gluten sensitivity

Gluten sensitivity (non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, NCGS) refers to symptoms that occur in individuals after consuming foods containing gluten, in whom both coeliac disease and wheat allergy have been ruled out by diagnostic procedures. It is a functional disorder with intestinal (gastrointestinal) and extraintestinal (outside the intestine) symptoms, the exact mechanism of which has not yet been conclusively clarified.

Typical intestinal symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, feeling of fullness or changes in bowel habits. Extraintestinal symptoms include fatigue, headaches, brain fog (concentration problems), muscle and joint pain, mood swings and skin complaints, although the causal relationship is not certain in all cases. Diagnosis is difficult as the symptoms overlap with those of coeliac disease, wheat allergy and irritable bowel syndrome.

Diagnostically, the first step is therefore to rule out other causes, in particular coeliac disease (serology, small intestine biopsy if necessary) and wheat allergy (allergy test, medical history). Subsequently, a diagnostic gluten-free diet with controlled reintroduction of gluten can help to assess the relationship between symptoms and gluten intake. In contrast to coeliac disease, gluten sensitivity does not necessarily require a lifelong, strictly gluten-free diet in many cases, as individual tolerance thresholds are often observed.