Gluten Sensitivity Often Has Little to Do with Gluten Itself

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 13 December 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Research from The Lancet found that only about 16% to 30% of self-identified gluten-sensitive individuals experience symptoms triggered by gluten alone
Many people who believe they're gluten sensitive are actually reacting to fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs) or gut-brain hypersensitivity, not gluten itself
Natural FODMAPs from whole foods like fruit and grass fed dairy help feed beneficial gut bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila, which strengthens your gut lining and supports immunity
Eliminating seed oils rich in linoleic acid and eating about 250 grams of healthy carbohydrates daily restores mitochondrial energy, improves digestion, and rebuilds a resilient gut
Once your gut is healed, gradually reintroducing whole grains helps expand your diet and restore comfort, turning food from a source of fear into a foundation for long-term health

Transcript

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0:00.0	What if your gluten reaction isn't about gluten at all, but a mix of fermentable carbs and a brain primed to expect discomfort?
0:07.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:15.0	No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:20.0	Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster, and today we're looking at
0:26.5	why so many people who avoid gluten still feel bloated, foggy or uncomfortable, and how narrowing
0:32.8	your diet may miss the real solution. I'm Alara Sky. A major review in the Lancet analyzed more than 50 studies of people who felt unwell after
0:42.4	eating gluten, but didn't have celiac disease or a wheat allergy.
0:47.1	Only about 16% to 30% had symptoms triggered by gluten alone.
0:53.0	Most reacted to other wheat components, or F-O-D-M-A-P-S,
0:57.0	fermentable carbohydrates found in foods like wheat,
1:00.0	onions, garlic, and beans.
1:03.0	That matters because low-fod-map diets
1:05.0	consistently outperformed gluten-free diets and controlled tests.
1:09.0	In one trial, people who believe they were gluten-sensitive
1:12.2	improved on low FODMAP eating even when gluten was reintroduced. Another experiment found
1:17.9	fructans, a fadmap in wheat, cause more symptoms than gluten. If you've cut gluten and still feel
1:24.1	off, you may be targeting the wrong thing. There's also the nocebo effect.
1:28.3	When participants didn't know if a meal contained gluten,
1:32.3	symptoms were nearly identical to placebo.
1:34.3	But when they expected trouble, they felt worse even with gluten-free food.
1:39.3	Brain imaging research shows that expectation activates pain processing areas
1:43.3	and heightens gut sensitivity.
	...

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