10 Common Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance

More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. 
It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed and don’t even know they have it. Could you be one of them?

If you have any of the following symptoms it could be a sign that you have gluten intolerance:

1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation, particularly in children after eating gluten.
   
2. Fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten. Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and ADD.
3. Chronic unexplained mucus production in the body such as nose, chest etc... For example, if you have to blow your nose every hour or two and you are not sick, this is a typical sign of inflammation in the body due to intolerance.
4. Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance.
   
5. Migraine headaches.
   
6. Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. These diagnoses simply indicate that your conventional doctor cannot pin point the cause of your fatigue or pain.
   
7. Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips and inflammatory conditions such as Arthritis.
   
8. Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility.
   
9. Keratoris Pilaris, also known as ‘chicken skin’, on the back of your arms. This tends be as a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut.
   
10. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis.
    
    

How can you test for gluten intolerance? I have found the single best way to determine if you have an issue with gluten is to do an elimination diet and take it out of your diet for at least 2 to 3 weeks and then reintroduce it. 
The best advice that I share with people is that if they feel significantly better off gluten or feel worse when they reintroduce it, then they've got their answer right there and gluten is a problem for them. There really is no need for expensive food intolerance tests, this method is really accurate and I use it all the time. In order to get accurate results from this testing method you must eliminate 100% of the gluten from your diet for a period of 7 days solid. You then reintroduce it on day 8 and watch for a reaction. If you are intolerant, it will be VERY obvious, trust me!

How do you treat gluten intolerance? Eliminating gluten 100% from your diet means 100%. Even trace amounts of gluten from cross contamination or medications or supplements can be enough to cause an immune reaction in your body. Remember that gluten is a very large protein and it can take months and even years to clear from your system. The longer you can stay off it the better, you can then try re-introducing it infrequently and in small quantities. Everyones body is different and their tolerance level is different. You may find that you can eat it once every 4-5 days without any problems, or you may conclude that even small amounts cause a reaction.

Source: Dr Amy Myers and Glowpeople