Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Symptoms and Causes

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a condition characterized by adverse reactions to gluten—a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye—in individuals who do not have celiac disease or wheat allergy. NCGS is part of the spectrum of gluten-related disorders and is marked by a range of gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms that occur after the ingestion of gluten-containing foods.

Symptoms of NCGS can include bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, headache, fatigue, joint pain, and a "foggy mind." These symptoms typically improve when gluten is removed from the diet and return upon reintroduction of gluten. Unlike celiac disease, NCGS does not cause damage to the small intestine, and there are no specific biomarkers for its diagnosis.

The exact cause of NCGS is not well understood, but it is believed to involve an immune response to gluten or other components of wheat, such as amylase-trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) and fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs). The condition is more common in females and can occur at any age.

Diagnosis of NCGS is made by excluding celiac disease and wheat allergy through appropriate testing and observing symptom improvement on a gluten-free diet. While the condition remains controversial and debated within the scientific community, it is recognized as a legitimate clinical entity that requires proper management and care.

Recent research has provided new insights into NCGS. A study from Columbia University revealed that individuals with NCGS exhibit a distinct immune response, different from that seen in celiac disease, suggesting a unique inflammatory process in the gut in response to gluten.

The role of FODMAPs in NCGS has also been explored. Some studies suggest that symptoms attributed to gluten may actually be due to FODMAPs, which are poorly absorbed carbohydrates found in various foods, including wheat. This has led to discussions about whether a low-FODMAP diet might be beneficial for some individuals diagnosed with NCGS.

The prevalence of NCGS varies widely, with estimates ranging from 0.49% to 14.9% in different populations. This variability may be due to differences in study methodologies and the subjective nature of symptom reporting.

The diagnosis of NCGS remains challenging due to the lack of specific biomarkers. The Salerno Experts' Criteria recommend a double-blind placebo-controlled gluten challenge to confirm the diagnosis, involving a one-week gluten challenge followed by a one-week washout period and then a crossover to a placebo or gluten challenge. A symptom variation of at least 30% between the gluten and placebo phases is considered indicative of NCGS.

Management of NCGS primarily involves adherence to a gluten-free diet, which has been shown to alleviate symptoms in affected individuals. However, the strictness of the diet may vary among individuals, and some may benefit from a low-FODMAP diet if FODMAPs are identified as symptom triggers.

In conclusion, while NCGS is a recognized condition with a range of symptoms, its exact mechanisms and optimal management strategies continue to be areas of active research. Individuals experiencing symptoms suggestive of NCGS should consult healthcare professionals for appropriate evaluation and personalized dietary guidance.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Symptoms and Causes

Buckwheat allergy

Buckwheat is unusually high in protein and provides riboflavin, niacin, copper and magnesium.  In Japan, buckwheat has long been used in the form of soba noodles, though these typically are combined with wheat.

Buckwheat seems to be a common food trigger to induce anaphylaxis in both Korea and Japan, where noodles made of buckwheat are commonly eaten.

Buckwheat like wheat can be not only a food allergen but also aeroallergen, especially for workers in buckwheat noodle factories.

It was reported three cases of buckwheat flour allergy in children using buckwheat chaff-stuffed pillows, who had been treated as nonatopic asthmatics after undergoing the routine allergy skin and serologic tests.

 The result showed that small amount of buckwheat flour attached to buckwheat chaff-stuffed pillow can induce buckwheat flour sensitization and buckwheat chaff-stuffed pillow should be considered a main cause of childhood nocturnal asthma in these asthmatics exposed to these pillows (Lee, S.Y, Lee., K.S Hong, C.H and Lee, K.Y (2001) Three cases of childhood nocturnal asthma due to buckwheat allergy, Allergy, 56: 763-766).

As buckwheat is now becoming a common food in countries such as the USA and France, one might suspect a progression of buckwheat allergy through the world.

Clinically symptomatic patients with buckwheat allergy usually show strong skin reactivity and high levels of specific IgE to buckwheat. Most allergic symptoms’ to buckwheat are objective manifestations such as urticaria, asthma symptoms and hypotension, among others.
Buckwheat allergy

Symptoms of celiac disease

Celiac disease is the world’s most common genetic autoimmune disorder which affects the digestive process of the small intestine.

Celiac disease afflicts an estimated 1 in every 3,000 individuals in US. When a person who has celiac disease consumes gluten, a protein found in wheat, oats, rye and barley, the individual’s immune system responds by attacking the small intestine and inhibiting the absorption of important nutrients into the body.

Studies show that any people with celiac disease continue to et gluten, either by choice or unknowingly. Classical celiac disease can occur in adults but more typically begins in early childhood. It is characterized by symptoms that arise from damaged the small intestine.

The affected person has bloating and discomfort and diarrhea. Also, because the damaged bowel becomes unable to properly absorb nutrients in the body, the individual with classical celiac disease starts to break of his or her own some tissues to provide nutrients to supply energy for the body’s normal functioning.

Sometimes, people have celiac disease but don’t experience gastrointestinal symptoms. Nowadays doctors know that many people with celiac disease have symptoms in part of the body other than intestines; they many have no or only mild gastrointestinal symptoms.

These atypical symptoms are often caused by the lack of one or more nutrients due to the malabsorption of food resulting from damage to the small intestines.

Research has demonstrated that a significant percentage of children and adults with positive blood tests had no, or minimal, symptoms when they were tested.
Symptoms of celiac disease

What are the symptoms of gluten intolerance?

Gluten intolerance is one of the most important health problems in American. Gluten intolerance is a broad term, which covers all kinds of sensitivity to gluten.

Gluten intolerance can be divided into two general categories celiac and non-celiac disease.

Technically, gluten intolerance is simply a non-autoimmune and non-allergenic condition that creates uncomfortable symptoms when the person consumes gluten.

The most common symptoms of gluten intolerance are:
*Diarrhea
*Constipation
*Heartburn
*Abdominal pain
*Headache
*Fatigue
*Muscle aches
*Joint piano
*Hypoglycemia
*Eczema
*Acne
*Mental fogginess
*Anemia
*Frequent illness

The most accurate way to diagnose gluten intolerance is by doing an elimination diet -this involves removing foods containing gluten for a specified time to see if symptoms resolve, then reintroducing foods containing gluten to see if the symptoms recur.
What are the symptoms of gluten intolerance?

Black stem rust in wheat

Black stem rust in wheat
When stem rust us caused by Puccinia graminis, the first symptoms are small yellow flecks that develop into long, narrow, yellow blisters on the stem, leaves and leaf sheaths of young seedlings or plants at any stage of growth.

The blisters break open, revealing a powdery mass of brick red spores, the so called summer spores or repeating spores. The spores escape from the pustules and are carried by the wind, or other forces, to other plants where they germinate, invade the plants, and produce more pustules.

When the wheat plants approaches maturity, the red pustules turn black as the fungus forms black, winter spores. After the grain is harvested, these spores remain on the debris in the field; in the spring they germinate to form basidiospores of two different mating types.

These tiny colorless spores have as their sole host the native barberry. If they are blown to one of these plants, they may germinate and form yellow pustules containing pycniospores, which must fertilize receptive (opposite mating type) hyphae, after which they can form thousands of aeciospores. These spores can infect only wheat starting the cycle again.

The kernels of the plants affected by this rust become wrinkled and badly shriveled. Stems of the plants are weakened and lodge, or break off easily. Sometimes losses range up to 90%, and the crop is not worth harvesting.

The principal means of managing or controlling of stem rust is the use of resistant cultivars. Unfortunately, the resistance of these cultivars is only temporary, as an infective race of the rust develops, or appears, usually in about five years.

This means that new cultivars must be in constant development. Fungicides applied by spraying, or systemic fungicides applied to the soil just before sowing are often effective in controlling this disease.
Black stem rust in wheat