Wheat Intolerance - I Think I Have it - Now What?

You've been battling the symptoms for a long time; digestive upset, stomach cramps, irregular bowel habits, maybe migraines and joint pain. Finally... a breakthrough! You've just found out about wheat intolerance and celiac (also spelled coeliac) disease, and it makes a lot of sense that some sort of gluten allergy or sensitivity could be causing your problems. So, now what?

There are several different types of wheat sensitivity, and unless you are willing to cut out all gluten from your diet forever, you'll need to get an exact diagnosis. This is worth doing in most cases, because while celiac disease is a lifelong condition requiring a diet strictly without any foods containing gluten, other conditions like wheat intolerance may eventually allow you to consume small amounts of wheat. Similarly, with wheat allergy, you may be able to tolerate other gluten-containing grains such as barley or rye.

So, while you may be sorely tempted to cut all foods containing gluten out of your diet immediately, doing so is probably a mistake unless your reactions are extremely severe (anaphylactic shock, for instance). This is because the most common method of diagnosis-- a blood test which looks for antibodies to wheat proteins-- will not work if you are on a gluten-free diet. No gluten, no antibodies. No antibodies, no diagnosis.

Now, let's jump ahead a bit. You've been thoroughly tested, and all the tests came back negative. Does this mean that wheat is not the problem? Not necessarily. Wheat intolerance may not show up in testing. The best method for determining wheat intolerance is something called an elimination diet with challenge testing. Your doctor can help you with the details of implementing such a diet, but basically, an elimination diet is a diet which completely removes the suspected food (wheat, or more broadly, anything containing gluten) for a set period of time, to see if symptoms subside. If symptoms are not reduced or eliminated after a couple of months on an elimination diet, then it extremely unlikely that wheat or gluten is the cause of the problems (it may, of course, be some other food).

If, however, symptoms subside or disappear completely after the elimination diet, then wheat intolerance is likely. Challenge testing can confirm the diagnosis. Under medical supervision ( in case of severe reactions), wheat is reintroduced into the diet suddenly. If a reaction occurs and other conditions such as celiac disease have been discounted, wheat intolerance is confirmed.

At this point, it's time to embark on a gluten-free diet. In the case of wheat intolerance, many people may be able to reintroduce wheat in tiny amounts after a period of time on a strict diet. This varies widely-- some can tolerate a modest amount of wheat once in awhile, others more often, and yet others, not at all. The only way to find out is with careful experimentation after a few symptom-free months.

When first going gluten-free, cravings are not at all unusual, but they subside in time. The renewed feeling of health and vitality as symptoms disappear make the sacrifice well worth the effort... and there are thousands of delicious gluten-free foods and recipes which will ensure that eating remains a rich and joyful part of life.