Wheat, gluten and three related health conditions in people
What it found
Three conditions linked to wheat and gluten are celiac disease, wheat allergy and nonceliac gluten sensitivity.
Only people diagnosed with celiac disease or a specific wheat allergy are advised to avoid gluten entirely.
What they found
Studies in people
Celiac disease diet advice
People diagnosed with celiac disease are told to follow a strict gluten-free diet for life.
Wheat allergy avoidance
People with a specific type of wheat allergy involving IgE antibodies must avoid wheat in any form.
Nonceliac gluten sensitivity
A third condition causes distress after eating gluten but is not celiac disease or an IgE allergy. Scientists still actively debate this condition.
Other findings
New treatments being explored
Researchers are working on potential new therapies for all three gluten-related conditions.
What the authors conclude
- They note that only people with diagnosed celiac disease or IgE wheat allergy need to strictly avoid gluten or wheat.
- They point out that nonceliac gluten sensitivity remains a topic of active scientific debate despite recent progress.
- They highlight that new treatments for these gluten-related conditions are currently being developed.
How it was done
More people are choosing gluten-free diets without a medical reason. The authors wanted to clarify which conditions truly require avoiding gluten and what science says about them.
The authors gathered and discussed recent research on how the body reacts to gluten. They looked at immune responses, ways to diagnose these conditions and new treatments being developed.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work gathers existing research rather than testing a treatment directly on people. It cannot prove whether new therapies will work in practice.
- Scientists still debate nonceliac gluten sensitivity, so its exact cause and best management remain unclear.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Bonn Medical Center, Germany
The paper
- Title
- Gluten-related disorders: Celiac disease, wheat allergy, and nonceliac gluten sensitivity
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Cabanillas B (2020). Gluten-related disorders: Celiac disease, wheat allergy, and nonceliac gluten sensitivity. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. doi:10.1080/10408398.2019.1651689PubMed 31402697DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error