Can avoiding gluten really help you lose weight, gain energy and maybe clear up your heartburn or headaches? Or is it simply another fad diet? The latest research shows gluten can, in fact, result in many troublesome symptoms if you are sensitive to this protein (which is found in grains including wheat, barley, rye, spelt and oats).

Celiac disease (CD) is the most severe reaction to eating gluten. An autoimmune disease diagnosed by blood tests and biopsies, CD damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents the absorption of certain nutrients that are important for staying healthy. “The View” co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck brought CD to national attention a few years ago when she talked about her diagnosis and how a gluten-free lifestyle had solved her chronic gastrointestinal problems.

While CD has been a recognized disorder for decades, a less serious syndrome related to gluten – gluten sensitivity (GS) – is now also believed to impact the health of perhaps millions of people. According to Alessio Fasano, M.D., medical director of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, people who are gluten sensitive can experience a range of symptoms including bloating, indigestion, skin rash, joint pain, muscle cramps, leg numbness, weight loss, "foggy mind" and fatigue when they eat gluten-containing food.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that if you have any of those symptoms, that gluten is necessarily the culprit. To separate gluten facts from fiction, Synergy interviewed Marek Lukacik, MD, of the Medical College of Georgia’s Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

How can a natural protein cause health problems?

Dr. Lukacik explains there are several ways that gluten can produce symptoms in people who are sensitive to this protein. “The main mechanisms are mediated by the immune system and examples of these are wheat allergy and celiac disease (CD). With wheat allergy there is an IgE (histamine) mediated reaction as opposed to CD which is considered to be an autoimmune disorder,” he says.

However, exactly what causes the reaction to gluten known as GS remains elusive. “GS is neither mediated through IgE nor through an autoimmune mechanism, although people with this problem do experience adverse reactions when eating gluten,” Dr. Lukacik says. “However, they do not develop damage to the small intestine like patients with CD. Also these patients do not develop autoantibodies.” That means the only way for a GS diagnosis to currently be made is to exclude other diseases with a thorough physical and to see how a person feels when gluten is eliminated from the diet.

Is there reason to think health problems triggered by gluten are widespread? According to Dr. Lukacik, approximately three million Americans have the more serious condition caused by eating gluten, celiac disease, and the majority of these are undiagnosed. “On the other hand, the incidence and prevalence of GS is not clearly established. In one study, 5,896 patients were seen with symptoms suggestive of celiac disease but, when CD was ruled out, approximately six percent of these people were found to have the GS,” he tells Synergy.

Dr. Lukacik adds that many people are going gluten-free because they have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), multiple sclerosis and irritable bowel syndrome and they’ve heard anecdotal reports that these conditions could be caused by, or made worse, by consuming gluten. “However, in these disorders there is no evidence of the effectiveness of a gluten-free diet,” he emphasizes.

When to try a gluten-free diet

Both CD and GS can share some symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain and anemia, but Dr. Lukacik points out that people with GS may have more symptoms that don’t involve the gastrointestinal tract, such as behavioral changes, fatigue and muscle cramps. If you have some of these unexplained problems, he recommends trying a gluten-free diet to see if it helps – but only after you’ve seen your internist or family doctor to make sure there’s no other problem, including CD, that could be the cause.

Keep in mind that there are no specific tests available at the present time to diagnose GS. However, giving up gluten (something that’s becoming easier than ever with grocery stores carrying gluten-free bread and other items) for a few weeks and then seeing if your symptoms return when you go back to eating it can help uncover a gluten sensitivity. If you do have GS, the good news is that by eliminating gluten from your diet, you could find yourself soon free of nagging health complaints.

Sherry Baker is a writer from Atlanta, Georgia. She last wrote the article on Five Ways to Give Yourself A Raise for Synergy.