Are You Really Gluten-Intolerant? Maybe Not. - Forbes

[Scott Adams]

Open Original Shared Link Forbes Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects less than 1% of the population of the United States (PDF). The ingestion of gluten, a protein found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley, gives rise to antibodies that attack the small intestine ... Open Original Shared Link Castanet.net Open Original Shared Link

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[BlessedMommy]

I only wish that celiac testing were more accessible, cheaper, and available to all had concerns about gluten. (and that it didn't involve suffering through a gluten challenge if you had already cut down or stopped gluten due to doctors not being able to figure out your problem) 

 

I think that the root of people going gluten-free without a DX has to do with the difficulty of getting one in the first place.

 

1) The testing can run up to several thousands of dollars out of pocket. Many, if not most, people can't afford that without insurance.

2) Doctors will often refuse to test you for it in the first place, especially if your symptoms aren't classical.

3) If you've already gone off gluten, you may have shut the door to DX, especially if you have extremely severe reactions to reintroducing gluten.

 

I'll be very interested to see whether science decides that NCGI exists or not. Maybe it doesn't exist and celiac is a lot more common than we think.