Based on your quiz results, you may be Gluten Sensitive.
But what does that actually mean? And what are you supposed to do from here? You may have a ton of questions and that’s why I created this quick resource for you to wrap your mind around it all. So let’s dive right in.Gluten, what is it exactly?
For food labeling purposes, the FDA currently defines gluten as the protein that naturally occurs in wheat, barley, rye. Unfortunately, this definition is not entirely accurate… In short, gluten is a mixture of proteins found in ALL grains. It is the family of storage proteins found in the seeds of grass that are soluble in alcohol and they are broken down into two families, prolamins and glutelins. The prolamine, alpha gliadin, is the most studied type of gluten in the medical literature as it relates to celiac disease. The labeling laws around gluten are loosely based on this protein found in wheat, but somewhat dismiss all other forms of gluten. There are HUNDREDS of gluten proteins that have been identified and alpha gliadin is just one type of gluten protein. Why is this an important distinction to make? Many people with a celiac or non celiac gluten sensitivity diagnosis, fail to recover when they follow the gluten free diet as defined by the FDA. A TRUE gluten free diet eliminates all grains, because all grains contain gluten prolamins in different forms. And more and more research is showing that grains like oats, corn, and rice do actually cause inflammatory damage to those with celiac and gluten sensitivity.Watch the video below for an in depth overview on the Definition of Gluten
Get Free Access to all 10 Modules when you register here – Glutenology.net/RegistrationGlutenology MasterClass: Module 1 – What is Gluten?
Autoimmune Disease – These are types of diseases where the body’s immune system starts to turn and create inflammatory compounds that affect and impact the joints, the muscles, the bones, and the soft tissue creating debilitating pain.- Traditional Gluten Free vs. TRUE Gluten Free
- Gluten Sensitivity – What is it?
- Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity
- Celiac and Silent Celiac Disease
What is Gluten?
- General Definition: A storage protein found in grains.
- Think of Grain as a Seed (seeds of grass technically)
- More than one protein, it is a family of 100’s of proteins.
- Helps provide a source of nourishment for the embryo of the seed.
- Examples: Wheat, Barley, Rye
- The following are common foods that contain gluten: Think of things made from flour.
- Beer
- Pasta
- Bread
- Toast
- Bagel
- Cookies
- Cakes
- Donuts
- Defined as any of a class of simple proteins soluble in alcohol and usually having a high proline and glutamine content, found in the grains of cereal crops such as wheat, rye, barley, corn, and rice.
- Prolamines are further subclassified into:
- Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Omega fractions
- Alpha and Beta gliadins are the most well studied in relation to celiac disease.
Gluten Fundamentals:
- Gluten is the first medically proven known cause of autoimmune disease (AID).
- AID is in the top 10 causes of death in females under the age of 65.
- Autoimmune diseases cause more deaths than cancer and heart disease.
- All grains contain some form of gluten.
- Testing antibodies to gluten can be misleading.
- Gluten sensitivity in and of itself is not a disease, it is a state of genetics.
- The individual may either have the genes for gluten reactivity or not.
- If an individual has gluten-sensitive gene markers and was exposed to gluten, the outcome is excessive inflammation. Excessive inflammation is what is linked to causing and contributing to autoimmune disease.
- It is possible to identify the genes for gluten sensitivity, via genetic testing.
- Understand whether a person should be gluten-free or not.
- Celiac disease, it is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in the world.
- Can take decades for gluten induced disease processes to manifest symptomatically.
Traditional Gluten Free vs TRUE Gluten Free
- Traditional Gluten Free Diet
- Based on limited scientific analysis of the topic
- Only considers wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats.
- Makes no mention of dairy from grain fed animals.
- Makes no mention of grain used in the processing of different foods.
- Does not consider food additives, preservatives, or pesticides as contributing factors.
- Not concerned with overall health restoration
- TRUE Gluten-Free Diet
- Eliminates all grains based on comprehensive scientific findings.
- Looks at the potential for gluten in dairy based on the diet of the animal.
- Considers processed food cross contamination.
- Considers food additives, GMO’s and pesticides.
- Addresses difficult to digest foods as a potential problem.
- Focuses on health restoration and health maintenance.
What is Gluten Sensitivity?
- The current (traditional) yet limited definition is as follows:
- Gluten sensitivity is an immune reaction to the protein gluten* found in wheat, barley, and rye. The definition sometimes includes oats and other times it does not. This definition is often incorrectly used synonymously with celiac disease.
- Why is it inconsistent?
- What about those with non-celiac symptoms?
- What about other gluten containing grains?
Everybody with celiac disease is gluten sensitive, but not everybody with gluten sensitivity will go on to develop celiac disease, but they might develop other conditions.
Reasons to Reconsider a New Definition? Here’s a few.
Published in 2005: “The observation that corn gluten challenge induced an abnormal NO reaction in some of our patients with CD is intriguing as maize is considered safe and is recommended as the substitute cereal in a gluten free diet.” – GUT 2005; 54;769-774.- What they were doing is a rectal challenge. They were putting corn gluten into the rectums and measuring a compounder chemical called nitric oxide, which is a byproduct of heavy inflammation. They found that people that had their intestines exposed to corn gluten, were making inflammation.
- In this study, what they found is that Celiacs had gone traditional gluten-free, but they did not go corn, rice, sorghum, millet, or oat-free and they were having continued persistent problems. In this study they found that corn was one of the major contributing factors to why these individuals were still struggling on their diet.
- This study found that the sequence of many types of corn gluten looked like the dangerous forms of alpha gliadin found in wheat. These researchers compared corn gluten to wheat gluten and found that corn gluten resembled wheat gluten enough to create a problem. Corn gluten was able to activate the gluten-sensitive genes to produce inflammation, in some cases, better than wheat gluten.
Definitional Differences:
- Gluten Allergy: It is typically considered to be an allergy or an immune response. The immune system looks at gluten and creates a response to that gluten in that response generally leads to some type of inflammation.
- Gluten Intolerance: It is an inability to digest gluten and therefore the byproduct of that lack of digestion can create problems in the GI tract.
- Gluten Sensitivity: It is a combination of the above two terms, gluten allergy, and gluten intolerance. It is a spectrum that involves both the allergic component, but also the intolerant component.
- Celiac Disease: An autoimmune disease of the small intestine caused by gluten-induced damage.
The Gluten Syndrome: Is wheat causing you harm?
- Gluten Sensitivity has traditionally been used synonymously with Celiac disease because that has been the focus of research. Gluten Sensitivity/Intolerance is not a disease, but it causes disease.
- Those terms have been created in the medical literature to separate Celiac Disease from Gluten Sensitivity:
- Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity – term put forward by Dr. Marsh, he developed the biopsy criteria for diagnosis celiac disease.
- Gluten Syndrome – Rodney Ford, M.D.
- Celiac disease is the only manifestation of gluten sensitivity.
- Intestinal biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis of celiac disease.
- Antibody blood tests are used for gliadin.
- Extraintestinal manifestations of celiac disease are rare.
- Celiac is a rare manifestation of gluten sensitivity.
- HLA-DQ testing with clinical symptoms is the gold standard for gluten sensitivity recognition.
- Antibody tests offer useful but limited comprehensive information.
- Extraintestinal manifestations of gluten intolerance are a major cause of missed diagnosis.
What Doctors Are Looking For…
Clinical symptoms of Celiac disease taught in medical school are extreme weight loss, diarrhea, stomach pain, bloating, and vomiting.
In actuality, the symptoms can be and usually are systematic, and we now know that different people respond in different ways.
Example? Aspirin.- For some people, it does help their pain.
- For some people, even small doses can cause gastric bleeding.
- For some, aspirin can cause an anaphylactic reaction.
- For some, aspirin can cause death.
How can the exact same drug have a different impact on people?
How can giving gluten to different people lead to different reactions?
Same concept here. People are different and they are going to have different responses, even to the same substances. It is important to understand this because you cannot just limit the symptoms to the clinical symptoms of weight loss, diarrhea, stomach pain, bloating, and vomiting.
An allergy is an immune reaction. There are two kinds of immune responses: Acute allergy –- It leads to the production of something called IgE which is a type of antibody.
- If an individual experienced seasonal hay fever or something along that line, the body is producing antibodies that are releasing histamines.
- Symptoms like itchy, runny nose, fever, and elevated heart rate lead to the process of chemical inflammation
- The chemical inflammation can create tissue damage and subsequently can cause disease if it stays around long enough or if that inflammation is persistent long enough.
- T-cell response, which is a type of immune cell.
- Antibody responses (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD) typically produced by other cell types in the immune system.
- Immune Complexes
- These three broad brushstrokes of how the body can react in a delayed manner and point to the same outcome, which is chemical inflammation and tissue damage.
- If the problem is there long enough that tissue damage builds over time and it creates or manifests as disease.
Difference between Acute and Delayed allergy:
- Acute Allergy
- The symptoms are more severe and obvious.
- It occurs immediately within 3 hours of exposure.
- Delayed Allergy
- The symptoms are oftentimes more subtle and not quite as definable.
- It occurs within up to 3 hours and as far out as 3 weeks.
Gluten Intolerance or Sensitivity -> Inability to Digest Gluten -> Gut Dysbiosis -> Leaky Gut
Intestinal Permeability -> Acquired Allergy -> Tissue Damage -> Disease
- The inability to digest can lead to a gut dysbiosis.
- It can change the flora in the bacteria or change the bacteria of the flora in the gut.
- It can minimize certain species and lead to or contribute to a permeable gut (leaky gut)
- Leaky gut over time can lead to acquired allergies, because when little, microscopic pinholes are being punched in the gut, then whole-food proteins can leak across into the immune system and start triggering it to overreact.
- This is how people become more allergic to more foods.
- This leads to tissue damage and subsequently, disease.
- Gluten can create a leaky gut because it disrupts a protein called Zonulin (an anchor that holds your gut cells together). Your gut starts to develop these gaps that leak intrinsically or internally.
- Contributing to leaky gut, not in one way, but two.
Traditional Gluten Free vs TRUE Gluten Free Summary
- Traditional Gluten Free Diet
- Based on limited scientific analysis of the topic
- Only considers wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats.
- Makes no mention of dairy from grain fed animals.
- Makes no mention of grain used in the processing of different foods.
- Does not consider food additives, preservatives, or pesticides as contributing factors.
- Not concerned with overall health restoration
- TRUE Gluten-Free Diet
- Eliminates all grains based on comprehensive scientific findings.
- Looks at the potential for gluten in dairy based on the diet of the animal.
- Considers processed food cross contamination.
- Considers food additives, GMO’s and pesticides.
- Addresses difficult to digest foods as a potential problem.
- Focuses on health restoration and health maintenance.
Definitional Differences:
- Gluten Allergy: It is typically considered to be an allergy or an immune response. The immune system looks at gluten and creates a response to that gluten in that response generally leads to some type of inflammation.
- Gluten Intolerance: It is an inability to digest gluten and therefore the byproduct of that lack of digestion can create problems in the GI tract.
- Gluten Sensitivity: It is a combination of the above two terms, gluten allergy, and gluten intolerance. It is a spectrum that involves both the allergic component, but also the intolerant component.
- Celiac Disease: An autoimmune disease of the small intestine caused by gluten-induced damage.
18 Responses
Thankyou so much for all this information! I developed psoriasis a couple years ago… have been trying hard to eat a GF diet but learned a lot of areas I had wrong!! I listen to you often and thank you for helping all of us with gluten problems!!
Yes, I learned from your book that e.g. sorghum in Weetbix ( Australian) is -not – gluten free. so I stopped eating it for breakfast – replaced by a boiled egg etc. and started feeling better. Of course having Hashimoto’s and possibly Sjoegrens and had stomach problems like gastritis & duodenitis, Gerd & stupidly took ppi over 3 yrs now I know better thanks mainly to you. Keep it up – thanks.
I have MS hashimoto’s POTS small fiber neuropathy as well as abdominal spasm from neuropathy. I am an avid exerciser and for the most part eat very well. I had KBMO diagnostics testing which does IGG and complement factors. I came back negative for wheat and gluten but still want to remove gluten . However I was high for cocoa and cane sugar.
What direction do I head in with elimination
Of course, I’m not Dr Osborne, but ever since my mom died from Diabete II related issues, I’ve been on a quest for health. I too have Hashimoto’s. I eliminated wheat & sugar, & boy, did it turn things around for me! Stick to stevia and/or monkfruit (or monkfruit mixed with erithrytol) to help you get off sugar. Eat lots of different veggies & fruits, unless you have to watch out for nightshades. Dr Terry Wahls can teach you about overcoming MS, and Dr Isabella Wentz can teach you about Hashimoto’s if you want to look them up. I still have gas/bloating issues, so I’m going to cut out corn & oat gluten as well to see if it will take care of that. Blessings on your health endeavor!
I believe Erythritol is usually derived from corn though. Most monk fruit sugar is cut with corn sugars like Erythritol. It might be interesting for you to eliminate that from your diet to see if your gas issues resolve.
I went gluten free for about 4 years. Was doing good and now the issues started again B
Hi Dr. Osborne. I have 4 or 5 on the list you have above. I had sample taken of my small bowel on a colonoscopy for gluten sensitivity that came back negative. When I eat bread or pasta I feel off, like my food doesn’t settle, but had gastric bypass so not sure if from that. I have been diagnosed with ibs, but my PA wonders if sibo or leaky gut. Thank you for the information and I am looking forward to your further emails as I would like to go gluten free to see if this helps my gut issues. It’s been a tough year so hadn’t really been paying much attention to my emails, my apology.
With a gastric bypass, you’re going to have to watch your levels of vitamins, minerals, & iron, many of which may be insufficient.
I went to a neurologist 2 months back for long-time headaches. They did labs and did a test to check Allergen Gluten IGG, which came back at a value of 5.8. I was told I have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity. I don’t see any other tests related to gluten, or that you mention in testing for gluten sensitivity. What type doctor do I need to see for further testing?
In the last 6 years, I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Sjogrens Syndrome, Hashimotos, and recently Migraines. Almost 20 years ago, I was diagnosed with Antiphospholipid Syndrome, IBS, AND GERDs. Am I understanding that if I have a gluten “sensitivity”, it could potentially be the cause of all these autoimmune issues I now suffer from? I am lost because I was told to cut out gluten. I looked online and thought I was doing good, but after your emails and information, there are many more gluten to be aware of even though most resources say they are gluten free (i.e. corn and oats).
If testing has shown that you have a gluten sensitivity, why are you looking to do more testing? just implement the things that Dr Osborne has shared – cutting out all grains – and see how your body responds! (give it some time though!) It might also help to get some of his supplements instead of paying for more testing.
Had gallbladder removed in 2019 and discovered that I also had non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. I also have diverticulitis. Trying to read between 2 different sheets of “can haves” and “can’t haves”….very confusing!
I finally learnt what gluten sensitivity is and that it is genetic, and leads to all these auto-immune conditions. Thank you! I have taken away wheat, corn, rye and substututed them with sorghum, buckwheat, teff and rice some years ago. I really like bread, but it seems I have to stop eating these “glutenfree grains as well”. What about nuts, sunflowerseeds and pumkinseeds? I have IBS, vitiligo and alopecia to some degree. It´s kind of a challenge to become healthy! Thank you for all the job you do to reach out with this fantastic information!
I have NP and she eats rice and oats and other grains. I was told all that is safe. Well it’s not! Not for me and since learning the True Gluten Free Diet I Am Feeling better and better! I lived on pain killers for many years and going Gluten Free this way I do not take even a aspirin. You do have the power to take back your Health and feel good in your body. It’s been two years for me and even a little gluten would set me off so I’ve changed my relationship with my food so I don’t slip up.
I was examined and it was confirmed that I have Celiac disease since august 2011. I also have rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, spinal stenosis, osteoporosis, compression fractures and recently had laminectomy fusion surgery on my spine with 2 pins and 4 screws put in my lower back.
Celiac is not fun but I do manage very well i believe
So how do you find a doctor that will test all the necessary things that can cause leaky gut? I feel like it’s some sort of secret society or something.
I appreciate what you have presented, but now feel there is very little left for me to eat and feel a bit hopeless. My health status is very complicated at best. Inflammation is a huge issue for me, with one of my relatively recent bloodwork showing my inflamation at 1000, with the normal range 0-30. Although I do not currently have a celiac disease diagnosis, I have been lactose intolerant for awhile and when I decreased my gluten intake recently (by existing standards) I had less bloating, discomfort and gas. Awhile back I had to have bowel resections and was told my intestines are all scar tissue. I have about 20 current diagnoses, including 2 autoimmune diagnoses, and am just tired of doctoring without returning to a point of feeling healthy at any level, although I feel better than a year ago. I truly am at a loss as to what to do.
Taking your quiz which shows gluten sensitivity and recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, duodenitis etc…. I know I need to go gluten -grain free. How and where do I start? This is overwhelming.
Start with this list:
https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/guidelines-for-avoiding-gluten-unsafe-ingredients-for-gluten-sensitivity/