The gluten allergy is not real, an allergy specialist from Columbus, Ohio asserted.
Dr. David Stukus, an allergist at Nationwide Children's Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at Ohio State University, told NBC's "Today" show that some often mistake a "gluten" allergy for other ailments, a problem which has taken on a life of its on because of the Internet.
"There's this claim about 'gluten allergy' which really doesn't exist," Stukus told Today.com. "It's not really a recognized allergy. Wheat is a recognized allergy- but a lot of people will misinterpret that as gluten."
Stukus told "Today" there are only three disorders that can be attributed to gluten on a scientific basis: celiac disease, wheat allergies, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Gluten allergies not being real were outlined more explicitly in a presentation Stukus gave to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. According to Stukus, in the presentation many of his patients often misdiagnose themselves as having a gluten allergy when really it's another condition completely.
"Gluten has been blamed for all that ails humanity. Wheat is a recognized allergy, but a lot of people will misinterpret that as gluten," Stukus said. "It was shocking to me, the amount of misinformation that is available to the general public."
The symptoms of an allergic reaction- diarrhea, bloating, weight loss and tiredness- actually come from wheat a wheat allergy, celiac disease, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition where the body mistakes substances inside gluten as dangerous and attacks them and healthy tissue in the bowel.
Dr. Christopher C. Chang, director of allergy and clinical immunology in the pediatrics department at Thomas Jefferson Hospitals in Philadelphia, told Philly.com that people concerned about gluten should still be careful about its intake.
"Gluten refers to a family of proteins found in the grains of wheat, barley, and rye," Chang told Philly.com. "Celiac disease is a form of gluten intolerance, but strictly speaking, it is not an allergy. It is a rather a complex immune phenomenon involving antibodies that the body produces when someone eats gluten."
