Skip main navigation

Military Health System

Clear Your Cache

Health.mil has undergone a recent update. For the best user experience we recommend clearing your browser cache.

The difference between Celiac Disease & Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity

Image of Close up picture of slices of bread . Celiac disease occurs when the immune system recognizes gluten, commonly found in wheat or other grains, as harmful (Photo by: Mark Oswell, Defense Health Agency).

Eating gluten free has become very popular in recent years.

Many people who try it claim that it makes them feel healthier and have less gastrointestinal sensitivity, even when they do not have celiac disease --an autoimmune disease for which the only treatment is eating a gluten-free diet.

While eating a gluten-free diet is essential for those living with celiac disease, more and more people seem to claim that they are "gluten sensitive."

Contrary to popular belief, celiac disease is not a food allergy. It is an autoimmune disease that, when left untreated, can cause symptoms such as chronic or recurrent diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain/distension, unintentional weight loss, vomiting, anorexia, dermatitis herpetiformis, dental enamel hypoplasia, anemia and hepatitis.

Celiac disease is diagnosed through a blood test with the presence of higher tissue transglutaminase enzymes; and a subsequent conformational intestinal biopsy. Currently the only treatment is eating a gluten-free diet.

Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) is not an autoimmune disease and there is no single blood test for diagnosis. Symptoms can include abdominal pain, eczema and/or skin rash, headache, "foggy mind," fatigue, diarrhea, depression, anemia, numbness of legs/arms/fingers and joint pain. NCGS is a gluten reaction in which both allergic and autoimmune mechanisms have been ruled out. In other words, it is diagnosed by exclusion criteria including a negative immune-allergy test to wheat, a negative celiac disease blood test in which immunoglobulin, or IgA, deficiency has been ruled out, a negative intestinal biopsy, presence of biomarkers of gluten immune-reaction (AGA+), presence of clinical symptoms that can overlap with celiac disease or wheat allergy and resolution of the symptoms following a gluten-free diet.

If you are have been diagnosed with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity and need help with your diet, a registered dietitian can help you implement a gluten-free eating plan. For more information, contact your local military medical treatment facility's dietitian or nutritionist.

You also may be interested in...

Article
Jan 29, 2024

Beyond Base Boundaries: Travel Team Provide Health Care to Service Members

In a deployed environment, medical services surface as the guardians of readiness. Beyond healing wounds, these services fortify the resilience of forces and are a critical component in military preparedness. That’s why a team comprised of dental and optometry specialists traveled to provide dental and optometry care for service members within the U.S ...

Article
Dec 28, 2023

Making Feats for the Feet with Naval Hospital Bremerton’s Podiatrist

U.S. Navy Lt. Edee Renier, staff podiatrist assigned to Naval Hospital Bremerton’s  Orthopedic department shares her expertise in handling foot and ankle specific medical conditions, such as ankle sprains, strains, and fractures.  (Photo by Douglas H Stutz, Naval Hospital Bremerton public affairs officer)

When it comes to healing heels, such feats for the feet are the specialty of Naval Hospital Bremerton’s foot doctor. U.S. Navy Lt. Edee Renier, staff podiatrist assigned to NHB’s Orthopedic department, is helping U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps personnel keep operational ready and able to stand on their own two feet.

Article
Oct 4, 2023

Stemming the Tide: Navy Medicine and the Egyptian Cholera Epidemic of 1947

Over three months, cholera spread across 2,270 towns and villages in Egypt killing over half of its victims. According to one estimate over 20,000 Egyptians died of cholera. (Graphic by Andre Sobocinski)

On September 21, 1947, a man was admitted to the Al-Qurayn (El Korein) Hospital in Egypt vomiting profusely and suffering severe diarrhea. Within hours, he was dead. The attending physician on duty first suspected food poisoning before 11 additional patients were admitted with identical symptoms. Their diagnosis was cholera, a deadly bacterial disease ...

Article
Sep 29, 2023

Real Life Falls Are Not a Laughing Matter: Protect your Body, Ego

Each year thousands of military personnel injure themselves because of falls from vehicles and equipment, tripping over objects, and slipping on hazardous surfaces like ice, snow, or water. Injuries include lacerations requiring stitches, concussions or head injury, sprained ankles, wrists or hands, and broken bones. These often require ER visits and can result in temporary disability and lost duty time for many days or even months. (Defense Centers for Public Health-Aberdeen graphic illustration by Joyce Kopatch)

Cartoons typically portray slips or falls as comical accidents. But falls are no laughing matter. Falls often cause injuries that require emergency room visits for injuries such as lacerations requiring stitches, concussions or head injury, sprained ankles, wrists or hands, or broken bones. Learn how to prevent fall-related injuries.

Article
Sep 28, 2023

Nebraska Air National Guard State Surgeon’s Path Leads Him to Professional Boxing’s Highest Pinnacle

Nebraska Air National Guard Col. (Dr.) Mark Shirley takes in a practice at Mick Doyle’s Kickboxing and Fitness Center in Omaha, Nebraska, on Oct. 10, 2022. A member of the Nebraska Air National Guard where he serves as the state surgeon, Shirley is also a doctor of osteopathic medicine and a member of the emergency department staff of the Memorial Community Hospital and Health System in Blair, Nebraska. (Photo: U.S. Air Force National Guard Lt. Col. Kevin Hynes)

Dressed in surgical scrubs, Nebraska Air National Guard Col. Mark Shirley looks like any other medical doctor pulling a 24-hour emergency department shift. Shirley serves as the state air surgeon where he oversees the medical support required to keep the Nebraska Air Guard’s approximately 1,000 airmen ready to support any and every federal or state ...

Skip subpage navigation
Refine your search
Last Updated: February 25, 2025
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery