Belly pain after eating bread Supposed celiac disease can also have other causes

Food intolerance: Suspected celiac disease may have other causes
In western industrialized countries, up to one percent of the population suffers from gluten intolerance (celiac disease). The supply of gluten-free foods has increased significantly in recent years. However, experts point out that behind a supposed celiac disease, other causes can be.

Cause of complaints may also be a wheat sensitivity
When people suffer from symptoms such as bad abdominal pain, headache, diarrhea, tiredness or nausea and vomiting after eating bread rolls, pasta or other pasta, many think directly of celiac disease (gluten intolerance or gluten allergy). Up to one percent of the population in industrialized countries suffers from this special food intolerance, in which the body can not tolerate gluten. However, the cause of such complaints can also be a wheat sensitivity. The German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS) has pointed this out in a message from the dpa news agency.

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Diagnosis is made via exclusion procedures
A few months ago, scientists from the University Hospital Erlangen reported that there is new evidence regarding the cause of the incompatibility of wheat products. Thus, other substances in the crop, called polyfructans, can cause symptoms previously attributed to gluten. The experts of the DGVS explained that doctors diagnose a wheat sensitivity via the exclusion procedure. According to the data, grain proteins also cause problems for those affected. These are amylase trypsin inhibitors (ATI).

No overly strict diet needed
Unlike patients with celiac disease, patients do not have to take too strict a diet, but wheat sensitivity also helps "gluten-free," as the doctors at DGVS recently reported. Thus, it is usually sufficient to eat about 90 percent less ATI-containing foods. ATIs are natural insect repellents that have been deliberately crossed in high-yielding wheat and other cereal crops for higher yields. As it says in the current report, some cereals such as spelled contain significantly less ATI and are therefore better tolerated. (Ad)