Health Report - Separate stories podcast Gluten intolerance — is it really the gluten?
Nov 14, 2025
Join Associate Professor Jess Biesiekierski, head of Human Nutrition at the University of Melbourne, as she dives into the nuances of non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. Discover how gluten may not be the sole culprit behind gut symptoms, with other triggers like FODMAPs and nocebo effects at play. Jess discusses the fascinating gut-brain connection, the importance of balanced diets over gluten exclusion, and highlights an ongoing clinical trial comparing dietary therapies to help those affected. A must-listen for anyone curious about gut health!
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Symptoms Are Real But Gluten Might Not Be
- People without coeliac disease still have real physiological symptoms after eating wheat-based foods.
- Evidence now points away from gluten and toward FODMAPs like fructans and expectation/nocebo effects.
Nocebo And Brain‑Gut Hypervigilance
- Expectation and prior experience can trigger a nocebo response that produces real gut symptoms.
- Brain-gut hypervigilance can amplify normal gut sensations into perceived pain or discomfort.
Blinded Tests Often Remove Gluten Effects
- About 10% of adults self-report gluten sensitivity but blinded challenges show no difference between gluten and placebo.
- Gluten-specific responses often disappear under blinded testing.