What is the Difference Between Gluten Free and Celiac?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between gluten-free and celiac lies in the severity of the condition and the treatment required.
Celiac Disease:
- Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where consuming gluten leads to damage in the small intestine, causing malabsorption of nutrients and various symptoms.
- People with celiac disease must avoid gluten completely for their entire life.
- The treatment for celiac disease is a strict gluten-free diet.
- Symptoms can include diarrhea, bloating, stomach pain, and fatigue.
- Diagnosis requires medical tests, such as blood tests and biopsies of the small intestine.
Gluten Intolerance or Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS):
- Gluten intolerance is a sensitivity to gluten, causing short-term gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating and abdominal pain.
- People with NCGS may see symptom improvement by simply reducing gluten and carbohydrate intake.
- The treatment for NCGS is often a gluten-free diet, but it is less strict than for celiac disease.
- Symptoms can include diarrhea, bloating, stomach ache, fatigue, headache, brain fog, and joint pain.
- Diagnosis is usually based on a patient's symptoms and response to a gluten-free diet, as tests for celiac disease and wheat allergy are typically negative.
In summary, celiac disease is a more severe condition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissue, while gluten intolerance is a sensitivity to gluten causing temporary gastrointestinal symptoms. People with celiac disease must completely avoid gluten, while those with NCGS may only need to reduce gluten consumption or follow a less strict gluten-free diet. Both conditions typically involve a gluten-free diet as a treatment plan.
Comparative Table: Gluten Free vs Celiac
The main difference between gluten-free and celiac lies in the medical conditions they are associated with. Here is a table comparing the key differences between celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), which is sometimes referred to as gluten intolerance:
Celiac Disease | Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) |
---|---|
Immune system attacks its own body's tissue when gluten is ingested | Consumption of gluten causes short-term bloating and belly pain |
Lifelong genetic autoimmune disease | Not an autoimmune disease, and its connection to celiac disease is not well understood |
Damages the small intestine and can lead to deficiencies in various vitamins and minerals | No damage to the small intestine |
Strictly avoiding gluten is necessary for managing symptoms | Avoiding gluten may help manage symptoms, but the condition does not have the same long-term consequences as celiac disease |
Diagnosed through a combination of medical and dietary tests | Diagnosing NCGS can be more challenging, and individuals may need to undergo various tests to rule out other conditions |
It is essential not to self-diagnose and to consult a healthcare professional for proper testing and diagnosis if you suspect you have one of these conditions.
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