Gluten Intolerance

In today's world, many people report being intolerant, sensitive or allergic to specific foods. Gluten, wheat, dairy, lactose, yeast, sugar and various additives frequently top the list of culprits, though countless others exist.

The question is, why is this now so prevalent? Is it that there is actually a higher incidence of these conditions, or rather greater awareness leading to better diagnosis?....The answer is a bit of both.

Our relationship with grains has changed a lot over time. For most of human history, we ate very differently than we do today. While other primates naturally do well on carbohydrates and love sweet foods, humans have learned to pull out and concentrate sweetness from food. This lets us get around nature's limits, but it puts real stress on our bodies.

Today, we eat a lot of carbohydrates in the form of grains, especially wheat. It's become such a normal part of our diet that it's hard to imagine it might not be good for us. Previously, it was believed that sensitivities to gluten (a protein composite found in wheat and related cereals, including barley and rye) were relatively rare. However, recent research suggests that:

- gluten sensitivity affects as many as 1 in 10 people 

- coeliac disease (a more serious digestive disorder and auto-immune disease caused by intolerance to gluten) affects almost 1 in 100 people.

There are a few reasons for this. First, our ancestors barely ate any gluten at all. Grains only started being grown about 10,000 years ago – which is actually quite recent in terms of human evolution. And even then, it wasn't widespread. Gluten grains didn't even arrive in America until a few hundred years ago. The truth is, our bodies haven't had enough time to adapt to eating grains the way we do now.

There's another big difference too. The wheat we eat today is nothing like what our ancestors grew and ate. Modern wheat has much more gluten in it – sometimes as much as 78% of the total protein. We now know that gliadin, which is one of the proteins in gluten, irritates the gut and can trigger allergic reactions.

Both gluten intolerance and coeliac disease can be tricky to spot because their symptoms are vague and often overlap. Some people with gluten sensitivity don't have any digestive symptoms at all, which makes diagnosis even harder. In fact, around 500,000 people in the UK haven't been diagnosed yet. Most diagnoses happen between ages 40 and 60.

If you think you might have a gluten problem and notice symptoms after eating gluten-containing foods, talk to your doctor. Once diagnosed, you can make the right dietary changes.

Gluten intolerance causes gut problems similar to coeliac disease, but your immune system doesn't produce antibodies. Some people have no symptoms at all, but others feel tired, depressed, or experience sinus problems. You might also have trouble absorbing nutrients, leading to weight loss and fatigue, or digestive issues like bloating and constipation.

Research suggests that other carbohydrates called FODMAPs, found in wheat, barley and rye, might also play a role in causing symptoms.

Coeliac disease is a lifelong autoimmune condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when exposed to gluten. Unlike gluten intolerance, it often causes inflammation and damage to the small intestine lining. This can lead to poor nutrient absorption, malnutrition, weight loss, fatigue and digestive problems.

Three main factors contribute to coeliac disease: exposure to gluten, genetic susceptibility, and a leaky gut. In rare cases, physical or emotional stress can trigger it – for example, after surgery, infection, or pregnancy.

Symptoms vary widely and can affect different parts of your body. Common ones include fatigue, anaemia, diarrhoea, stomach pain, weight loss, vomiting and mouth ulcers. Some people have no symptoms at all.

In rare cases, stress on the body can also trigger the onset of the condition. For example, following an operation, accident, gut infection or pregnancy.

Just as is the case with gluten sensitivity, the symptoms of coeliac disease vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. What's more, symptoms are not restricted to the digestive tract - they can present in other parts of the body.

Some of the most common symptoms include: fatigue, anaemia, diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort, weight loss, vomiting and mouth ulcers. Again, some people may show no symptoms at all.

There's no cure for gluten intolerance or coeliac disease, but removing gluten from your diet usually works well. If your gut has been irritated for a long time, it can take a few months to feel better, so be patient.

Going gluten-free is a lifelong commitment. It's tricky because gluten hides in lots of everyday foods and sometimes isn't even listed clearly on labels. You'll need to do some research and learn what to avoid.

It's easy to end up eating a very limited diet, but you can absolutely eat a healthy, balanced, varied gluten-free diet with some planning. Gluten-free supplements and meal replacements can help fill any nutritional gaps and give you peace of mind that you're getting everything you need without any gluten.