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
I’d like to know how long the effects of the inflammation response lasts in the body. if I drink one small cup of coffee, does the attack last a few minutes or hours and then back to normal or are there lasting effects? Also, is it possible I can tolerate a small amount? I seem to only feel the reaction only after drinking more than one cup in the morning.
You don’t necessarily have to “feel” the reaction for the inflammatory effects to be going on! Beware!
Long before I started having good allergies, I had problems with stomach spasms and lumps in my breasts from drinking coffee. I tried switching to decaf but experienced the exact same problems. Yes, it was very hard to give up coffee because I started drinking it when I was 16, but as I look back, maybe I could have avoided a hysterectomy from endometriosis, ovarian cysts and a series of breast biopsies if I’d done it sooner. Hate to say this, but chocolate affects me, too I have a feeling there must be problem-causing proteins there also!????
I learned this about a year ago…and yes, coffee is a culprit for me….I knew something was wrong because even black coffee made my joints swell. Since have been trying to like chicory, etc. and sadly it’s all gaggy…so have simply given it up….my health is more important although I drank coffee for the taste not the caffeine. Great article.
Hello,
I don’t understand. here are two statements I read from articles you posted:
10% of coffee is a protein that cross reacts with gluten antibodies.
The coffee enema is also widely used for health recovery from autoimmune disease and other degenerative ailments providing nothing short of unparalleled results.
my question: if gluten promotes leaky gut and this increases the likelihood of developing auto-immune, how can the enema be beneficial if you have auto-immune?
wouldn’t the coffee cross-react with antibodies regardless of how you get it in the body?
could you kindly clarify? thanks!
The coffee is not digested with a coffee enema so no … it should not trigger any cross-reactivity issues. This is especially true since only high quality organic coffee is recommended for that therapy and that is the type of coffee least likely to cause issues even if you drank it. If you are still concerned, best to reach out to your holistic practitioner and find advice specific to your particular medical need.
Thank you fpr this article, I new there was something wrong
i was getting the same symtom as if i eat gluten food
Am going to miss my coffee :(((
I’m no expert, but yes I have heard this is a possibility. 2 things about it. I am a diagnosed celiac only when I was 30, I ate gluten all my life with little/no symptoms. Even when I got diagnosed, my gastrointestinal symptoms were not my biggest concern, fatigue, nerve pain, mental health issues, were. But after I was diagnosed and gluten free for 2-3 years, I decided one day to fuck my diet and eat mcdonald’s (fast food craving). I vomitted for hours afterwards, despite vomitting not being a symptom I’d had at ALL before, didn’t even have nausea before. So I clearly became, in some way, more sensitive after quitting gluten. BUT I am a celiac.
2. I have heard from vegetarians and vegans who go back to eating meat, that meat will make them sick, nauseated, the shits, etc. Sometimes even from only a bite. Whether or not this applies to other foods, or to everyone, is still in question.
But I do believe that this is possible.
Is it true, that if you go gluten free, but you are not gluten sensitive, it can have a bad effect on your body, so you could feel healthier by not going gluten free? Please let me have your opinion, thank-you
I agree. I am non-celiac gluten sensitive (severely sensitive) and it has been very painful. Coffee is the least of my worries.
Does tea have this same effect?
I don’t give a rip. I’m having my cup of organic Swiss-water process decaf once a week. It is what it is.