This video features Dr. Gary Kaplan, the founder of The Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine. While the discussion focuses on gluten sensitivity, he also explains both the differences and the similarities of a gluten sensitivity and celiac disease as well as the possible illnesses that are often connected with these gluten-related disorders.
Some people have some of the markers for celiac disease, but when tested they don’t actually receive a celiac disease diagnosis yet they respond positively, with reduced symptoms, when they remove gluten from their diet. These are the people who are often diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity, sometimes called non-celiac gluten sensitivity or NCGS.
A wide range of people can be gluten sensitive, but there are a few groups in particular who may benefit from exploring this diagnosis. People who have gastrointestinal symptoms but who don’t have celiac disease, people who have another known related health condition and people who have an immediate family member who has been diagnosed with either a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease may want to explore this diagnosis.
He also discusses IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), explaining how some people with IBS are able to eliminate their symptoms on a gluten-free diet. Unfortunately this isn’t the case with everyone suffering from IBS, but for some a gluten-free diet can help.
One of the more interesting parts of the discussion is about neurological disorders and gluten sensitivity. This includes ataxia, sensory neuropathy, depression and dementia. Other possible connections include autoimmune thyroid disease — Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Graves’ Disease — and schizophrenia. A small percentage of people who have schizophrenia actually improve after removing gluten from their diet.
As he states and as you probably know if you’ve read much on my site, celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are very complicated and they can impact many areas of your life from gastrointestinal health to neurological health and even skin health (in the form of gluten-related rashes). While gluten may not always be the cause of your symptoms, it may be worth researching as it can impact more areas of your health than you would expect if you are in fact gluten sensitive.