Go to any grocery store and you will see more and more foods with the label “Gluten Free.” If you don’t know what gluten is you’ve probably thought to yourself, “Oh, No! Something else for me to worry about in my food.”

So what exactly is gluten, and why does it need to be freed?

Gluten is a large, protein molecule found in wheat, rye and barley, and wheat relatives (spelt, kamut, emmer, einkorn and triticale). It gives bread dough its elasticity or stickiness. The word gluten literally means “glue.”

Gluten is also found in additives like thickeners and fillers used in everything from lunchmeat to soup to candy because it does a good job of holding things together.

The recent dietary trend of going gluten free has occurred because of increased numbers of confirmed cases of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, also referred to as gluten intolerance. Both conditions come with the recommendation of avoiding any food that contains gluten, however both conditions differ in how the body is affected.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the small intestine, causing it to become inflamed when gluten is digested. The immune system then generates an abnormal response to gluten and attacks its own intestinal tissue, destroying the villi (small finger-like projections that protrude from the intestinal wall and absorb nutrients). When this happens, nutrient absorption is impaired causing malnutrition. Symptoms of Celiac disease can include:

• Anemia
• Osteopenia (lower than normal bone density)
• Lactose intolerance (inability to digest milk)
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Delayed growth
• Weight loss

Other symptoms that can be present are:

• Arthritis
• Dermatitis
• Infertility
• Muscle weakness
• Constant fatigue

Sounds like a late-night commercial for cholesterol medication. (We’ll talk about that later.)

To determine whether or not someone has Celiac disease, a series of tests and evaluations are performed including an examination of the person’s history, blood tests, and an intestinal biopsy. Once it is confirmed that someone has Celiac disease, the treatment is strict adherence to a gluten free diet.

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or Gluten Intolerance are terms often used interchangeably. With gluten intolerance, the body views gluten as an invader causing a direct response in the form of inflammation inside and outside of the digestive tract. Gluten intolerance is not an autoimmune disease, and the tissues of the small intestine are not attacked by the immune system, as is the case with Celiac disease. Once gluten is removed from the body, the inflammation goes away unlike the symptoms associated with Celiac disease. Symptoms include:

• Bloating
• Abdominal discomfort
• Diarrhea due to the inflammation of the digestive tract
• Headaches
• Lethargy
• Attention-deficit disorder
• Hyperactivity
• Muscle weakness
• Joint pain

To determine whether or not someone has non-celiac gluten sensitivity is not as easy as diagnosing Celiac disease. The tests usually show no indication of any type of pathology, regardless of the symptoms. The simplest way to determine gluten sensitivity is to go on a trial gluten free diet. If symptoms disappear, a diagnosis of gluten sensitivity is given.

Approximately 12% of Americans can be diagnosed as gluten sensitive using blood antibody test. About 1% of the U.S population has full-blown Celiac disease. The problem with detection and diagnosis is that most of time the damage is done and the symptoms are present for a long time before anyone suspects gluten could be the problem.

If you look at the long list (actually 3 lists) above, you can see that just about any unexplained chronic illness could possibly be connected to gluten. If undiagnosed for long periods of time, gluten sensitivity could contribute to diabetes or cancer.

Some people with Celiac disease may not have symptoms, but they have the disease for quite some time. Both Celiac disease and gluten intolerance can be aggravated by emotional stress, infection, surgery, pregnancy and childbirth.

I believe that gluten sensitivity is the reason behind many unexplained modern illnesses. It should be on the short list of suspects in unexplained health problems—particularly digestive, autoimmune and neurological disorders.

So if you think you are gluten sensitive, try this test on yourself. Stop eating wheat, rye, barley, or anything that contains gluten for 12 weeks. (You have to read the labels.) See how you feel.

If you need convincing after that, reintroduce gluten and see what happens.