Why some types of coffee should be avoided by those with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, as they contain cross-reactive proteins that can trigger the same inflammatory response.
If you drink coffee and have gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease, be aware that this hot beverage can worsen symptoms.
Even bulletproof coffee can trigger problems.
There is a surprising connection between gluten and coffee that is, by and large, ignored by the health community.
This revelation holds ramifications for other autoimmune disorders as well.
The problem has nothing to do with caffeine, so decaf coffee would be included in this discussion.
In a nutshell, lab research has revealed that 10% of coffee is a protein that cross-reacts with gluten antibodies.
This means that if you are gluten sensitive or Celiac and are avoiding gluten-containing grains or perhaps have even gone completely grain-free…if you still drink coffee, there is a strong likelihood that the protein in the coffee is triggering the very same gluten-related health problems you are trying to avoid.
In other words, even if you think you are doing fine with your current gluten-free diet, it is very possible that skipping the coffee could take your health to the next level.
Symptoms of Gluten Sensitivity
Most people who are gluten sensitive don’t realize it because gastrointestinal problems like burping, gas, tummy upset, or toilet issues are the least common way for gluten issues to present themselves!
The most common symptoms of gluten sensitivity are actually migraines and other neurological issues – even MS!
Hormone and endocrine problems are another common way for gluten issues to manifest themselves.
How Coffee Triggers Autoimmunity
So what exactly happens when a gluten sensitive person eats gluten?
Folks with gluten antibodies react to any gluten in the diet by mounting an immune response.
This means that gluten is perceived by the body as an invader and the gluten antibodies attack the gluten itself trying to destroy it.
This gluten attack is an inflammatory response that can occur anywhere in the body and in any tissue or organ.
Here’s the real shocker I came across when researching the coffee/gluten connection:
According to Dr. David Clark DC, functional neurologist and endocrinologist:
There’s not a disease or health condition you can think of that does not have an association – in the research literature – with gluten sensitivity.
That’s a very strong statement!
In essence, if you are gluten sensitive in any way, shape or form, gluten antibodies have the potential to react to proteins in other foods, triggering an immune and inflammatory response.
The protein in coffee is the most common cross-reactor to gluten.
Because it is the protein in the coffee that is the trigger, switching to decaf coffee does not solve the problem.
Worst Types of Coffee for Gluten Sensitive/Celiacs
Is it possible to be gluten sensitive or Celiac and not cross-react to coffee?
Yes, it’s possible, but you may need to do some expensive lab testing to find out for sure. (1)
If you prefer not to shell out of your own pocket for this type of testing (insurance likely will not cover it), avoiding coffee is the easiest route to go! The good news is that skipping coffee saves adrenal health too!
If you choose to drink coffee anyway, research published in the Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences has identified the worst offenders for coffee cross-reactivity with gluten: (2)
- Instant coffee
- Preground coffee
The “Good Stuff”
According to Primal Body, Primal Mind author Nora Gedgaudas CNS, CNT, if you are gluten sensitive or Celiac, it is very important to drink the “good stuff” if you choose to drink coffee at all.
This means buying organic roasted coffee beans and grinding them yourself to make a cuppa at home!
Definitely skip the Starbucks drive-through and other coffee vendors where the quality is unknown or suspect.
References
(1) Cyrex Labs
(2) Cross-Reaction between Gliadin and Different Food and Tissue Antigens, Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
More Information
You Probably Need to Change WHEN You Drink Coffee
Coffee Enema
Morning Coffee Fix
Caffeine and Chronic Back Pain
Healthy Coffee Substitutes
Trying to ignore this one but you keep posting it. Eek!
Because of the healing properties of Organo Gold coffee, those with sensitivities are able to drink it.
Organic coffee would be free of pesticides but not the protein found in the seed of coffee itself.
Oh if that were only true! Just recently bought some Organo coffee thinking the same thing, but it triggered things just like gluten does. I’ve been coffee free for a little over a year and saw a vast improvement, but I was still craving coffee.
What about tea? Just had my stomach scoped yesterday, still no answer for stomach pain. I’ve had just about every type of test. I’m going to try removing gluten next.
Most tea has caffeine except the herbals. I like the licorice root by Stash Tea that helps with the coritsol levels due to adrenal fatigue from too much caffeeine. I also use herbal coffees like Teecino, but only the Dandelion versions because they’re gluten free.
P.S., Some green teas also have caffeine, make sure you choose the herbal green teas.
Caffiene itself isnt the problem, just the protien found in coffee beans and then only in a sub group of patients who still showed symptoms after going GF. Go to google scholar and look at the study abstract at least.
Anyway, tea is fine, green tea, black tea, herbal tea, check what you buy for ingredients though, always. caffiene in energy drinks is fine too, most likely. I figure it is a concentrate or the caffience molecule they add to that rather than coffee bean
also, the study only used instant coffee.. and it was only in vitro… more researcg is needed for this to be credible.
Please excuse my spellling and grammar, I am rushed.
Hi, if you get an upset stomach, try going longer time between meals, don’t eat after sunset till dawn. When you get an upset stomach this might fix it. One level teaspoon (that is a small spoon) of Baking or Bi-carb of soda in a glass of water. It tastes terrible but within a few minutes you should burp out all the acidifying gas from your stomach giving instant relief. Bi-carb of soda contains no Gluten and will also help to balance your bodies PH. Final note: try not to rely to much on it, just use it to settle your upset stomach when you feel the need.
Good luck and blessings on you
Some coffees give me severe chest pain. Others give me heartburn or no symptoms. I am allergic to wheat but not celiac.
I’d be in serious trouble!
Heard this a few years ago and stopped drinking coffee. I’m better without it. Don’t worry, the caffeine only masks your fatigue anyways. Whether the cross-reaction stuff is true or not, I don’t know.
Sit down indeed!
I only have problems with flavored coffee and creamers
Switch to Yerba mate?