Surprising Truth About Gluten You Probably Didn't Know
Did you know that some grains, like corn, rice, and oats, contain proteins structurally similar to gluten? These may disrupt your digestive system. An Israeli doctor reveals what many still overlook: gluten intolerance often goes undetected in standard lab tests. Here's how to identify it on your own.
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A doctor, Dr. Dalit Dreiman Madina, shares a surprising fact about gluten intolerance that many of us aren't aware of: even if you are not diagnosed with celiac disease, it's now recognized that non-celiac gluten sensitivity exists. It stands on its own.
If you undergo a routine test for celiac disease, it's likely that it won't show gluten intolerance. You might continue to experience symptoms like stomachaches, irritable bowel, and others without the test recognizing that your digestive system is struggling with what's termed in medical jargon as: an immune response against tTG enzyme and the protein called gliadin.
Dr. Madina's somewhat alarming revelation is that certain grains, such as corn, rice, and oats, contain proteins that are structurally similar to gluten. This means if you're gluten intolerant, your immune system might react with unpleasant symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, gas, frequent stools or constipation and more.
But that's not all.
"Gluten intolerance can affect almost every tissue in the body, including the brain, skin, immune system, liver, and blood vessels," explains Dr. Madina. "Despite diagnostic limitations for non-celiac gluten intolerance, it's estimated to affect one in 20 people."
So how can you tell if you're sensitive to gluten? It's simple: Dr. Madina recommends completely eliminating gluten from your diet for about a month. Instead, choose vegetables, fruits, fish, chicken, and meat while avoiding dairy products and grains that tend to exacerbate symptoms.
During this 'cleanse' month, be attentive and keep a journal describing how you feel 'before' and 'after.' Once you eliminate gluten completely, notice if the symptoms you experienced continue (those sensitive to gluten will tell you most symptoms stop after the change), and document them.
