“How do i know if i am allergic to wheat?” This question is becoming more common, but it is still not all that easier to answer.
Many people assume that the best and only way to discover your allergies it to get allergy tests.
Allergy testing can be helpful, but it does not provide a complete and accurate answer.
The problem with allergy testing is that is can give you a false negative (meaning it says you do not have a specific allergy when you do) or a false positive (meaning it says you have a specific allergy when you don’t) .
The other problem with allergy testing is that you may have a sensitivity to food that is serious, but not really an allergy. In this case, you must avoid the food, but allergy tests will not uncover the problem.
Am I Allergic to Wheat?
So how do you know if you are allergic to wheat?
The only way to be sure is to cut out all wheat from your diet and see if you feel better.
It may take days or weeks to feel better.
If you do feel better, then you may well be allergic to wheat. But what happens if you reintroduce wheat into your diet? If you feel lousy again, then the chances are you are allergic to wheat.
Gluten Free Diet
Wheat contains gluten. But cutting wheat from your diet, you may be eliminating most, or even all gluten from your diet. So while it may appear that you have a wheat allergy, you may have a gluten allergy.
In this case you must go on a more restrictive gluten free diet.
Am I Actually a Celiac?
The above trial may convince you that you have an allergy to wheat. However, it may not be a wheat allergy, but celiac disease that is the problem.
Celiac disease is a much more serious problem, so if you suspect a wheat allergy, be sure to be tested for celiac disease.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
My mother did an elimination diet when I was 7 to determine that I was allergic to wheat. We also discovered that it was only whole wheat that I was allergic to. Over several years, I’ve discovered that I am severely allergic to wheat germ (I stop breathing) and less severely allergic to bran, I only get badly congested. White flour was still fine for me to eat. I’ve also found that I react in a similar way to brown rice.
Lately I’ve felt sick almost all the time, and I have 2 cousins who have celiac, so it’s been suggested that I try a gluten free diet as well. My big problem though is that most gluten free products are instead made with brown rice, and I have a worse reaction to that.
I understand your concern, Janet.
I think you will find that while many gluten free products have brown rice in them, not all do.
More importantly, if you make your own food (far more healthy than prepared foods, and better health is the main goal of all this), you can make it out of whatever you like. You can use white rice, potato, amaranth, quinoa etc.
If you do have celiac disease, the long-term symptoms are serious, including cancer, and all kinds of complications in almost any of the body’s organs. There is lots of information about that on this site.
I suggest you get tested for celiac disease as soon as possible, and before going on a gluten free diet.
Hope that helps.