You don’t have to have celiac disease to have a problem with gluten

Turns out all the people switching to gluten free diets aren’t just jumping on the bandwagon.

Well, some might be — but doctors say that non-celiac gluten sensitivity could be the cause of stomach aches, bloating, head aches and more for many people who get sick after eating gluten.

The New York Times’ Well blogrecently took a look at the differences between celiac disease, which can do serious damage to a sufferer’s small intestine, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which has a lot of the symptoms of celiac without the organ damage.

But another possible cause of stomach pain in people concerned about gluten could be FODMAPs, or fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. These are carbohydrates found in a vast array of foods that some people struggle to digest, causing symptoms that are similar to non-celiac gluten sensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome.

Wheat and rye are FODMAPs, as are apples, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, avocados and much more. Many gastroenterologists suggest trying a low FODMAP diet if you struggle with stomach problems, Well writes.

You want to rule out Celiac before you start looking to other foods as the cause of your stomach aches, Mayo Clinic celiac expert Dr. Joseph A. Murray tells the blog. So don’t cut anything out of your diet yet, and keep a food and symptom diary to show your doctor.