Gluten is a group of proteins found in grains like wheat. It gives dough it's elasticity and helps baked goods maintain their shape. But it turns out that gluten can actually be quite upsetting to certain individual's digestive systems. Gluten-related disorders include coeliac disease (CD), wheat allergies and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).

If you have a gluten disorder you might notice after you have eaten a gluten containing meal that you suffer with gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal bloating, cramps, constipation and/or diarrhoea, nausea and even vomiting. Problems with gluten may also extend away from the gut to other parts of the body and include symptoms  such as brain fog, fatigue, headaches and weight loss, amongst others.  A wheat allergy can lead to symptoms such as asthma, coughing, hives and eczema. Reaction times to eating gluten vary with both CD and NGCS tending  to be hours to days after eating gluten, whereas wheat allergies are more sudden, occurring minutes to hours after a gluten meal.

Even though gluten is the trigger for these conditions and the symptoms can seem pretty similar, it's important to know which disorder you're dealing with (if any), because they're treated differently and can lead to very different long term issues.  For example, while both CD and NCGS are managed with a gluten free diet, people with NCGS can usually handle tiny amounts of gluten without any problems. However a person with coeliac disease has to avoid even the smallest bit, because it doesn't just cause symptoms, but actually causes serious damage to the gut. On the other side, it is also important to know if you have any of these disorders because you can cause nutritional harm by eliminating gluten from your diet unnecessarily. If you believe you might have a problem with gluten, your GP can guide you on getting a diagnosis.

Emerging research suggests that biotherapeutics, such as probiotics could be beneficial in both Coelicac disease and non-coeliac gluten sensitivities. While a gluten-free diet will always remain the mainstay of treatment, certain probiotics may help to reduce symptoms such as diarrhoea. It is thought that certain probiotics work by helping to restore the gut flora, pre-digest gluten and reduce inflammation and leaky gut. It is vitally important however that you seek help on which probiotic product might help you as probiotics studied are specific strains and some probiotic products may even contain gluten!

There are also other nutritional considerations that might help effect some gut symptoms. For example, Omega 3 has been well established as a natural anti- inflammatory. It is thought that people with CD and NCGS may have less absorption of Omega 3 from their diets and therefore do not get the benefit of Omega 3. Supplementation through a dietary sources such as salmon or tuna or taking a high quality fish oil supplement may help with inflammation. Natural digestive enzymes are sometimes used as they may help with gut symptoms such as bloating.

Gut Clinic

Once you have your diagnosis, consider working with our Nutritionally Qualified Pharmacist, Danni in our Gut Clinic. Together you will work to help manage your symptoms and address any nutritional deficiencies. She utilises tools, such as diet plans and practitioner only range nutritional protocols, to work with you to help you ease your symptoms.