Also called: Gluten Intolerance
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Gluten Sensitivity
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It is found mainly in foods. But it may also be in other products like medicines, vitamins, and supplements. People with gluten sensitivity have problems with gluten. Gluten sensitivity may sometimes be called non-celiac gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance.
Gluten sensitivity is different from celiac disease. Both involve problems with gluten. They can also cause some of the same symptoms, such as abdominal (belly) pain and fatigue. But celiac disease causes damage to the small intestine. Gluten sensitivity does not.
Wheat allergy, a type of food allergy, is also different from gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. A wheat allergy can cause some different symptoms, such as itchy eyes or trouble breathing. A wheat allergy does not damage the small intestine.
In addition to abdominal pain and fatigue, gluten sensitivity can cause digestive symptoms. They may include gas, diarrhea, and constipation. You may also have other symptoms such as headaches, joint pain, and rashes.
Researchers are still learning more about gluten sensitivity. If your health care provider thinks you have it, they may suggest that you stop eating gluten to see if your symptoms go away. However, you should first be tested to make sure that you don't have celiac disease. This may be done with a blood test or biopsies of the small intestine.
The symptoms of gluten sensitivity usually get better with a gluten-free diet. But it's important to make sure that you are still getting enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Your provider or a dietician can help you plan your diet.
Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health
It sits within Digestive System.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Gluten Sensitivity
78 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- A First-in-Patient Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of HB-2121 as a Diagnostic for Celiac DiseaseNielsen Fernandez-Becker
- Urinary Gluten Immunogenic Peptides Detection in Non-celiac Gluten/Wheat SensitivityUniversity of Palermo
- Single-cell Immune Response to Controlled Gluten Ingestion in Pediatric Celiac DiseaseFundación Pública Andaluza para la Investigación de Málaga en Biomedicina y Salud
- Dietary Approach to Mild-to-moderate PsoriasisUniversity of Palermo
- Tolerability of an Ancient Grain in Patients With Non-Celiac Wheat SensitivityUniversity of Palermo
- Inflammatory Back Pain and Gluten Free DietUniversity of Palermo
Research already completed
- A First-in-human Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of HB-2121 as a Diagnostic for Celiac DiseaseNielsen Fernandez-Becker
- Wheat-free Diet in the Treatment of Sjogren's SyndromeUniversity of Palermo
- Effect of FODMAP Restriction on Persistent GI-symptoms in Coeliac PatientsOslo University Hospital
- Gynaecological Disorders in Not-celiac Wheat SensitivityUniversity of Palermo
- A Blood Based Diagnostic Test for Coeliac DiseaseOslo University Hospital
- Confirmatory Efficacy Trial of a Gluten-Free Diet in a Subgroup of Persons With Schizophrenia Who Have High Levels of IgG Anti-Gliadin Antibodies (AGA IG)University of Maryland, Baltimore
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Gluten SensitivityGluten Intolerance Group
- Non-Celiac Gluten/Wheat SensitivityCeliac Disease Foundation
- What You Need to Know About Gluten SensitivityGluten Intolerance Group
Diagnosis and Tests
- Food Allergy TestingNational Library of Medicine
Living With
- 'Gluten-Free' Means What It SaysFood and Drug Administration
- 4-Week Gluten-Free Meal PlanGluten Intolerance Group
- Eating Out: 7 Tips For Staying Gluten-FreeGluten Intolerance Group
- Getting Started on a Gluten-Free DietGluten Intolerance Group
- Gluten-Free Diet: Nutrition and Healthy EatingMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Gluten-Free Labeling of FoodsFood and Drug Administration
- Sources of GlutenCeliac Disease Foundation
Related Issues
- Celiac Disease and Gluten IntoleranceDepartment of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health
- Gluten-Free Diet: Facts and MythsGluten Intolerance Group
- What Is Gluten and What Does It Do?Johns Hopkins Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Gluten SensitivityNational Institutes of Health
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Gluten Sensitivity, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.