Gluten Intolerance

Gluten is a protein and is the stretchy, gluey part of the grain found in wheat, barley, rye and oats.  Bakers love it for it’s ability to hold the dough together better. But for people who are gluten intolerant, it is a real problem.

Gluten intolerance is really a broad term and includes different sensitivity levels to gluten. A small number (approximately 1 in 133 people) of gluten intolerant people will also test positive to the Celiac Disease test (also written as Coeliac Disease, Coeliac Sprue Disease or CD), and so are called Celiacs. However, that number seems to be rising.

The term used those who do not test positive for CD (Celiac Disease) are referred to as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitive (NCGS) and may be as high as 15% of all people, which is equivalent to 1 in 7 of the US population. Unfortunately, the only type of gluten sensitivity recognized by Western trained physicians today is the most severe type, Celiac Disease.

Therefore, many NCGS people continue to struggle unnecessarily with debilitating health problems which can include:

  • Headaches
  • Mouth ulcers (canker sores)
  • Behavioral changes (particularly in children)
  • Weight loss or weight gain
  • Abdominal swelling
  • Diarrhea
  • Bloating
  • Skin problems such as dermatitis and eczema

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitive people may display many of the same symptoms as Celiacs but to a lesser degree.