What is the difference between gluten intolerance, celiac disease and a wheat allergy?
A. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune digestive disorder that is characterized by an inability to digest gluten. An autoimmune disorder is where the body sends a faulty message to attack itself. In this case, the small intestine is attacked and in a state of constant inflammation, causing an inability to properly digest foods and absorb nutrients. To determine if you officially have celiac, there are a variety of medical tests to be performed. You can be gluten sensitive and not have celiac. You can diagnose yourself with this problem if you have uncomfortable symptoms that clear up when you remove gluten from your diet. If you have a wheat allergy, this is diagnosed through blood tests, but you are not necessarily sensitive to all gluten in this case, just wheat gluten.
