What is Gluten Sensitivity? Gluten sensitivity sounds like something that someone made up, but it’s actual a very real thing, and its becoming a big issue across the world. Most doctors are familiar with celiac and digestive issues that happen when a person is “allergic” to gluten, but a lot of them are not familiar with other symptoms not related to the digestive system. This is one of the biggest reasons why when you have an issue like this, a general doctor just won’t do, instead you should be visiting someone that actually studies and knows all about the digestive system, like a gastro doctor in queens. If you have an “allergy” to gluten and you want to know more about the non-digestive symptoms of a gluten sensitivity, continue to read below for some signs that you might be allergic to things like pizza dough, pasta or bread – among other things. And if you suspect that you have a gluten sensitivity you should really go see a top GI doctor in Queens.
Migraines and Headaches One of the biggest signs of an allergy or a sensitivity to certain foods, are headaches and migraines. Gluten is no different. Recently, a study was done and it showed that 56% of those people with a gluten issue either directly or underlying issues, had migraines or headaches. However, when removing those specific food items from their eating habits, their headaches and migraines went away. If you have a lot of headache and migraine issues, this could be the cause of them. Brain Fogginess It’s amazing the way certain compounds can do certain things to your body! Gluten contains a compound called gluteomorphines – you’ll notice the last word in that word is morphine. This is a compound which can actually render the brain to get inflamed and will cause things like brain fog – if you tend to forgot things easily, are often spaced out,
lose focus easily, lack clarity or have a hard time concentrating, you have brain fog and it could be because of the things in your diet. Depression If you have depression, sadness or gloominess but you don’t really have a reason to be (no recent issues in your life, not on any medications that cause depression, don’t have a family line of depression) it may be caused by gluten. Gluten can actually cause a leaky gut, which means that it stops your body from absorbing certain vitamins and minerals like Vitamin B, Iron, Omega 3 fatty Acids and Zinc. These are the handful of vitamins and minerals that really help with things like moodiness and also brain health overall. Even if you are taking these minerals and vitamins orally, you still may not be absorbing them correctly because of the gluten. Pretty crazy that something so simple can wreak havoc on your life so easily! How Do You Test For Gluten Sensitivity? Most people are going to tell you that to test for something like this, you have two options and sometimes you may have to do both things. The first thing you can do is visit a gastro doctor and get a blood test to see if you have a sensitivity. The second option, and one that you can do on your own is to actually do a gluten elimination challenge, that is, remove gluten from your diet 100% and see how you feel without the gluten in your body. If you feel happier, more concentrated and focused, and you have less headaches, chances are you DO have a gluten sensitivity. If you see no change or little change, you can then begin to add those things that you omitted out and see how you feel afterward. Note: Things as mentioned above like pizza dough, bread and pasta are obvious foods, but there are also some not so obvious foods as well. When you visit a gastro doctor make sure that they give you a list of ALL foods with gluten in them. This way you can eliminate all the right foods and not have to constantly second guess if a specific item has gluten in it or not. Also, be aware, some of these “gluten free” items will still contain trace amounts of gluten so sometimes its better to just stay away from them completely, rather than take the chance. If you do have a gluten sensitivity, you know how horrible it can make you feel.. why chance it?