Six signs you are gluten intolerant – and don’t even know it

May 1, 2013 at 11:39 am

by Dr. Amy Myers
More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.
It is also estimated that as much as 15% of the US population is gluten intolerant. Could you be one of them?

Six common symptoms of gluten intolerance

(1) Gastrointestinal (GI), stomach, and digestive problems. These can include one or more of the following: gas, bloating, queasiness, abdominal cramping, constipation, diarrhea, or an alternating combination of both – IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

(2) Headaches and/or migraines.

(3) Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, lupus, psoriasis, scleroderma or multiple sclerosis.

(4) Emotional issues involving chronic irritability and sudden, irrational, mood shifts.

(5) Neurological issues. This may include dizziness, difficulty balancing, and peripheral neuropathy affecting nerves outside the central nervous system and resulting in pain, weakness, tingling or numbness in the extremities.

(6) Fatigue, brain fog, or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten.

Most of these symptoms are common to other health issues and diseases. That’s why identifying symptoms alone and trying to tie them to gluten intolerance is difficult.

Am I Gluten Intolerant?

The best way to determine if you are indeed gluten intolerant is to go on a gluten-free diet for 60 days. If you feel you can’t or won’t, that may already indicate you’re addicted to gluten. We are often addicted to things we’re allergic to.
That gluten-free diet would include wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, oats, and triticale which are grains with gluten. Quinoa, buckwheat, and sorghum grains are gluten-free. So is rice.

How to treat gluten intolerance?

Eliminating gluten 100% from your diet means 100%. Even trace amounts of gluten from cross contamination or medications or supplements can be enough to cause an immune reaction in your body.
The 80/20 rule or “we don’t eat it in our house, just when we eat out” is a complete misconception. An article published in 2001 states that for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity eating gluten just once a month increased the relative risk of death by 600%.
-OR-
Seek out a local homeopathic doctor or integrative medicine specialist who can test you and your family for gluten intolerance.
Source: Mind Body Green