new to the gluten free journey?
new to the gluten free journey?
COVID-19 (Covid), a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus first emerged in the United States in early 2020, and quickly became a threat to public health due to its ability to spread quickly and cause severe inflammation in the upper respiratory tract.
Covid and gluten might seem unrelated at first, but the connection between Covid, celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and the immune system is becoming harder to ignore. Covid can inflame the lungs and gut, while gluten can trigger leaky gut, leaky lung, and nutrient deficiencies — and together they may increase the risk of Long Covid, chronic inflammation, and even new-onset gluten sensitivity in people who are genetically vulnerable.
What we’re seeing in the research and in real people is that gluten and Covid can team up and cause bigger health issues:
This doesn’t mean a gluten free diet is a magic Covid cure. But it does mean that if you’re struggling with Covid, Long Covid, or chronic, unexplained symptoms, it’s absolutely worth asking: “Is gluten a hidden part of the problem?”
Covid typically causes respiratory symptoms that can mimic symptoms of a cold, the flu, or pneumonia. Covid most often attacks the lungs and respiratory system, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most people with Covid have mild symptoms, but some can become severely ill.
Some people including those with minor or no symptoms can develop a wide range of post-Covid conditions. This collection of symptoms also called “Long Covid” may include the following (among other puzzling symptoms):
Many of these Covid and Long Covid symptoms overlap with the inflammation, leaky gut, and nutrient deficiencies also seen in gluten sensitivity and celiac disease.
Before we get into the discussion, here is a refresher on gluten and celiac disease to provide some context to our conversation. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system perceives gluten as an invader. This causes your body to launch an immune response that causes inflammation and damage to the villi in your small intestines causing malabsorption, malnutrition, and other health related issues.
Those who have celiac disease and non celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) need to avoid gluten. Gluten is often defined as a type of protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains. However, we know that gluten protein can be found in ALL grains. Common foods containing gluten include pasta, bread, baked goods, and beer.
Understanding what gluten is and how it damages the gut and immune system is essential if you’re trying to make sense of how Covid and gluten might interact in your body.
While celiac disease and gluten sensitivity can increase susceptibility to certain illnesses, recent research suggests that a gluten free diet may actually have a protective effect against Covid.
One observational study evaluated causality between celiac disease and Covid susceptibility as well as severe Covid. It found that those with celiac disease who were following a gluten free diet were less susceptible to Covid and severe Covid infections. In simple terms, this early research suggests there may be a protective relationship between a strict gluten free diet and lower Covid risk or severity, especially in those already diagnosed with celiac disease.
A suggested mechanism by which a gluten free might be protective against Covid relates to the ability of a gluten free diet to influence intestinal permeability (gut leakiness). This part gets a bit technical, so stay with me.
A low-gluten diet can reduce the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1beta, which increases the tight junction permeability in intestinal cells (decreasing leaky gut). In addition, a gluten free diet has been shown to normalize intestinal permeability in celiac disease patients by influencing the chemokine receptor CXCR3. Gluten can bind to this receptor inducing a breakdown of tight junctions which also leads to an increase in leaky gut. So to put it simply – Gluten causes microscopic holes in the lining of your GI tract. Subsequently, toxins from the GI tract can leak into the bloodstream and increase the risk for systemic inflammation and disease.
This may also be relevant for lung tissue as well. Researchers have identified that covid can contribute to increased lung permeability. The same can be said of gluten, as researchers have linked gluten exposure to increased lung permeability (Leaky Lung). Studies have shown that a gluten free diet was able to alleviate hemosiderosis (fibrotic inflammation and bleeding in the lungs) in celiac disease patients. Research has also connected gluten to COPD.
This emerging science helps explain why the Covid–gluten connection isn’t just theoretical; it’s rooted in how gluten and Covid both affect barrier function and inflammation in the gut and lungs.
In addition, a gluten free diet may reduce overall inflammation which can support overall immune health, reducing the susceptibility to Covid infection.
A gluten free diet is also protective from malnutrition of key vitamin and mineral deficiencies that are known to worsen overall immune health outcomes. Vitamin C, vitamin D, Zinc, Quercetin, vitamin B1, Selenium, and N-Acetyl Cysteine are all supportive of immune health. As a matter of fact, this combination of nutrients is being used in hospital protocols for the treatment of Covid.
Many people with Long Covid have developed or uncovered new food allergies and sensitivities. It is believed that this is triggered by mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) brought on by Covid. Wheat and gluten are some of the most common sensitivities that arise, and these sensitivities can have significant downstream inflammatory effects that may hinder recovery in patients suffering with long Covid.
For many, Long Covid and gluten sensitivity show up together, and identifying gluten as a trigger can be a key step toward calming immune overactivation and improving recovery.
Interestingly, there may be a Covid-gluten connection that works in the opposite way as well. Research suggests that genetically predisposed patients may be more likely to develop celiac disease following a Covid infection.
This is because Covid promotes a “cytokine storm” in the intestinal mucosa. The damage to the epithelial cells of the intestines that results can lead to increased intestinal barrier permeability (leaky gut). In turn, this can allow the passage of gluten proteins into the intestines, triggering an immune response.
This is one way Covid might act as a trigger that pushes someone with genetic risk over the line into active celiac disease or clinically significant gluten sensitivity.
The connection between Covid and celiac disease and gluten consumption is still being studied, but the research that exists is quite compelling. This connection could have long term public health effects, by protecting certain populations and increasing the incidence of celiac disease in future populations.
Put simply, the Covid and gluten connection is about barrier damage, inflammation, genetics, and nutrient status all colliding at the same time.
If you are not sure whether a gluten free diet would be right for you, consider taking our quiz.
What the early research tells us is this:
People with celiac disease who are very strict with their gluten free diet were less likely to get Covid and less likely to have severe Covid than we’d expect.
Does that prove gluten-free protects everyone from Covid? No.
But it strongly suggests that keeping inflammation low and the gut barrier healthy may help your body handle infections better.
Gluten doesn’t just irritate the stomach. Gluten can make the gut leaky, letting toxins and food particles slip into the bloodstream and over-stimulate your immune system. Additionally, gluten can increase inflammation by triggering inflammatory chemicals (cytokines).
Gluten can also contribute to “leaky lung”, which means your lung barrier is easier to damage – a big deal in a respiratory infection like Covid.
If you add Covid on top of that, you’ve now got two major hits to your barrier systems (gut and lungs) and a much higher chance of chronic inflammation and lingering symptoms.
Think of your gut and lungs as your body’s “front doors.”
They’re supposed to let in the good (nutrients, oxygen) and keep out the bad (toxins, pathogens). Gluten can poke holes in the screen of the gut and lungs. Covid can kick the door and damage the same barriers.
When both happen together, more junk slips through, your immune system goes into overdrive, and you’re more likely to feel awful for longer.
If you already carry genes that increase your likelihood of reacting to gluten, a Covid infection can damage your intestinal lining, trigger a major inflammatory cytokine storm, and expose your immune system to more gluten fragments. That mix of stressors can push someone from “genetically at risk” into active celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
I see this frequently in practice. Many people with Long Covid develop new food sensitivities because Covid can leave mast cells—the immune system’s “alarm cells”—stuck on a hair-trigger. When foods like wheat or gluten show up, those overactive mast cells can set off reactions such as bloating, rashes, flushing, brain fog, and fatigue. If that sounds like you, gluten may be pouring gasoline on the fire.
To fight infections effectively, your body needs a steady supply of key nutrients—including vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, vitamin B1 (thiamine), quercetin, and NAC. Gluten-induced gut damage can make it harder to absorb these essentials, leaving you nutrient-depleted at the exact time your immune system needs them most.
I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all medicine, but there are clear guideposts.
For anyone with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, autoimmune conditions, or a strong family history, maintaining a fully strict gluten-free diet is essential. And if you’re dealing with Long Covid, chronic fatigue, brain fog, gut problems, or unexplained inflammation, trying a gluten-free approach is a reasonable, low-risk experiment to discuss with your doctor.
You don’t have to wait for every last clinical trial to finish before you start making smarter choices about what you put in your mouth.
It means your gluten-free diet is more important than ever.
“Cheating” with gluten isn’t harmless—small exposures can spike inflammation, injure both gut and lung barriers, and deplete key nutrients. Maintaining a truly strict gluten-free diet helps stabilize those barriers and keep your immune system calmer and more effective when you need it most. In short, the lower your everyday inflammation, the stronger your resilience when life—or a virus—hits hard.
We’re still learning, and while the science is still emerging, the pattern is hard to ignore: gluten can damage your body’s protective barriers and fuel inflammation, and Covid can do the same. In people who are genetically susceptible, these two stressors can intersect in ways that lead to lingering issues — including newly developing gluten problems.
I always tell my clients that when the risk of changing your diet is low and the potential benefit is high, it’s a choice worth taking seriously.
