Gluten Intolerance or Sensitivity
Gluten intolerance or sensitivity is when a person doesn’t meet the criteria for celiac disease yet shows some of the symptoms and benefits from a completely gluten free diet (http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenintolerance/a/Gluten-Intolerance-Gluten-Sensitivity.htm). There isn’t yet proven evidence that gluten sensitivity exists, however physicians are beginning to diagnose people with it despite this fact because of the positive reactions that the people have when they turn onto a gluten free diet (http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenintolerance/a/Gluten-Intolerance-Gluten-Sensitivity.htm). Going gluten free is the only solution for gluten sensitivity likewise to celiac disease which is one of the main reasons it’s become such a widely known diet. Some researchers estimate that it affects 6-7% of the population while other deem it much higher (http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenintolerance/a/Gluten-Sensitivity-Vs-Celiac-Disease.htm). Processed foods are beginning to change how our bodies react and it's becoming much harder to digest the gluten and grains. Genetically modified foods began infiltrating stores from around 1997 which from then on, researchers have seen immensely increased numbers of diseases in populations. With the grains that we are being sold now being genetically modified, it's no wonder this epidemic has occurred (http://truthstreammedia.com/why-are-so-many-allergic-to-wheat-now/). Similar to the Paelo diet that removes all processed foods, by removing gluten this also helps remove a great deal of them too. Symptoms could include diarrhea, constipation, bloating, abdominal pain, fatigue, and joint pain. There is still no specific testing done other than to rule out celiac disease and see what happens when the patient is put on a gluten free diet (http://www.befreeforme.com/blog/?p=5155).