Are you Gluten Intolerant or could it be something else?

A lot of people may think they are intolerant to gluten, but did you know it could be other things as well.

Firstly, what is Gluten?

Gluten is a general name used for the proteins found in wheat, rye, spelt, couscous, barley, and sometimes oats (in small amounts usually due to cross contamination). Processed foods often contain some of these as ingredients, as gluten can act as the ‘glue’ to help food hold together and maintain its shape. It also helps give bread a fluffier texture.

So, what is the difference between wheat and gluten?

Wheat is a grain that contains gluten, whereas gluten is in many foods not just wheat. For example, ‘wheat free’ products may contain rye flour which contains gluten.

If I have a reaction to bread, how do I know if it is a wheat or gluten intolerance? Or is it something else?

We do a lot of food intolerance testing in the clinic and over the years we have noticed certain trends emerge. One common trend is that a lot of people who react to bread think they are gluten intolerant, but it is often yeast that they are intolerant too and not gluten.

40% of people who do our Food Intolerance Test are Yeast intolerant, while only 1-2% are gluten intolerant.

Where do you find yeast?

Yeast is a single cell fungus, and is found in many different foods including: breads, peanuts, dried fruits, mushrooms, truffles, cheese, pickled foods, vinegar, vegemite, dried meats/fish, condiments, fermented alcohols: e.g. beer and wine, fermented soy products, and many more…

What are the symptoms of yeast intolerance?

There can be a variety of symptoms including: Bloating, flatulence, constipation, diarrhoea, joint pain, inflammatory bowel disease, fibromyalgia, headaches/migraines, dizziness, rashes, eczema, lethargy, chronic fatigue, brain fog, sinus, insomnia, water retention, and weight gain.

We had one client who kept getting hospitalised every 4-6 years for digestive pain. His specialists were unable to find out what was wrong with him. We did a food intolerance test and identified he was highly intolerant to yeast. Upon giving up yeast he has never been back to hospital. At Capalaba Natural Health we can do an affordable Food Intolerance Test in the clinic, without the need for expensive pathology testing. You can even have the results within 45minutes before leaving the clinic.

The test includes 59 commonly eaten foods (including wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs and yeast) with a simple prick of the finger. A qualified Naturopath will then give you a full explanation of what you are intolerant to and what foods you need to avoid along with some alternatives

Call us now and get results!