The difference between Gluten Intolerance and Wheat Intolerance

Hi all,

I just need to clear this up once and for all. The staggering difference between having a Gluten allergy/intolerance or having a Wheat allergy/intolerance. Rest assured that they are NOT the same thing!
I for one have a Wheat intolerance but my friends, family and colleagues ALWAYS mistake this with having a Gluten intolerance or allergy.

Let me give you the run down on the differences:
While wheat is a grain, gluten is the sticky protein that binds the dough. Gluten is found in wheat and other grains such as barley, rye, malt, and oats. In breads and baked goods, they come together as a package. This being the case, it is possible to have an allergy or intolerance to one and not the other.


If you are allergic to gluten, then you will need to stay away from wheat products since they contain gluten. However, if you are allergic only to wheat, you can still enjoy other grains that have gluten in them.


Wheat intolerance: 
Wheat Intolerance is when you have difficulty digesting wheat. With this being said you are still able to enjoy foods that have gluten in them (ie: spelt bread, kamut bread). You'll have symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea and other fun things.


Gluten intolerance:
This means that you are sensitive to the gluten, a protein found commonly in wheat, barley, rye and oats. A person with gluten intolerance could develop a inflammatory condition called Celiac disease.

What the heck is Gluten?
Gluten is composed of the proteins glutenin and gliadin. They exist in the grass-like grains wheat, barley, rye and spelt.

Signs that you may have an intolerance or allergy to wheat or gluten respectively:
Signs of an intolerance include digestive disturbances such as vomiting, diarrhea, gas, constipation and bloating.  More severe will be allergic reactions such as eczema, headaches, fatigue, chest pains or anaphylaxis. Allergy symptoms will usually come on very quickly after ingestion of even a small amount of wheat or gluten. The symptoms of intolerance may not show up at all, or be delayed(like my intolerance's).
Some people with intolerance's can have small amounts of wheat or gluten with no problem, only having issues when they eat large amounts of the aforementioned ingredients. Gluten intolerance or allergy has also been tied to autism and other behavioral disorders.

With this all being said I hope you all now know the differences. Also allergies/intolerance's can happen at any age, whether you were free of allergies in the past doesn't mean you cannot have these issues in the future. I use to have mild eczema growing up, it would be worse for me in the summer months but now that I have cut out the wheat, the symptoms no longer exist. :-)

Ahhhhhh FREEDOM!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Csi9PEncI

Oh and one last note:
Wheat is listed in the top 8 food allergens along with peanuts, tree nuts, milk, fish, shellfish, eggs and soy.