

Most people can eat gluten without experiencing any side effects, but people with celiac disease can’t tolerate it. Eating it causes harmful effects in people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). Gluten is a family of proteins that’s found in certain grains. If a gluten-free diet doesn’t help your symptoms, something else is likely causing your digestive issues. They should also seek assistance from a healthcare professional, such as a dietitian.Īfter a few weeks, you can reintroduce gluten into your diet and test for symptoms. People who don’t have celiac disease but feel they may be sensitive to gluten can try a strict gluten-free diet for a few weeks to see if their symptoms improve. Otherwise, it will become hard for the doctor to tell if you have celiac disease or not. It’s best to get tested for celiac disease before trying a gluten-free diet. During this process, a technician takes a small tissue sample from your intestine and checks for damage ( 6).

Biopsy from your small intestine: People with a positive blood test will likely need to have a biopsy.The most common test is the tissue transglutaminase IgA (tTG-IgA) test. Blood test: A blood test will look for antibodies that incorrectly interact with the gluten protein.The most common ways to test for celiac disease include: If eating gluten makes you feel uncomfortable, a doctor may recommend screening for celiac disease.

Celiac disease affects at least 1% of the population in the Western world and can damage the intestines ( 5). Severe reactions can occur in those people diagnosed with celiac disease.Ĭeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body mistakenly attacks itself after exposure to gluten. Some people have uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms after eating foods that contain gluten. It also gives bread a chewy and satisfying texture ( 4). This glue-like property helps gluten create a sticky network that gives bread the ability to rise when baked. It gives flour a sticky consistency when it’s mixed with water ( 3). Its name comes from the Latin word for glue. Gluten is a family of proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and spelt.
