Research abstract

More scientific flesh on the bones of non-coeliac gluten/wheat sensitivity

How would you feel if you found out that gluten or wheat has a negative impact on your body? Research on some participants reported experiencing some intestinal symptoms after ingestion of gluten-containing foods, containing wheat, rye or barley. By Paul Whiteley

Laura Lurns Last updated August 26, 2016 · 1 min read

Many individuals have been told they do not have coeliac disease, or CD, but still feel that they are sensitive to products containing gluten. This blog post provides some clarity on the testing and terminology, as well as links to scientific articles. Non-coeliac wheat sensitivity, or NCWS, differs from CD in that individuals do not have the classic tissue changes to the intestinal lining, but do show increased immune activity.

This increase in immune activity may be due to less severe changes in the intestinal lining which allows dietary components to leak into the intestine. Six months on wheat, rye and barley free diet helped some individuals with NCWS reduce immune activity as evidenced by specific markers of inflammation present in the blood. This is good news for some who have been told that a gluten free diet will not help their gastrointestinal or skin symptoms despite their personal experience to the contrary. The subtleties of this condition need further exploration.

Key takeaways

Non coeliac gluten wheat sensitivity affects more people than has been previously known.
There are many different academic opinions about the effect of gluten on the body.
There is much research left to do.

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Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.

Key takeaways

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