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,
I have been trying to figure out why after I eat for hours I feel like my food never digested and have a hard time lying in bed. I believe your article has put me on the right track and now I need to learn what has gluten and what doesn’t. The clincher was I made spaghetti sauce last night that was fantastic. Had very little pasta and tons of sauce because it was so yummy. Slept like a baby. Never hard that full feeling. Any help on figuring what to eat and not would be appreciated. Thanks again for the article. Game changer for me. I hope!????
I believe that avoiding packaged foods could be the first step for you to lose weight. They will often taste beneficial, but prepared foods currently have very little vitamins and minerals, making you take in more in order to have enough vitality to get over the day. Should you be constantly consuming these foods, converting to cereals and other complex carbohydrates will let you have more vitality while feeding on less. Great blog post.
Incredible points. Sound arguments. Keep up the good spirit.
Hi This is in reference to the lady wanting to know about eczema, Dairy! I would have eczema since high school and when I gave up the dairy it disappeared it also causes psoriasis! And the gluten has an issue with the psoriasis too. I would get psoriasis in an area all the time it would flare up whenever I had a certain cookie within minutes it would be so painful. And I looked at the Ingredients there was no dairy in it but there was wheat.
Hi! I have been dealing with a gluten and dairy issue since high school and I am a 57-year-old woman! As usual the doctor say it’s all in your head but I have been studying this all these years trying to figure out what is wrong with me. Over the years I have deduced that gluten and/or dairy,( I always eat the two together so has been difficult to figure out which is which causing the symptoms) Causes me within 20 minutes to a half an hour after eating to go into a almost coma like state. I fight to keep my eyes open and stay awake. I could never drive very far because of this but now I’ve stopped driving if I eat any I only do it at home. I found gluten also causes me not to be able to sleep well. I would get nightmares, toss and turn my brain would never shut off! Seventeen years I went through this before I realized what it was! Sleeping pills never worked nothing I functioned on roughly 2 to 3 hours of sleep a day raising five kids and working two full-time jobs. I also found it created immense joint pain where I could barely walk some days. It caused stomach bloat to the point where I looked pregnant, my face looks swollen all the time and puffy. I would get various skin rashes for no reason, itchy dry eyes, I started to get skin tags but realized that was sugar intake. When I would cut the sugar back for a day or two they would completely disappear. Dairy would cause itchy ears, fluid in my ears, vertigo, itchy eyes, Watery eyes and loose bowels and leaky bladder. I had iron deficiency and malabsorption of nutrients. I stopped dairy and gluten for three weeks and all of this disappeared! The relief was amazing being able to sleep through the night for eight hours and not toss and turn and fall asleep in the same position! That has been the best part! I still do not know which form I have as I’ve been tested for coeliac three times and it came back inconclusive every time and I’ve had allergy test and it says I’m not allergic to anything but it’s a day-to-day process that I know I cannot ingest! My worry is it causing brain damage? For something to cause you to pass out from ingestion, It has to be doing some kind of damage. Also for both it feels like I’m being boiled from the inside out then it gets so hot within minutes of eating either one of them I actually thought I was going through menopause for years when it was actually the dairy and gluten! I wouldn’t be sweating I just thought I was melting I was so hot and I would turn red. I hope this helps somebody!
Oats contain Avenin that some people may have sensitivity to. Some celiac patients include oats (gluten-free oat, meaning oats treated in special facilities to exclude cross contamination by other gluten containing seeds, i.e wheat, spelt..), in their diet. However celiacs and non celiacs alike, may also have sensitivity to the avenin in oats… so if someone is doing an elimination diet but isn’t feeling the effects, oat must also be excluded and checked. Of course consulting a doctor if nothing has improved!
Hi all 🙂 Have started going GF for 2 weeks and was responding about 10 days into the diet, but subsequently had a relapse of symptoms (mainly dizziness and headaches) for the past 2 days… Am wondering if anyone has experienced a similar trend? Understand that it takes awhile for response sometimes but was disheartened by the sudden relapse when everything seemed to be going exceedingly well. Would love to hear from you! Many thanks 🙂
Thank you for this thorough post on Gluten Sensitivity symptoms and there are more chances of Celiac disease, so diagnosis from an expert would be a right decision.
When i eat gluten . it makes me burn from the inside out.. Ans mouth burning. I Take benadryl but that takes 2 DAYS for it to Go Away. .
Not sure how old this post is because there are no dates but I have a few comments. My daughter 28 has celiac and was recently diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. She has been completely gluten free for about 6 years.
My other daughter 26 has a condition called interstitial cystitis (IC). She has been gluten free for about a month or so. She has found that gluten flares up her IC which is a bladder condition which causes extreme pain. I am 49 and have fibromyalgia and anxiety/depression. I have found that I am gluten sensitive or intolerant not sure which. I am not exclusively gluten free but should be. I always thought my brain fog was due to my fibromyalgia and a condition known as fibromyalgia fog. As soon as I stopped eating it I had my brain clear up. It was easier to find my words. When I slip up 1-2 days in a row, the fog returns. I would t say it effects my depression or pain levels although it does effect my energy levels.
One thing that is interesting is with the amount of people suddenly gluten intolerant I have been looking for a reason. I have seen possible links to Roundup weed killer. I have bought imported flour to test this theory but my gluten consumption has been horrible lately so haven’t been able to test. I suggest reading up on the number of people that can eat imported flours and the roundup connection
There are many other foods to consider if you are showing signs of an intolerance. I have a severe intolerance to soy. If I have one tablespoon of soy sauce, I am sick for 2 weeks with nonstop shaking, dizziness, uncontrollable anxiety, stomach pain and general feeling that I am going to die any second. Also the symptoms take two days to start. My doctors told me for years it was anxiety. I haven’t felt this good in 10 years. Make a very detailed food log and try a few variations of elimination diets to find out what is causing your “undiagnosable” illness.
Hi Kris . I’m hoping you can tell me . For 52 years I am unable to eat anything that contains eggs or flour. Although I can eat wheat and barley without a problem. My symptoms are :; vomiting, diarrhea , dizziness, bloated and light headed. It will last for at least 12 hours . The only foods that I can eat is vegetable, meat , and fruit . Please help .
Hi Annmarie. This is Jennifer from Team Crazy Sexy. I am so sorry you are going through this, it sounds like some food sensitivity testing might be helpful. Be sure to work with your trusted healthcare provider as it could be a few different things. In addition, a food diary might be great to keep track of what specifically is affecting you. I hope you find what helps soon, Annmarie. Take care of your beautiful self.
Great article! Thank you for the simple explanations. When I was a vegan I ate gluten food and had some symptoms I was burpy and bloated. I thought that the reason for it was gluten…And it was right. Now I’m a raw vegan and I don’t consume gluten at all. I feel better and don’t have any problems with my health.
Thanks for the detailed healthy tips. I had severe stomach pain after eating pizza anywhere. I am facing this issue a year.
This pains stays along 3 weeks after I ate pizza and also facing constipation ,leg and shoulder pain.
Your style is so unique compared to many other people. Thank you for publishing when you have the opportunity,Guess I will just make this bookmarked.2
Thank you for this. I am particularly interested in reading more about Fodmaps as this immediately resonated.
Another thing I wondered if you could clarify for me is the puzzling information I’ve read about the need to soak nuts before eaten. Is this necessary if they are cooked for example.
Wishing you a happy day. ?
Thanks Kris,
Great informative piece. My gluten free path began 18 years ago brought on by vanity on my part. A very underplayed symptom of gluten sensitivity is skin problems which you mentioned in your post. After going from dermatologist to dermatologist and being told I had I had rosacea and given topical antibiotics, one suggested a rosacea trigger elimination diet which I followed to the letter. What I realized after a few weeks was my symptoms disappeared but it wasn’t the trigger foods, the main one being cheese, but what accompanied them in this case breads, crackers, pizza crust, pasta etc. at the same time I meet a few people who told me they couldn’t eat flour i.e. gluten and after speaking with them learned their symptoms rang true to me. I had never connected all the other symptoms I had been experiencing together with the skin breakouts. So I tried going gluten free or what I thought was gluten free then and the stricter I was with it the better I felt. It’s been a long slow process of discovering just what contains gluten. By now it’s sooo much easier with much more careful labeling. As inconvenient as it might sound to folks that are experiencing any symptoms that may be related to consumption of gluten I say GIVE IT A TRY!!! You can’t be wishy-washy with it though, it’s got to be a commitment to stop completely and you will reap the benefits ten fold. And I totally second your advice about not opting for the gluten free versions of gluten foods. Go as whole food plant based as possible. Best pasta out there is 100% lentil! Thanks again for all you do Kris!