New research suggests gluten may not be the real cause of most gut issues

You might not need to break up with bread after all, new research suggests.

A large-scale scientific review led by researchers at the University of Melbourne found that gluten may not be the real cause of gut symptoms that lead millions of people worldwide to avoid it unnecessarily.

An international team of scientists from Australia, the Netherlands, Italy and the UK analyzed years of global data on non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), a condition often described as gluten intolerance without the autoimmune reaction seen in celiac disease.

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Researchers found that in controlled trials, only a small percentage of people actually reacted to gluten, with most showing no difference between gluten and a placebo, according to the findings published in The Lancet in late October.

While about 10% of adults worldwide report bloating, fatigue or gut pain after eating foods containing gluten, only 16% to 30% of those cases show true gluten-specific reactions, the paper found.

“Contrary to popular belief, most people with NCGS aren’t reacting to gluten,” lead author Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski said in a statement. “Our findings show that symptoms are more often triggered by fermentable carbohydrates, commonly known as FODMAPs, by other wheat components or by people’s expectations and prior experiences with food.”

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FODMAPs, certain types of carbs found in foods like onions, wheat, beans and dairy, can cause bloating or digestive discomfort in some people. Even generally healthy foods can be high in FODMAPs, which is why doctors sometimes recommend a medically supervised elimination diet to pinpoint sensitivities.

The new review also reframes NCGS as part of a broader gut–brain interaction, similar to irritable bowel syndrome, rather than a distinct gluten-related disorder.

The gut–brain connection refers to the two-way communication between the digestive system and the brain, through nerves, hormones and gut microbes, according to the National Institutes of Health. The study’s authors said that people’s expectations, stress levels and how they interpret gut sensations can all influence how their bodies respond to food.

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The review examined published research on gluten sensitivity up to January 2025, covering dietary challenge studies, gut–brain interactions and psychological “nocebo” effects — when symptoms occur because people expect them to.

The authors say the results could help doctors make more accurate diagnoses, reduce unnecessary, restrictive gluten-free diets, and help shift messaging away from the idea that gluten is inherently harmful.

The study also noted that the $11 billion gluten-free market continues to shape perceptions of gluten sensitivity.

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Dr. Leybelis Padilla, a San Diego gastroenterologist and lifestyle medicine physician, said the findings reflect what many experts have long believed.

“These findings really just affirm what most of us in the gastroenterology community have been saying all along — that gluten isn’t the villain in most cases,” Padilla, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “Gluten has been vilified over the years and somehow transformed to be the cause of all digestive health issues and overall body inflammation.”

“There are many things at play,” she added, “and sometimes it’s even the other ingredients in processed foods that might be causing the symptoms.”

Padilla agrees the gut–brain connection plays a major role in digestive health. “That sudden urge to have a bowel movement before a big speech is a prime example,” she explained. 

“Some patients get so stressed and anxious regarding their gluten-free diet that I have often wondered how much of that is actually causing the brain-gut connection to be in overdrive, and if it is actually the stress they are under causing those symptoms,” she added.

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Her advice for those with ongoing gut issues is to see a gastroenterologist. 

“We never want to miss a diagnosis of celiac disease, in which case there is whole body inflammation triggered by gluten exposure, which can cause significant distress and health issues including malabsorption and bone density issues, to name a few,” she said, adding that the condition does require being gluten-free.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the study’s authors for comment.