Verywell / Zorica Lakonic
The causes and risk factors for non-celiacgluten sensitivityare unclear and are being researched.
Unlikeceliac disease, it doesn’t have the typical markers or intestine damage used to diagnose that autoimmune disorder.
And unlike wheat allergy, it doesn’t have the markers of an allergic disorder.
Verywell / Zorica Lakonic
Some researchers theorize that the problem in those told they have gluten sensitivity may not be gluten at all.
Gluten
Gluten is the grain component that tends to get focused on the most.
It is a protein that grain plants use to store nutrients for the next generation of plants.
Verywell / Alex Dos Diaz
The initial research on non-celiac gluten sensitivity fingered gluten as the problem in the newly described condition.
That study said gluten made some people’s intestines leaky and inflamed without causing celiac disease.
The researchers concluded these people were reacting to gluten in the foods they ate.
These studies have had mixed results.
(The subjects didn’t know when they were eating gluten and when they were eating aplacebo.)
More research on this is needed.
These are found in wheat, as well as foods such as garlic and onions.
Again, more research is needed.
They make it difficult or impossible for bugs to digest the starches in the grain kernel.
Modern wheat has been bred to have lots more of these proteins.
Amylase trypsin inhibitors may contribute to or even cause what people call non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
However, right now, they’re the least studied of these three possible causes.
There needs to be more research in this area.
It is challenging to maintain a gluten-free diet, especially avoiding cross-contamination.
It takes commitment and constant vigilance.
A Word From Verywell
It’s nowhere near clear right now what might cause non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Symptomsof non-celiac gluten sensitivity are often similar to celiac disease.
They include:
It can vary from person to person.
If you have gluten sensitivity, you might start having symptoms soon after or not until the next day.
More than half of patients noticed symptoms within six hours.
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