Newly Discovered Markers for Gluten Sensitivity

For decades, many healthcare providers were stumped by patients who didn’t test positive for celiac disease yet claimed to be gluten sensitive. These patients exhibited a lot of symptoms common to celiac patients but differed in other ways. For example, they didn’t have the intestinal inflammation characteristic of celiac disease, or the “leaky gut” that allowed undigested food particles, bacteria, toxins, and other waste to permeate the intestines and enter the bloodstream. Like celiac patients, they had abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and other symptoms, but testing showed them negative for celiac disease. Because there was no test for gluten sensitivity, many healthcare providers doubted it was a real condition; however, new research is bringing legitimacy to patient claims of gluten sensitivity. What is more, researchers are coming closer to developing a blood test that will finally enable a definitive diagnosis of the condition. Read more…