What is Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity?
While gluten intolerance, also known as coeliac disease, is well known, a new condition gains soil: non-celiac hypersensitivity to gluten. In short, some people react to gluten sensitivity without having a diagnosis of celiac disease. The point on the subject! In this regard, you certainly need family therapy near me to do the job.
Learn to say the difference
Let’s first remember what celiac disease (CD) is. Also called gluten intolerance, this disease requires two conditions to be diagnosed: an intestinal biopsy revealing an anomaly of the mucosa and the presence of specific antibodies associated with the celiac disease. This affects 1% of the population. People who are affected must adhere to a strict gluten-free regime in life.
Non-celiac sensitivity of gluten (NCGS), on the other hand, manifests itself by intestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation, bloating, cramps, as well as so-called extra-intestinal symptoms that include fatigue, rashes. , headaches, or even depression. People with this condition do not meet both the two diagnostic criteria for celiac disease. The ingestion of gluten does not cause damage to the intestinal mucosa.
“It’s a condition that is still misunderstood,” reports Christine Desjardins, Nutritionist with Healthcare Baltimore, MD Transformation. “To date, there are no specific biomarkers for SGNC that could help its diagnosis. The only way to identify it is thanks to an exclusion process: we make sure that the proven symptoms are not caused by celiac disease, wheat allergy, even irritable intestine syndrome, “adds the nutritionist.
Risk factors and prevalence
The risk factors for NGCs are still unknown. There is very little evidence about it. Being a non-self-immune disease, the risk of disease can not be correlated with other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes or Crohn’s disease. Studies are currently being conducted to try to find serological markers that would better diagnose hypersensitivity.
According to Health transformation and the American Celia Association, the prevalence is difficult to estimate because many self-diagnostic people without consulting a doctor. However, its prevalence is estimated at 3-6% of the population.
Associated complications
Knowing that celiac disease can increase the risk of other autoimmune diseases and that if not treated, can increase the risk of developing nutritional gaps, it is considered more dangerous than NCGs.
Currently, research does not show that NCGs can cause medium / long-term complications. The quality of life can however be seriously disturbed in connection with the presence of annoying symptoms.
On the other hand, attention must be paid to self-diagnosis, a person can believe that he suffers from hypersensitivity when he has celiac disease. A late CD diagnosis can lead to infertility, osteoporosis, anemia, or even intestine cancer. It is therefore important to consult a specialist in case of doubt about gluten and on the screen of celiac disease.
Make good diagnosis
In case of digestive symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or cramps after the ingestion of gluten, it is important to consult a health processing professional to exclude any disease that has similar symptoms. We will try to eliminate celiac disease, wheat allergy, or irritable intestine syndrome (IBS). In the case of IBS, for example, it is the reaction of fruits in wheat (fermentable sugars). And not gluten sensitivity causes gastrointestinal symptoms. It is important to consult a doctor before excluding gluten from your diet. Starting a gluten-free diet before a diagnosis can promote healing of the intestinal mucosa. Which would distort the results of the screening test.
Once the diagnosis of NCG is established. It is advisable to follow the recommendations of a field nutritionist expert to guide the patient to a custom gluten-free diet because the tolerance of gluten sensitivity can vary from person to person. other. In addition, SGNC can be transient as permanent, hence the importance of rigorous monitoring.