IBS and Celiac Disease

Some people mistakenly think that because I specialize in IBS and in gluten intolerance that everyone with IBS must be gluten intolerant. That would be a very poor assumption to make, so please don't do that. Anyone who has read my books or my website knows that IBS is not nearly that simple.

Of course, some people with IBS are in fact gluten intolerant. An interesting study was recently published that found that of 742 patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), 3% were found to have celiac disease. That is only 3 out of every 100 people with IBS. (World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2009 November 14; 15(42):5321-5.)

This study did not take into account people who are gluten intolerant but who do not have celiac disease. (If you don't know what I mean by that, then please read my book, "Healthier Without Wheat.") In my experience that number is much higher. Something like 20% of all IBS patients are gluten intolerant.

But what makes it all the more challenging is that most of the people who are gluten intolerant also have one or more other food reaction contributing to their IBS. Therefore removing only gluten from their diet may only make a slight difference in their symptoms. And many IBS patients also have other factors, such as microbial problems, that are also contributing to their symptoms.

So please keep in mind that although gluten intolerance can be an important trigger for IBS, there are literally hundreds of other potential causes.