Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance: Learning to Listen to Your Body

There are SO many varying views of whether or not gluten is bad for you.  Some research claims it’s all in our heads, while others prove it can have serious side effects on up to 30% of the American population!

We need to be careful who we listen to, truly read the research, and test for ourselves to see if we have any symptoms of gluten intolerance. 

So what is the truth about gluten?  The best thing to do in this case is look at the research ourselves and determine what’s fact and what is fiction. 

Is the research showing correlation or causation?  How many people were in the trial?  Was the trial randomized or controlled?  How long did the trial last? 

All of these make a huge impact in the overall findings.

The real proof (that no one can argue with) is in how we feel when we perform our own n=1 test by removing gluten from our own diet for 30-60 days. 

You may be able to argue with the conclusion or methods of research in a trial, but you can’t argue with how your body feels when you test it for yourself.

Symptoms of gluten intolerance: so what is gluten?

Simply speaking, gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.   And for many people, it is the cause of a lot of harm in their body. 

As Diane Sanfilippo put it in her New York Times Best Seller, Practical Paleo, “if it has to pass through a factory before it is edible for you, reconsider whether or not it is actually food.  More likely, it is an ‘edible product’ or ‘food-like-substance.'” 

And guess what?  She is absolutely right! 

You will not find gluten in any whole, unprocessed foods.  Therefore, gluten is NOT a real food (or even IN real food, for that matter).

Where is gluten found?

Gluten is found in the majority of processed foods.  Since it carries elasticity properties and helps hold flours and other ingredients together (and because it is a cheap and easy crop to farm), modern industrialization has been using it for practically everything from sauces to crackers to cakes.  Here is a list of some of the most common gluten-containing foods (some might surprise you…!):

• bread
• cereal
• chip varieties, including pretzels
• cookies
• couscous
• crackers
• frozen dinners
• granola
• ice cream
• malt
• many medications and vitamins
• orzo
• panko
• pasta
• pastries
• many packaged goods
• snack bars
• soy sauce
• spice mixes

Who should avoid gluten?

Honestly?  Pretty much everyone.  It’s not a whole food and was never meant to be consumed by humans.  It also causes a countless amount of health issues. 

However, you should decide for yourself and this article with help you do just that. That said, there are certain people who  should avoid gluten like their health depends on it – because it does!

There are 3 types of gluten sensitivities:

1. Celiac (auto-immune condition)
2. Gluten allergy (allergic to gluten and/or wheat as one would be allergic to peanuts or alike)
3. Gluten-intolerance (consumption of gluten causes side effects)

There aren’t too many celiacs or individuals who are completely allergic to gluten, but a recent study has proven that up to 30% of Americans have a gluten-intolerance whether they realize it or not!  That’s nearly 1/3 of all Americans!  And most people don’t even know it.  Crazy…! 

Even if you don’t think you have a gluten-intolerance, doing an elimination diet for 30-60 days just to see how you feel can be very beneficial to your health. 

After the 30-60 days are up, one would reintroduce gluten back into the diet and note any changes in  mood, digestion, memory, aches, bloating and the like.  Most people are surprised about what they find out!

Symptoms of gluten intolerance

As stated above, having a gluten (or wheat) allergy or celiac disease is completely different from having a gluten intolerance.  Not every has an allergy or autoimmune reaction to gluten, but many people do have an intolerance to gluten whether they know it or not. 

This is because our bodies were not created to break down gluten!  Gluten hurts the lining of our gut (which I will cover in another post) and causes inflammation and other health problems.

This is not an all-exclusive list of the range of symptoms people can have when they consume gluten, but Chris Kresser lists some of the more serious ones in his article When Gluten is Not a Fad:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• Ataxia
• Type 1 diabetes
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Endometriosis
• Insulin resistance
• Inflammation

I would also like to add the following more common symptoms:

• Upper respiratory/sinus infections
• Bloating
• Gas and indigestion
• Headaches and migraines
• Leaky gut
• Acne
• Brain fog
• Weight loss resistance
• Gut flora imbalance

As stated above, these are only some of the symptoms that occur with gluten-intolerance.  But there are so many more!

Wrapping it up: gluten and the gut

70% of our immune system is in the gut, so it is super important that we heal our guts!  I wrote a second part on this topic that deals with the impact that gluten has on the gut. 

Read it here: The Effects of Gluten on the Gut and What It Can Do to Your Body

Read More on All-Things Nutrition Anywhere Tips:

• Clean Eating for Beginners: The Benefits and How to Start
• How to Make a Healthy and Balanced Clean Eating Grocery List
• Healthy Snacks Bodybuilding: The Key to Hitting Muscle Gains
• 15 Pros and Cons of a Gluten-Free Diet: What’s Best for you?
• Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance: Learning to Listen to Your Body
• The Effects of Gluten on the Gut and What It Can Do to Your Health