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Wheat Allergy or Gluten intolerance? |
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Written by Dr Rodney Ford
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Tuesday, 12 December 2006 |
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Susan, asks: “I have tested negative for Celiac Disease but positive for wheat allergy (1.05 kUa/L IgE class, level 2). Does this mean I am allergic to all gluten or just wheat? If I'm allergic, does that mean I am also automatically intolerant to wheat and/or gluten (or does it even matter)?”
I Reply: The test that you have had is a RAST test or EAST test. This is an ALLERGY test that detects the IgE antibodies to wheat protein. Usually there are 5 levels of allergic sensitivity 0=not allergic; 1=very mild; 2= moderate; 3, 4 and 5= increasingly more severe. This test does NOT detect gluten reactivity. You were tested negative for celiac disease (probably with EMA or tTG antibodies). These tests are looking for the gut tissue damage that occurs in celiac disease. But they are not a gluten test. They do not help with the diagnosis of gluten-sensitivity. To diagnose gluten–sensitivity you need to have the IgG-gliadin and IgA-gliadin tests. You go on to say “I have been avoiding wheat for a month now (all my testing was done before cutting out wheat). In the beginning I felt great and noticed a difference right away.” That is great. Mostly if you cut out wheat, you cut out a lot of the gluten. However, you might feel even better if you go onto a gluten-free diet. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 19 February 2008 )
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