Yes, to put it simply. You can be gluten intolerant (gluten sensitive) and not have coeliac disease. Gluten intolerance means a person cannot tolerate gluten found in food, and then may go on to develop similar symptoms to those that have full blown coeliac disease.
A person with gluten intolerance will have less severe symptoms than that of a coeliac and will not have the presence of tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies which cause auto-immune disease, neither do they have auto-immune comorbidities which is the presence of a secondary disease in addition to already having a primary disease.
So in short, gluten intolerance is far less damaging than full blown coeliac disease, will not show up on a blood test but can still leave you feeling the same uncomfortable and sometimes painful symptoms as that of someone with coeliac disease. Whereas every person with coeliac disease is effectively gluten sensitive and it is the most severe form we know about of gluten intolerance.
According to Wall Street Journal one recent study showed that test subjects with gluten sensitivity did not have the flattened villi on the wall of the intestines, or the leaky intestinal walls with was seen in subjects with coeliac disease. Plus, the immune reactions were different in both groups. Those with gluten sensitivity / intolerance had an immune response, but it came from the innate immune system which is a primitive system set up to help repel invaders, whereas those will coeliac disease had an immune response from the adaptive immune system which is designed to develop specific cells to fight foreign bodies.
So the best way to treat both forms of gluten intolerance is to go gluten free completely in your diet. Coeliac disease sufferers will not be able to tolerate any gluten whatsoever, whereas gluten sensitives may be able to tolerate small amounts.
There may be one day a marker will be discovered to help make diagnosing people with gluten sensitivity easier, and Dr. Fasano from the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America is trying to discover one as she feels a lot more needs to be done for those who are just gluten sensitive and not coeliac.
How To Find Out If You Are Gluten Intolerant Or Have Coeliac Disease
A blood test from your doctor will confirm if you have coeliac disease, but you need to have eaten foods containing gluten for about 30 days prior to ensure it is in your system. Whereas gluten intolerance does not currently have a blood test to help determine it.
To find out if you have gluten intolerance or sensitivity you need to avoid foods containing gluten for 14 days. Then introduce a little gluten containing food every 3 days and note all your symptoms you get from doing this. If the bloating, digestive upsets, headaches, lethargy, skin problems (and many other symptoms see below) all start reappearing after getting somewhat better when you avoided gluten containing foods – you can be sure you are gluten intolerant.
The best way forward for both health issues is to avoid gluten containing foods.
Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance / Sensitivity (Also Contains Symptoms of Coeliac Disease)
*please note this list does not contain all symptoms
- Reoccurring gastrointestinal, stomach and digestive problems such as constipation, diarrhea, nausea, cramping, gas, or bloating
- Frequent unexplained headaches and/or migraines
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Emotional issues
- Neurological disorders
Foods That Contain Gluten
Any food or drinks made from the following ingredients contain gluten:
- Barley, including barley malt
- Bran
- Bulgur
- Farina
- Kamut
- Orzo
- Semolina
- Spelt
- Wheat
- Corn – contains gliadin and glutenin that make up the gluten complex like wheat, rye and barley, maybe fine for some people to eat but be cautious if you have already been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease as this food could make things worse if you are gluten sensitive.
- Oats – no such thing as a gluten-free oat as again contains gliadin and glutenin, maybe fine for some people to eat but be cautious if you have already been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease as this food could make things worse if you are gluten sensitive.
- Rice – is in the same subfamily of gluten containing products like corn and oats but has a much lower gluten content than oats or corn, maybe fine for some people to eat but be cautious if you have already been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease as this food could make things worse if you are gluten sensitive.
- Sorghum – closely related to corn and rice so again be careful if you have an autoimmune disease as this food may make exacerbate your symptoms, but again if you don’t you may be fine if you are only gluten intolerant and not a coeliac.
According to Dr. Patrick Holford, there was once a view in the medical field that 1 in 5,000 people had coeliac disease. However, newer research shows that gluten intolerance can affect as many as 1 in 100 seemingly healthy people that do not always show digestive symptoms at all, and as many as 1 in 10 people with diabetes or thyroid disease.
So if your blood tests results are coming back negative to coeliac disease, but you are still suffering with one or more of the gluten intolerance symptoms above, you may well have gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance needs to be addressed in the same way as coeliac disease by removing the gluten from your diet, and then working on reducing the inflammation and soothing any damage done to the gut.