Until only a few years ago, almost the whole of the scientific world maintained that the wheat protein gluten would provoke negative effects only in people with rare conditions such as celiac disease or wheat allergies. But by the early part of 2013, it was largely becoming acceptedthat some non-celiac patients could suffer from gluten or wheat sensitivity. Indeed, a consensus panel of experts now officially recognizes three gluten-related conditions, wheat allergy, celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
What percentage of the population should avoid wheat? About 1 in a 1,000 may have a wheat allergy, and nearly 1 in a 100 may have celiac disease. Celiac disease appears to be on the rise, though there’s still less than about a 1 in 10,000 chance an American will be diagnosed with celiac in a given year. Our best estimate for wheat sensitivity is in the same general range as celiac, slightly higher than 1 percent. That’s still potentially millions of people who may have been suffering for years who could have been cured by simple dietary means, yet who were unrecognized and unaided by the medical profession.
Although gluten sensitivity continues to gain medical credibility, we still don’t know how it works. We don’t know how much gluten can be tolerated, if it’s reversible or not, or what the long-term complications might be of not sticking to a gluten-free diet. Considering the lack of knowledge, people with gluten sensitivity should consider reintroducing gluten back into their diet every year to see if it’s still causing problems.
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