Celiac Disease
If you’ve ever felt bloated after a slice of bread or had digestive problems after a big pasta meal, you’ve probably wondered if it’s just a sensitivity or something more serious. The terms “celiac disease” and “gluten intolerance” are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually two different conditions with distinct differences. In this blog, we’ll help you understand what sets celiac disease apart from gluten intolerance and what it means for your diet. Let’s get to the bottom of it!
How to Tell the Difference Between Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance
The biggest difference between the two conditions is that celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, meaning that consuming gluten will cause damage to your small intestine. Celiac disease is generally diagnosed using blood tests and biopsies to identify specific antibodies and damage to the intestine.
Gluten intolerance, on the other hand, is not autoimmune and there is no cell damage or inflammation. Surprisingly, there is no specific test to diagnose gluten intolerance – it is usually diagnosed once celiac disease and similar conditions have been ruled out.
Thinking you might be experiencing one of these conditions? With gluten intolerance, gluten doesn’t agree with your digestive system, so you’d likely experience an immediate reaction, like diarrhea. Celiac disease is a much slower reaction where you probably won’t see immediate symptoms.
Both celiac disease and gluten intolerance involve one or more gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, bloating, and cramping, with noticeable improvement if gluten is removed from the diet. If this sounds like you, you may need to speak to a healthcare professional to discuss getting tested.
Yes! Non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten intolerance, is characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms caused by the consumption of gluten. Remember, gluten intolerance and celiac disease are two different conditions, so you can have one without having the other.
The symptoms of celiac disease often vary from person to person, which provides an added challenge in the diagnostic process. That said, gastrointestinal symptoms, like bloating, constipation, and diarrhea, tend to be the most common. Other possible symptoms include anemia, joint pain, fatigue, rash, and tingling.
The gold standard treatment for celiac disease is to remove gluten from the diet. Thankfully,
there are still plenty of delicious foods for people with the condition.
One food that tends to trick people up is oats. While pure oats do not contain gluten, many people with celiac disease avoid them because they can become contaminated with gluten products. They also contain avenin, a protein that has shown to trigger symptoms in people with celiac. So while, yes, oats are technically gluten-free, you won’t find them on too many celiac diets.
Distinguishing the difference between celiac disease and gluten intolerance can feel like you’re trying to solve a gluten mystery, but hopefully this blog has given you some answers! Understanding these differences is important for anyone with gut-related issues, and if you’re still not sure where you stand, talk to one of our expert dietitians to get some guidance.
Gain confidence and comfort with outpatient nutrition counseling for celiac disease and gluten intolerance at Branz Nutrition Counseling. Online and in-person appointments are available with experienced dietitian nutritionists.
