General Info
Wheatarded.com is dedicated to those living a wheat-free lifestyle. Typically, this lifestyle is not a matter of choice, but rather one of medical necessity. This site will help you determine if you might have a wheat-related medical condition, and help you live a normal, healthy lifestyle if you do.
Celiac, wheat allergy, and wheat intolerance...
...what's the difference!? This is a common source of confusion. While these conditions share some common traits, they are all different--in their root cause, in their diagnosis, and in how you must deal with them.
Celiac (coeliac) a gluten intolerance, caused by an inflammatory reaction in the small intestine to the gluten protein, resulting in the body's inability to absorb key nutrients. Gluten is a protein found in wheat (and related grains, like spelt, barley and rye), and is what gives dough its elasticity. Symptoms are inconsistent and are too numerous to list, making celiac difficult to diagnose symptomatically. Rather, a combination of a blood test and an endoscopy are usually used for diagnosis. The only cure for celiac is a life-long, gluten-free diet. Researchers estimate that 1% of the population suffers from celiac--although currently only 1 in every 30 that have it are aware that they do!
Wheat allergy is a response of the body's immune system to wheat. The most common symptoms are exercise-related anaphylaxis and hives, although the full symptom list is as long as celiac's. While the symptoms are similar, the cause (i.e., what's going on in the body) is different. Unlike celiac, a wheat allergy is caused only by wheat, and other grains containing gluten are typically OK. A wheat allergy can be detected through a blood test, and the only cure is to remove wheat entirely from your diet.
Wheat intolerance is an inability of the body to properly digest wheat products. Unlike an allergy, it's not the result of an autoimmune response, but rather the result of your digestive system struggling to do its job. While medically the least drastic, wheat intolerance affects the largest number of people (think of all the people you know with frequent indigestion!). Avoiding wheat products or removing them entirely from your diet is the only way to treat a wheat intolerance.
Three different problems, but one solution: remove wheat from your diet. (And, in the case of celiac, a few others things, too. But that's for a different website!) This sounds tough, but it's easier than you might think. Click the links above or on the sidebar on the right to explore more information about these conditions, initiate a diagnosis with your doctor, and start down the road to recovery.