I have read a recent report by Harvard Medical School about food allergies and sensitivities that may interest some of you. Concerning gluten they recognized that there was a separate and distinct condition from celiac disease called gluten sensitivity, which has many of the same symptoms as lactose intolerance-- gas, bloating, diarrhea, but also additional ones like dizziness and fatigue. Eliminating gluten will improve the symptoms.
Unfortunately they say there is no reliable diagnostic test for it yet. Tests like IgG and immune complex assay or others are not reliable. So there is no point in wasting your time doing them. For now, if your symptoms improve when you eliminate gluten, you are probably gluten sensitive. There was no mention in this report of psoriasis worsening with gluten, but we know from other sources that this is true for some people with psoriasis.
In March 2011, a group of researchers in Italy and USA reported evidence for a potential mechanism to account for gluten sensitivity. Patients with many of the symptoms of celiac disease but no signs of intestinal damage on biopsy, were found to produce an abnormally high number of proteins that play a role in activating inflammation--the immune system's first line of defense--and an abnormally low number of suppressor T cells, which dampen down inflammation once the "threat" is removed. The inflammatory response like that brought against the flu virus can cause fatigue and dizziness. However because the intestinal villi are not damaged, nutrient absorption isn't affected.
Another interesting tidbit they mentionned was that unlike people with celiac disease, those with gluten sensitivity aren't risking any serious complications by eating a little gluten once in awhile. So if you have gluten sensitivity, you have a little more latitude to experiment. So if you're craving a slice of pizza or some cake it is OK to enjoy it now and then without repercussions!
