What are the types of gluten intolerance?

More and more people are refusing gluten-containing products due to various diseases and intolerances. Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, spelled, kamut, and triticale.

The following is a brief list of the different types of gluten intolerance:

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease. In people with a genetic predisposition, gluten consumption, even in small amounts, causes chronic inflammation and atrophy of the intestinal villi. Symptoms of celiac disease improve after starting a strict gluten-free diet throughout life.

Numerous studies have shown that sensitivity to gluten and wheat is associated with hypersensitivity to gluten or certain components of wheat, even if the person has not been diagnosed with celiac disease or wheat allergy. Sensitivity to gluten and wheat can lead to symptoms such as headache, nausea, indigestion, fatigue, muscle pain and a number of other complaints. These symptoms may disappear again if the patient begins to adhere to a gluten-free diet for a certain time.

In people with a wheat allergy, the immune system overreacts to the protein components of wheat, which usually do no harm at all. Common manifestations of allergies are skin and upper respiratory tract reactions. Treatment involves strict adherence to a diet that excludes any products containing wheat.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disease of the gastrointestinal tract. The characteristic symptoms of IBS are bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, which can severely impair quality of life. Causes such as celiac disease, gluten and wheat sensitivity, and other intolerances must be ruled out before diagnosing IBS.