Awareness of celiac disease is growing, but one popular mistake is believing that this somewhat rare disease is the only serious condition associated with gluten sensitivity. While celiac disease affects an estimated 1% of the American population, gluten sensitivity is estimated to affect up to 30%. (Source: The Gluten Connection)

I spoke with Alexis at EnteroLab on the subject, who informed me of the three markers that most doctors require before making a diagnosis of celiac disease: genetic predisposition, elevated antigliadin IgA, and fecal fat score. Without all three markers, a person could be diagnosed as gluten intolerant but not celiac.

Here are some comparisons and contrasts between these two very serious gluten sensitivities:

• Severity: Celiac disease should always be addressed as a severe autoimmune condition, which must be diagnosed, treated and monitored. But gluten intolerance, otherwise known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity, “may be just as serious a condition as celiac disease.” Left untreated it can also lead to the development of other autoimmune conditions and cancer. (Source: Dangerous Grains)

• Villous Atrophy: Celiac disease is often defined as gluten sensitivity in which villous atrophy (flattening of the villi) is present. But according to the research and findings of the EnteroLab team, villous atrophy can also occur in cases of gluten intolerance, though more rarely.

• Gene Pool: One of the most agreed upon markers of celiac disease is the HLA-DQB1 *0201 or *0302 gene. While other genes indicate a predisposition to gluten intolerance, it would be very rare for a person to receive a celiac diagnosis without either of the HLA-DQB1 genes.

As someone who is severely gluten intolerant, it is important to me that people realize not only that celiac disease is real and must be treated, but so too is gluten intolerance. And while many media facets dismiss gluten sensitivity as a rare condition, I want people to know that there are different types and levels of sensitivity, and not all of them are uncommon.