which can lead to abdominal pain and the significant digestive discomfort commonly associated with someone who is gluten intolerant. They also struggle with nutritional deficiencies.
Celiac disease is often genetic and can run in families. If you or a loved one has symptoms—or experiences a risk factor such as diabetes—get tested.
How to Treat a Gluten Intolerance
If you’re regularly experiencing any of the widespread symptoms listed above—and have not been diagnosed with celiac disease—try eliminating gluten from your diet for at least 3 weeks. You should start feeling better within the first week.
Once you’ve cut gluten from your diet for at least 3 weeks, slowly integrate it back into your life and evaluate how you feel after 3 days. If everything else in your diet has stayed the same, you should get a pretty clear feeling as to whether or not gluten is the trigger.
One thing to keep in mind: New research indicates that common upper and lower GI gluten sensitivity symptoms could also be connected to a group of poorly digested carbohydrates called FODMAPs (fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols) such as fruits, certain veggies, wheat, rye, barley, beans, lentils and some nuts (study).
If giving up gluten doesn’t help improve your digestive symptoms, you may want to consider working with an integrative nutritionist to eliminate FODMAPs temporarily to help your system heal.
Ready to Reduce Gluten in Your Diet?
If you decide to try a gluten-free diet—don’t skimp on whole grains—but do avoid eating foods containing gluten. Rely on gluten-free whole grains like millet, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, and teff.
Also, avoid the overly processed gluten-free snack foods and desserts. They’re often packed with added sugars, preservatives, and other inflammatory ingredients. Check out this blog post to learn more about the pros and cons of a gluten-free diet, and tips for doing it the healthy way.
This is about finding a diet that works for you, not anyone else! I encourage you to be your own health detective. Do your research, and work with integrative docs and practitioners who take a holistic approach to your well-being. If some light bulbs went off while reading this, I hope you’ll dig deeper and seek out guidance and testing, if needed. Your exploration will bring you greater well-being.
Your turn: Have you overcome health challenges with gluten or do you have questions I could cover in another blog? Share your experiences, questions, and resources in the comments so that we can swap tips and insights!
Peace & exploration,
Very informative article, thank you! I keep coming across people who get annoyed at people who don’t have celiac disease avoiding gluten, thinking that they are being overly health-conscious (!) or trying to be unique…ever since I started consciously avoiding gluten, I don’t feel as bloated, and I don’t get a huge hit of “brain fog” after eating either!
I have Hashimoto’s hypothyroid and have listened to several lectures on Thyroid issues. More than one “expert” said that gluten can be part of the problem. I have always eaten wheat, etc. and have no gastro intestinal issues. I had blood work done for gluten sensitivity and everything was in normal range except for one, something to do with the blood/brain barrier. I have been gluten free for a year and do not notice any difference but I had no noticeable symptoms prior. What do you think?
I was going through some serious allergic reactions last year and a doctor told me to cut our gluten even though my test results came back negative. They have since discovered that it wasn’t a gluten issue, but I feel much more alert without it and less in need of sleep than before, so I’m staying off it for the most part.
Hello,
How do I know which foods contain gluten?
It took 8 weeks for my symptoms to ease up and I had all four.
I recently read three fantastic books about this subject. If any of you are interested they are: GRAIN BRAIN, WHEAT BELLY and WHY WE GET FAT. I learned so much from these books. What we’ve been taught about healthy eating for the last 30 years (whole grains, low fat, low cholesterol) is all wrong. I took the majority of wheat out of my diet after reading these books. It’s been two weeks and I feel so much better. Depression and anxiety have lifted; I’ve also lost 6 lbs without even trying.
Even thou I can eat gluten food, I must say, that every time I do not eat food containing gluten my digestions improves a lot. That is why I eat it only couple days in the month. What I find out works well is what Kris mentions in the blog, to stay away from gluten food for 3 weeks. After those 3 weeks start introducing gluten food in small amounts. This is kind of gluten detox. (I also do it with dairy products and works the same way.
I also try to eat only organic non GMO gluten food.
It is also good advice not to combine wheat and milk or other allergenic foods.
Thank you, Kris, for putting together such a straightforward summary about gluten sensitivity and the more serious problems people have with wheat and gluten. It is so refreshing to see you end with the idea that gluten is not inherently the enemy.
I have chronic Lyme Disease. I took antibiotics for three years. Along the way, I developed many food sensitivities, including one to wheat and gluten. After stopping antibiotics (and instead using alternative treatments), I began to rebuild my gut biome. The thing that made it possible for me to start eating wheat again was drinking unpasteurized cow’s milk for several months. (It also got rid of a sensitivity to casein and dairy products.) What was tricky was that I then had small Lyme symptom flare when I consumed wheat, as though it was I was feeding the infection rather than myself. I continued my treatments and I drink unpasteurized cow’s milk sometimes, and at this point, I no longer have a wheat sensitivity.
I don’t advocate drinking unpasteurized milk in a state where it isn’t regulated. But it is regulated in California, and it has definitely helped rebuild my intestinal microbiome. It’s so nice to eat pasta again.
Nice post! I used to disbelieve the anti-gluten claims, but since experiencing life without gluten for a short time, I feel completely different and sleep better. I was just told by my Dr to stop gluten, eggs,dairy, and the deadly nightshade group: tomatoes, peppers, chillies, due to allergies and psoriasis. Gluten always, even as a kid, made me tired and bloated. Sometimes there would be intestinal distress, too. It is going to take some time to learn how to bake again, though as the whole chemistry of baking changes without gluten. You have to be a diligent label reader too, gluten and dairy are hidden in lots of unexpected places. Isn’t it odd that so many people feel better when they stop gluten in their diets?
Thanks for all your ideas and recipes, they mean a lot.
I love this post Kris! Thanks for sharing to better educate and help people diagnose their ailments! I grew up eating pasta, pizza, bagels…you name the food with gluten- I ate it! But I started developing some issues around my teenage years, which lead to my discovery of a wheat/gluten allergy. Once I changed my diet, my skin, energy, and overall immunity benefited. Today I am a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach and one of my specialties is cooking gluten-free and educating clients on the benefits from eliminating gluten from their diet. I find it can be life changing from energy levels to mood to weight management. For anyone looking for great gluten-free recipes/tips on living a gluten-free lifestyle, please direct them to my Insta/Twitter: @1BalancedBeauty or website http://www.TheBalancedBeauty.com I am happy to help share my personal story with anyone struggling and hope my posts/recipes help others feel their best! You’re the best Kris- Always enjoy your posts, especially this one!!!! xo Much love and light, Aly
I would like to add (as another commentor mentioned) that skin issues can also point to gluten sensitivity. In my mid-twenties, I started getting strange poison ivy-like rashes on my hands and I had intermittent acne on my face, particularly large blemishes on my cheeks. After correlating these break-outs to gluten consumption, I tried giving it up for a while and noticed a dramatic decrease in skin and digestive issues (I had just assumed that I had crummy digestion before going off of gluten).
Great point, thank you! xo, kc
Hello Kris
It was a real surprise to see those 4 signs of gluten sensitive people and assossiate with my own, more and more i come to conclusion , that i´m a gluten sentitive at a long time, and i didn´t knew.
Having to adopt a Gluten free diet came as a shock to me in the last days, my doctor told me that i have to eliminate gluten from my diet allthought i´m not a celiac, i have started my research yesterday, but it has been dificult to know exactly what things i can eat and which ones i cant´t.
Can you help telling me which foods can gluten intolerant people can eat.
Oh i´m a vegetarian at aproximatly 17 years. so i allready have a pretty limited diet.
Thanks a lot ;).
I had horrible acne for years and was put on antibiotics, topical creams, acutane etc, etc. On a whim, I gave up wheat to see what would happen. My acne completely cleared up. At that time I was still eating gluten though. Then I got this persistent itch on my back that lasted (on and off) for 3 years. It wasn’t horrible, but I felt a little concerned so I talked to doctors. My one doctor told me I had a lot of histamine in my back and to just take a Claritin. I didn’t, because I felt like if I needed medicine to solve a problem, I would just rather get to the root of the problem. I started reading about why your body might be producing lots of histamine and it didn’t look good. Since I already knew I couldn’t eat wheat, I decided to just give going gluten-free a try. Well, that itch has been completely gone for 3 years now (and still no acne). Amazing what you can do with diet.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Erica! 🙂 kc
Thanks for this article. I banned gluten for more than a year, but had no problems when I had some again after that. I did a 7-day juice fast and suddenly I when I started introducing bread back into my diet everything went wrong! I just had raw fruit and veg for the first 2 days, then slowly started cooked foods again and some bread. Yikes. I’m bloated, feel constipated and have diarrhea! (sorry tmi). I never had these problems before or during the juice fast 🙁 Could it be that ridding my body of gluten now makes it extra sensitive towards it?
Hi,
I found this article, hope it’s helpful: https://yogainternational.com/article/view/understanding-gluten-and-how-to-digest-it
I have gone gluten free and it’s completely life changing!!! I have suffered for years with all of the above, I just didn’t piece it all together. The catalyst was suffering from symptoms of a stomach ulcer-agonising pain for 6 hours at a time-have you heard of this kind of thing being connected? I have yet to come off antacid medication to see what happens, I’m keen to know if anyone thinks it could have been the gluten?? Thanks Kris, I found you through reading ‘Deliciously Ella’, both of you have changed my life x
I went gf over 3 yes ago. I have lost 135lbs, have no more body aches, pain or asthma. The mood swings and body acne is also gone. I’m a completely different person.
That’s phenomenal, Ann—thank you so much for sharing your success! xo, kc
As always, appreciate your balanced and informative approach Kris. I think the nuance and individuality of these kinds of issues is often overlooked, and we end up thinking of it as a good food or a bad food. Great article, thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Matt! kc
Hello lovely Kris!
Thank you for the amazing energy you put out to the world through informative posts such as this. And thanks for spreading the word about issues with gluten! Love that you encourage people to take charge of their health & happiness.
I’d like to add some more information that might help someone reading this post. I have gluten ataxia, a rare condition (what I believe to be an as-yet classified autoimmune dis-ease) in which gluten causes problems with the cerebellum, the part of the brain which controls motor skills. Contrary to what one might find on the web, one does not have to have celiac dis-ease to have this (I do not have celiac). This can affect the entire nervous system including walking, talking, thinking, balance, sensory input, pain & tingling in nerves, fine motor skills like eating, writing, typing, doing up buttons etc. One will most likely start walking like she is “drunk” because her balance is so off. Extreme nausea is also likely due to one’s eyes jumping around (nystagmus) due to the body’s imbalance and often muscle cramping, pain & weakness occurs.
Unfortunately, many who develop ataxia are not tested for gluten issues and the cause of the ataxia is often left as undetermined. (A UK test shows that as much as 41% of “sporadic” ataxias (thus of no known origin) could be due to gluten) Or they are only given the test for celiac dis-ease which shows up negative. If caught in time, and on a strict gluten free diet, recovery is possible. If left too long, many abilities can be permanently affected.
Like you, I believe in doing my health homework so there are so many improvements that have been made. After physiotherapy and a major change in lifestyle and the way I eat, improvements are happening with many more to go. But had I not got the information when I did, I would most likely be using a walker or wheelchair today – and was so close to that so many times.
Thanks for all you do and who you are! Keep putting your empowering info out there!
Liis xo
Thank you so much for sharing this knowledge! I’m thrilled to hear about the progress you’ve made. Sending you love. kc
I normally eat gf and low FODMAP as treatment for what was once diagnosed as IBS, but I now understand is mostly gluten sensitivity or maybe leaky gut. I found this post because of your comment about walking like you are “drunk” because although I usually do pretty good sticking to my diet, but last night I ate a huge plate of pasta with cream sauce and I felt really strange, definitly swerving while walking and like I wasn’t quite safe driving my car ( I don’t drink by the way ) so it was pretty disconcerting. I have also always had poor balance, but it does seem to come and go and I never knew it was related to my gluten sensitivity. Thanks to everyone for there comments, it does feel good to know I am not alone, and that the work I put into eating a certain way does make a difference. It also helps to encourage me to work harder at avoiding gluten and other irritants. Thanks, Corina
Hi Kris and Corina,
I’ve recently starting digging into this for the same reasons you mentioned above. I was hoping that maybe this sensitivity would go away after a prolonged period of not eating anything with gluten, but now I’m not sure how that’s going. Initially, my eyes would itch terribly and swell up, I would hock a lot, and I would get very sick after eating anything with gluten and have to vomit. Then, I would feel fine for the rest of the day. So, after a few months, I accidentally ate a Parmesan-stuffed mushroom with panko crumbs (hidden under the cheese), I thought just feeling semi-drunk was an improvement. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
I just ate some salsa (thinking who in the world would put wheat in salsa), but found out it does, in fact, contain wheat in the natural flavors. Luckily I caught it after only a few bites, but I’m feeling a little drunk and like my limbs are hollowed out or something. In a half hour or so, I’m sure I’ll have to vomit and then will probably feel much better, but I really just wanted to say thanks for posting things like this. It really helps figure things out and keeps these things fresh on the mind. I should’ve known better than to assume anything, but I’ll be sure to not make the same mistake in the future!
I also have Hashimoto’s and went GF a couple of years ago. I had a chronic cough that wouldn’t go away. Allergy doctor wanted to put me on meds for reflux. I Googled chronic cough and Hashimotos and learned that other people were having good results going GF. Within a month of going off gluten, my cough was gone. Since then I have learned so much about the benefits of GF and autoimmune conditions. Also within that time, my son has had to go gluten & dairy free because he was experiencing migraines and stomach pain. His food sensetivity report confirmed that he is highly sensative to wheat & dairy.
Wow, Vicki! I’m so happy to hear you did your own research and got to the bottom of it! xo, kc