Migralex Blog

Gluten intolerance and headaches

Celiac disease is a disease characterized by inability to digest gluten, causing malabsorption and weight loss, which can be reversed with a gluten-free diet.  Gluten is a component of foods with wheat, barley, and rye. While there have been several studies evaluating the association between headaches and celiac disease, the evidence is inconclusive.

However, in headache patients with prominent gastrointestinal features (stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating), irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease should be considered.  The diagnosis of celiac disease can be made with the help of a blood test and a biopsy of the small intestine (done during an endoscopy). 

Poor absorption of magnesium and other minerals and vitamins could be responsible for headaches and other symptoms.  Gluten-free diet is not easy because besides bread, cereals and pasta, many processed foods contain small amounts of gluten, and even these small amounts of gluten can cause symptoms.

---

There are no comments yet. Add yours.

---

Write a comment:

Your name:

Your e-mail (will not be published):

Your web site (optional):

Your comment:

Please note this is a moderated blog. This means your comment will have to be read and approved by a moderator before it will appear on this page.