If gluten’s hard on you, but not because of celiac disease, you’re in good company, according to new research.
Research out today finds that a substantial portion of people have a sensitivity to gluten or wheat but don’t have celiac disease.
Scientists in the UK and elsewhere reviewed dozens of studies conducted across the globe. They estimate that about one in every ten people worldwide report having a condition called non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity, or NCGWS. They also found that people with NCGWS are more likely to have other health issues, including anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome.
The findings highlight that “NCGWS is both common and linked to a significant emotional and psychological burden,” lead author Mohamed Shiha, a gastroenterologist at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, told Gizmodo.A systematic look
Various studies in recent years have tried to assess the toll of NCGWS. But according to Shiha, theirs is the first to systematically pool together and evaluate this data to provide reliable figures on the worldwide prevalence of the condition.
They ultimately analyzed 25 studies conducted between 2014 and 2024 across 16 countries, collectively involving nearly 50,000 adults. Overall, they found that the global rate of self-reported NCGWS was 10.
