Gluten Intolerance vs. Celiac Disease - Differences, Symptoms, and Treatments

If you find yourself often feeling ill after eating bread, pasta, crackers, and other similar foods, you may be considering whether or not you have gluten sensitivity. Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye and is often found in many of the foods we eat on a daily basis. People are quick to blame wheat or a food allergy for the uncomfortable feeling that follows ingestion of these foods, but it is most likely a gluten intolerance that is at fault.

Gluten intolerance is caused by the inability of the body to process the protein gluten normally, which often leads to irritation of the digestive tract. The good thing is that gluten intolerance is not a food allergy, and while the symptoms can be uncomfortable, they are usually short lived. Eating gluten does not cause harm to the body unless you have celiac disease.

Celiac disease is a hereditary auto-immune disease. In response to the presence of gluten, the body begins to attack and damage the villi that line the wall of the small intestine. Intestinal villi are necessary for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients. When gluten is not present in the intestines, the villi begin to heal and normal digestive function returns.

Many of the symptoms of gluten intolerance and celiac disease are very similar, however celiac disease causes damage to the digestive tract that can cause malnutrition and therefore more severe symptoms when left untreated.