New Study Suggests Gluten May Not Cause Your Sensitivity

Celiac Gluten Sensitivity Reversal Conducting New Research.Fodmaps, gut-brain connections, not just gluten, cause symptoms.

For years, millions of people have sworn that gluten makes them sick—even if they've tested negative for celiac disease.Now researchers have found that it's much more complicated, and gluten itself may not be the culprit.

Researchers from the University of MelbourneMaastricht UniversityUniversity of Salernoand Sheffield UniversityUnderstanding more about what contributes to blind gluten sensitivity (NCGS)

About 10% of adults worldwide have gluten or wheat sensitivity, but when tested under double-blind test conditions, only 16-30% respond specifically to gluten.Most test the same discomfort whether the food given in the study contains gluten or not.fermentable in the fodmap family—or to the brain's powerful influence on how the gut views distress.

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According to important studieswhen participants followed a strict low-FODMAP diet.Gluten alone cannot trigger symptoms.Another study found that fructans cause bloating and pain, which many people blame on the gluten in bread.A third study found that people's expectations of people believing they were eating glutenIt's a better predictor of discomfort than what they actually eat.From all studiesIt influenced the "nocebo" effect (expecting danger and then feeling it) in up to half of the participants.

People's symptoms are certainly true, researchers have noted, but the cause is rarely directly or entirely related to gluten.This new review suggests that the disorder is part of a brain-intestinal interaction disorder, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).In these conditions, the gut nerves and the emotional processing circuits of the brain are in unusually close communication.Wheat is a gluten-free protein related to stress or other conditions.When stimulated to change the gut microbiome or fermentation, the gut sends a dangerous signal to the vagus nerve.The brain, stimulated by anticipation or anxiety, amplifies these feelings and causes real pain, boredom, fatigue, or changes in the brain.

Wili Bisiekerki said, "According to recent studies, people who believe that they are addicted to gluten, like gluten, are wheat."

“Overall, this redefines NCGS as part of the spectrum of gut-brain interactions, closer to conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, than gluten disorders,” he added.

Studies show significant overlap between gluten sensitivity and IBS, and many improve on a low-FODMAP diet regardless of gluten content.Extraintestinal symptoms such as fatigue, headache, and muscle pain are common, but there is still no evidence that gluten directly damages the nervous system in these cases.

The bad news is that there are no distinct biomarkers for NCGS to date, with zonulin (intestinal permeability) or inflammatory cytokine levels proving too inconsistent to be seen as reliable indicators.As a result, NCGS remains a diagnosis of exclusion, with doctors first having to rule out celiac disease and wheat allergy.Symptoms can then be tested under the gluten exposure process that is blind—ideally on a low fodmap basal diet—before a diagnosis can be made.

Here, the researchers recommend a multidisciplinary, compassionate approach to NCGS intervention.Any elimination diet should be guided by a nutritionist to avoid nutritional deficiencies, and strict long-term gluten avoidance should not be discouraged unless clear, recurrent symptoms occur.They believe that new psychological strategies (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy) that address anxiety — such as choosing wheat — can have as much of an impact as eliminating gluten.

"Millions of people around the world avoid gluten, believing it hurts their gut, often after experiencing actual symptoms of serious upset," Bisikirski said.

Until scientists find a definitive biomarker, the researchers add, NCGS should be viewed not as a specific disease but as part of the gut-brain spectrum.Furthermore, this new insight into the condition could help doctors provide more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment for their NCGS patients.

Jason Ty-Dean, associate professor of gastroenterology and director of the Snow Center for Immune Health at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, said: "Distinguishing NCGS from related intestinal conditions is essential for clinicians to provide accurate diagnosis and individualized care, as well as to treat underlying drivers."protect".

Bisierski adds that psychological support should be considered as part of treatment, as well as addressing how we categorize gluten — which can contribute to the sensitivity to it that people believe they have.

"We see the public health message as very damaging, but that's often not the case," he said.

The study was published in the journal Anunum.

Source: University of Melbourne