What is Gluten Sensitivity?

Gluten sensitivity and non-celiac gluten sensitivity are the same thing. The important thing is to understand what gluten sensitivity is. When I wrote the book The Gluten Effect five years ago, it was specifically about gluten sensitivity. At the time there was no official agreement that the condition even existed. I am happy to say that the information in the book is even more current today than the day I wrote it because certain studies have since been published that validate the data within the book.

Gluten sensitivity does not involve the same genes as celiac disease and its frequency is estimated to be much greater – about 30% of the population. With both gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, gluten is wreaking havoc on the health of the body. The treatment is exactly the same: zero gluten in the diet.

Gluten sensitivity is also interesting in that it doesn’t necessarily present itself with digestive symptoms. In fact, neurological symptoms are often more present and typically precede digestive complaints by as much as several years. There is no limit to the systems and organs gluten can affect. All are potentially affected by gluten in various individuals. This means that liver, skin, hormonal, thyroid, joint, brain, and heart symptoms can be a direct result of gluten sensitivity or celiac disease.

For this reason, I applaud you for reading this article and for having the good sense to discover if you have a problem. It’s important for your longevity, let alone your day-to-day health. And, since both conditions run in families, if you find that you’re affected, look around your family and suggest to others who are having health issues that they too delve into this subject.

As a proponent of root cause medicine, where the true underlying root cause of a condition is sought out in order to completely eradicate it, the importance of diagnosing a gluten problem is vital. Imagine the number of people with such conditions as obesity, fatigue, migraine headaches, depression, thyroid disease, autoimmune disease, skin conditions, and so much more, who suffer simply because they consume gluten. Also understand that if you react to gluten and you don’t know it, continuing to eat it will shorten your life. This too is proven in research.

Written by Vikki Petersen.