Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance-What’s up With Wheat? Have you been told you have “gluten-intolerance” or worse… that you have celiac disease? Many people go for years without knowing the connection between gluten and their gastrointestinal symptoms, autoimmune disease (thyroiditis, arthritis, lupus etc), skin disorder (eczema, acne, psoriasis), and even neurological disorders (epilepsy, ADHD, autism, etc)
What is gluten?
It’s a protein found in wheat grain and part of “gluey” proline and glutamine rich proteins known as prolamines. Prolamines are found in all cereal grains, even rice, corn and oats. Gluten ingestion in susceptible individuals is assosiated with the serious neurological and autoimmune reactions often linked to autism spectrum disorder.
Historically, we can see a large increase in chronic degenerative diseases, like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and bone loss/tooth decay when societies start to increase intake of grains and especially wheat. I have seen remarkable improvement in many patient’s illnesses, especially skin disorders and autoimmune disease on a grain-free diet.
Watch this video from Peter Osborne, D.C. that does a very nice job of explaining the differences between gluten intolerance and celiac disease and explaining how this could be contributing to your symptoms…
HI
Recall reading about old history of celiac with Dr Haas in mid-early 1900’s and they seemed to think mostly was carbs that were harder to digest causing issues. His diet used to be called the Banana diet, now has changed to be SCD. In a book about it by Elaine G., it mentions that wheat had been hybridized to be easier to harvest and more prolific, but had caused the carb part to become a longer chain and it also wrapped around the gluten portion. WHen the carb part was removed and the gluten part given to people, they were able to digest it. Caused me to wonder the other day if could digest gluten but just not the wheat, also if ate real bread that takes most of day to make, would it not react for me (since quite a bit of predigesting is done ). My HLA test a Dr did showed not celiac, but do so much better wo wheat (evan rye)
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for sharing. There are clinical variations from patients with celiac disease who cannot tolerate any gluten to those with just wheat intolerance/allergy and I think it is different for each person. I will say that my clinical experience shows usually patients with HLA DQ2 or DQ8 have an immune reaction to all gluten.
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi if someone has epilepsy does that mean it’s likely caused by gluten intolerance and removing gluten from the diet will make it go away?
Hi Kelly
Gluten can cause ataxia in some people with the DQ2 or DQ8 genotype but not all epilepsy is caused by gluten
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi
I have a question about gluten in relation to autoimmune diseases. I know that when someone has an autoimmune disease that gluten is bad for them and is a cause of leaky gut in everyone, even people who are healthy. But what I’m wondering is if someone has eaten gluten all their life and never had a problem and then they took antibiotics and got an autoimmune disease after that, why do they have to give up gluten? Wouldn’t it make sense to just heal the leaky gut and treat infections that caused it since food is innocent in this situation? I know people who have gotten their autoimmune disease into remission without giving up gluten and feel great, but you always hear about how you absolutely have to go gluten free to get better and get into remission. Won’t the sensitivity to gluten go away when you heal the leaky gut?
Hi Brooke,
We know that in autoimmune disease there is always a triad at work: genetics, environmental triggers (toxins, food, stress, infections, etc) and intestinal permeability. Even in a healthy person without gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, the consumption of gluten triggers a temporary increase in intestinal permeability. Since you want to heal the gut as a way to reverse the autoimmune disease, it is imperative that you take out gluten while you are healing the body. Once the body is healed and intestinal permeability restored, there are some patients who can eat gluten but not many 😉
Warmly
Dr Jill
Hi I have a leaky gut. I know I need to cut out gluten and dairy. Im not quite sure if I can do it, but if I did a trial period of gluten and dairy free for 5-10 days and couldn’t do it, would the reaction be really bad adding it back in or would I even be able to introduce it back in after 5-10 days? Thanks so much! Janet
Hi Janet
You may not notice an effect of healing for 4-6 months on a gluten-free diet. A few days won’t do the trick, unfortunately.
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi I have a question. I have Hashimotos and I’m experiencing really bad bloating and chronically low iron. I am gluten free and have been gluten free for a while now. Prior to going gluten free, my doctor tested me for Celiac and it was negative. At that time, I ate gluten regularly. My doctor suspects Celiac disease as the cause of my bloating and low iron so since I’m completely gluten free and have been for several months with no improvement in my bloating or iron, she wants to test me for the Celiac gene because she said you can have cross contamination with gluten. Is this what’s likely to be going on and something you would spend money on? Thanks so much!
Hi Karen,
If you have small bowel villous atrophy or bacterial overgrowth, both of which are common in someone who has been diagnosed with celiac disease, you may have chronically low ferritin. This is a malabsorption issue.
warmly
Dr Jill
Hello doctor Jill,
I m suffering from psoriasis. Is it related to gluten!
Hi Gagan -it could be related….
Hi Dr. Jill,
I have severe bloating and malabsorption of all my nutrients. I’ve been tested for Celiac twice with a blood test (I eat gluten with every meal) and it’s been negative both times. Could I still have it of does that rule it out?
Hi Kate,
You may have villous atrophy and malabsorption with non-celiac gluten sensitivity and still need to avoid gluten. You might do a 60 day trial totally off gluten to see if you feel better.
Warmly
Dr Jill
Hi Dr. Jill,
I have Hashimoto’s and have went gluten free. I see some benefits after a couple weeks, but I’m not seeing drastic results like I want to. My puffy face is a lot better. My leg swelling has reduced. And my stomach bloating is better but still there. My antibodies are a lot lower. But no weight loss, still no energy, and still bloating. Does it take longer than a couple weeks to see major benefits from it or is what I’ve seen so far all the benefits I’m going to see?
It may take 6 months or more to see full benefits of going gluten-free
Hi Dr. Jill,
How often do you see a situation where gluten is the sole cause of Hashimoto’s and once gluten is removed from the diet, the person goes into remission?
There is rarely a sole cause but gluten is a big contributor in many cases of autoimmune disease.
Hi,
I’ve been gluten free for 8 months, other than the accidental exposure at restaurants. It has helped numerous symptoms including Hashimoto’s, malabsorption, postnasal drip, and a 5 month pregnancy bloat. I do notice that even though my 5 month pregnancy bloat I was having is gone, occasionally I’ll get a little bit bloated at times. Not where near where it was. Maybe a 2 month pregnancy bloat. It seems to mainly happen when I’m about to start my period so it could just be that. I also suspect a couple other food sensitivities I could have like potatoes, but I’m hoping once my gut is healed, those will go away. But I just want to ensure that I have a gluten sensitivity/Celiac and not something like SIBO. Can a gluten free diet (while still eating carbs like GF pasta, cereal, and candy) make SIBO significantly better? My bloating is significantly better despite eating those high carb/high sugar foods so I would think it’s not SIBO. I have no pain, no diarrhea, no constipation (except occasional constipation since going GF but not all the time) and I didn’t have those symptoms even when I had a 5 month pregnancy bloat. But whenever I see the 2 month bloat show up, even though it’s not what I had, I still get nervous and worry about SIBO. What are your thoughts? Thank you!
Hi Diana,
SIBO is not triggered by carbs but by high FODMAP foods
warmly
Dr. Jill
Hi, Jill.
I just got my results back from my celiac disease screening i have a level of 4.7 and 183 not sure what this means. I have a lot of the symptoms of celiac disease severe bloating and gas I have two rashes that itches pretty bad, nausea sometimes. They come and go at the same time my rashes on both sides of my thigh. It’s hard to get my primary doctor to order a endoscopy for me and the wait to get in as A new patient with a G.I doctor is months out I don’t know what I can do.
Hi Veronica
can you give me more information?
warmly
Dr. Jill
tTG ,IgA range 0.0 to 19.9 (my test came back 4.7)
Reference Range: 30 units/ml positive
it states “Tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies may be absent in individuals with celiac disease and selective IgA deficiency. If the IgA level is consistent with selective IgA deficiency (<7mg/dl), consider ordering tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies or refer to a gastroenterologist.
IgA range 70 to 365 (my levels is 189)
I had a EGD and I don't have celiac disease I did have H. Pyloric
I was on the antibiotics and omerprazole. I am still having the same symptoms I was having before I had the EGD. I just ate I have severe bloating, severe gas, stomach pain that makes me bend over when I eat food. I am so tired of not knowing what is going on. Is it anything I could ask my G.I doctor to be tested for?