Self-Reported Gluten Intolerance Is Prevalent, but Not All Gluten-Containing Foods Are Equal

Background Celiac disease prevalence approaches 1%; more suffer from non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Aims Our goal was to estimate the prevalence of gluten intolerance. Methods We invited US adults (18–80 years) via Amazon’s mechanical Turk to complete an online survey. Gluten intolerance was defined as self-reported intolerance to wheat, barley, rye, flour, or pasta. Those with celiac disease were not excluded. Results We collected 2133 responses. Rate of gluten intolerance was 5.1% (95% CI 4.2–6.1%). Each food had different rates: wheat 4.8%, flour 1.2%, pasta 0.9%, barley 0.8%, and rye 0.8%. Among 108 adults reporting any gluten intolerance, 62.0% selected only wheat, 10.2% selected all gluten-containing grains excluding pasta and flour, and 5.6% selected all gluten-containing products. Overall intolerance to any food was 24.8% (95% CI 23.0–26.6%). Wheat was second only to lactose. Conclusions Self-reported intolerance to wheat, but not all gluten-containing foods, is common. Findings may suggest poor knowledge of gluten-containing foods or that self-perceived non-celiac gluten sensitivity is prevalent.