Wellness Blog

Six reasons to get tested for celiac disease before going off wheat/gluten

With books title Wheat Belly and Grain Brain now on bestseller lists, it might be tempting to just eliminate wheat from your diet to manage a variety of symptoms that have been linked to wheat or gluten intolerance. While the conditions of non-celiac gluten intolerance or wheat sensitivity are real, so is celiac disease which occurs in 1 of 100 individuals and is under-diagnosed. In  fact getting tested for celiac disease if the first step in diagnosing non-celiac gluten intolerance- for which there is no specific test. Many individuals don’t realize that the test for celiac disease is an antibody test, so if you have eliminated gluten/wheat from your diet for several weeks test results can be affected and register as negative when you actually do have celiac disease. For six reasons to test for celiac disease read these recommendations from a physician/dietitian who specializes in these disorders.

Monique Ryan is a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics with over 25 years of experience helping active people optimize their nutrition and body composition. Contact us at 847-864-8689 to schedule your consult. Ryan has worked with elite athletes in soccer, football, basketball, triathlon, cycling, and mountain biking.

She is the author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, 3rd edition.