“Non-celiac gluten intolerance” may exist, but no clues to the mechanism were elucidated.”
So says the conclusion of a recent study where people with no coeliac disease were tested to see how they fared gut and symptom-wise on a gluten free and gluten diet.
Here are the results:
…patients were significantly worse with gluten within 1 week for overall symptoms including pain, bloating, satisfaction with stool consistency and tiredness.
Anti-gliadin antibodies were not induced. There were no significant changes in fecal lactoferrin, levels of celiac antibodies, highly sensitive C-reactive protein, or intestinal permeability. There were no differences in any end point in individuals with or without DQ2/DQ8.
In other words, gluten caused gut symptoms but it was not coeliac disease. This shows that some of the population have gluten sensitivity.
Note here they only looked for DQ2/DQ8 rather than any other gene patterns; it would have been interesting to see if those who reacted had the other DQ genes believed to relate to non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. Also, they only used traditional gluten free diet (as in gliadin-free). I wonder what the result might have been if they had done a grain free (truly gluten free) diet. Finally, no evidence of permeability? After 1 week unlikely to show, and I will bet they were using the lactose/mannitol test which I do not find reliable.
Still, it yet again confirms we are not mad, that NCGS does exist even if they can’t find how it happens – mainly because they are looking to see if it’s the same as coeliac disease, which it isn’t clearly. Moving on nicely..
Source: Foodsmatter newsletter, August 12