Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and other grains, has really been thrown under the bus lately. Not only can it trigger a gastrointestinal condition called celiac disease, but experts have said that, for many people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), it can cause gastrointestinal issues like gas, bloating, and pain. A media spotlight on both conditions has sparked the explosion in gluten-free products we’ve been inundated with on store shelves and restaurant menus today.
Yet a study published in the journal Gastroenterology last year—one that’s been getting a lot of attention just recently—suggests that NCGS may not actually exist. Study author Peter Gibson gathered 37 study subjects, all of whom had self-reported NCGS but not celiac disease. All were put on a baseline diet that included many gluten-heavy products, then they cycled through three different meal plans: one high in gluten, one low in gluten, and a control diet high in whey protein, which served as a placebo. The result: The study subjects reported greater gastrointestinal distress on the meal plans than during the baseline period, no matter which diet they consumed—and some subjects also felt their symptoms were alleviated during the baseline diet phase, which contained gluten. With this info in mind, Gibson and his team concluded that none of the subjects seemed to respond to gluten specifically, so gluten must not have been the cause of the distress in the first place.
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Interestingly, Gibson was the lead researcher on a 2011 study that identified NCGS as a real condition…but he decided to do a follow-up study to investigate it more closely. Granted, this was a pretty small study—so more research needs to be done. But still, it’s a good reminder that, although gluten sensitivity is a trendy diagnosis these days, it may not be to blame for your gastrointestinal issues. Researchers in this study theorized that all of the bloating, gas, and stomach cramping participants were experiencing could have stemmed from a different sensitivity to a chemical or micronutrient in wheat. They also noted that there was a “nocebo†effect: Study subjects expected to notice that they were feeling worse on the diet they were assigned, so they did.
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One thing isn’t in question, though: the existence of celiac disease, whereby gluten triggers an autoimmune response in the small intestine that prevents the absorption of crucial nutrients. Think you may have the disease? Here’s how to know if you should be tested.
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