09/15/2025
The truth? You don't need a celiac diagnosis to react to gluten. Many people experience non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), a condition where the immune system responds to gluten, but standard celiac tests come back negative.
Gluten sensitivity can show up far beyond the gut. For some, it triggers persistent brain fog that makes it hard to focus, skin issues like eczema or rashes that resist treatment, or joint pain that feels like arthritis. Digestive symptoms may still happen, bloating, cramping, changes in bowel habits, but they aren't always the main clue.
What makes NCGS tricky is that symptoms can appear hours or even days after eating gluten. That delay makes it easy to miss the connection, and many people go years without realizing a food they eat regularly is quietly inflaming their body.
If you've tested negative for celiac disease but still deal with unexplained symptoms, an elimination and reintroduction approach, paired with the right functional testing, can help uncover whether gluten is a hidden trigger for you.