A common cause for many individuals who do not test positive for celiac disease is gluten sensitivity. It has been estimated that this condition affects between 0.6% of the American population (or six in every 1,000 people) or as high as 6%. Symptoms include stomach pain, tiredness and bloating.

This 2015 study reviewed a large group of self-diagnosed gluten sensitivity people and examined their diet to see if going ‘gluten-free’ reduced their symptoms.

6% of those studied had celiac disease and 0.51% had an allergy to wheat. From the remaining subjects, 7% were diagnosed as gluten-sensitive/intolerant. 14.5% of people have issues affected by gluten sensitivity.

1% of the worldwide population reported as suffering from coeliac (or celiac) disease. It is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system treats gluten as a foreign invader which in turn harms the lining of the gut.

This gut wall damage stops the body from assimilating nutrition, causes bloating and excess gas and also imposes other health issues. Celiac disease should be referred to a medical practitioner for a full diagnosis.

Once you decide to remove gluten from your diet, it can be very daunting. Test My Allergy is here to help you change your diet and feel healthy.

Firstly, you need to read everything that you’re going to consume. What can be difficult is that wheat containing gluten is in many types of food. Changing your eating habits to include healthy whole foods is important. Cut out processed foods, cereals and grains which contain gluten.

Gluten-free grains

Many natural grains don’t contain gluten, however, do still check the ingredients to ensure there has been no cross-contamination.

Gluten-free foods

Luckily, if you have a gluten allergy, there are still many foods that are naturally gluten-free but processed foods usually contain it in some form, either from additional ingredients, or cross-contamination. Always read the label, it’s not uncommon for meat and fish to have gluten-laden ingredients added

Here are a few gluten-free free, unprocessed foods.

How to go gluten-free

Once you’ve been diagnosed with a gluten allergy and decide to cut the gluten from your diet, you will need to ensure you still consume.

  B Vitamins
  Calcium
  Copper
  Iron
  Magnesium
  Manganese
  Phosphorus
  Selenium
  Vitamin E
  Zinc

Whole grains also provide a good source of dietary fiber, including the soluble fiber beta-glucan, known for lowering cholesterol and regulate blood sugar.

Keep a balanced diet after removing gluten.

If you’re removing gluten from your diet, either temporarily or for the long term due to a gluten allergy, you need to ensure you still have a balanced diet.

Here is Test My Allergy’s list of healthy gluten-free alternatives (Click each item to expand the lists)