This is where it gets a little science-y, but I’ll keep it real. The most reliable test looks for antibodies in your blood. Specifically, the tTG-IgA antibody. Think of it as your body’s internal alarm system—if it’s ringing, you might have celiac disease, which is an autoimmune reaction to gluten. Note: this is different from gluten intolerance (non-celiac gluten sensitivity), but the test is the same starting point.
Here’s the kicker: you must be eating gluten for this test to work. If you’ve already gone cold turkey on bread, your blood might look clean even if you’re secretly intolerant. The rule of thumb is at least one serving of gluten per day for six to eight weeks before the blood draw. Yes, it sounds miserable. But skipping this step is like trying to find a ghost in an empty house.
