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Sales in gluten-free foods and drinks are skyrocketing, up 44 percent between 2011 and 2013, according to one marketing company, Mintel. You probably know at least one person who has cut gluten from their daily diet. Could you benefit from a gluten-free diet?

Eliminating gluten can be a truly life-changing step for people with celiac disease and sensitivities or allergies to wheat or gluten. But for the rest of us, gluten isn't the diet buster it's been made out to be.

So what exactly is gluten? Denise Frey, RDN, LDN, a clinical dietitian at Blue Mountain Health System, recently discussed gluten- and wheat-free diets during a community presentation.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. It's what makes dough stretchy, and gives breads and baked goods that chewy texture we enjoy so much. Gluten is found in most breads, crackers, pasta, cereal, baked goods and beer.

It's also found in any processed food that contains wheat which means a lengthy list of foods for true gluten-sufferers to avoid.

Celiac disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease whose only known treatment is to avoid eating gluten. Approximately 1 percent of people are diagnosed with celiac disease but it's thought that 2.5 million Americans have celiac and don't know it.

"Without a diagnosis, they are at risk for some long-term health complications," said Frey.

If a person with celiac eats a food that contains gluten, it causes the body to attack and damage the lining of the small intestine.

This can prevent the body from absorbing nutrients, which over time can lead to anemia, early onset osteoporosis, infertility, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, nervous system disorders and neurological problems. Untreated celiac can also lead to gastrointestinal cancers.

Symptoms of celiac disease can occur weeks to even years after exposure to gluten, and typically include diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss (or failure to thrive in children), abdominal pain or bloating, constipation, fatigue, and headaches.

"These symptoms can be caused by other conditions. That's the hard thing about celiac disease," said Frey. "It's very difficult to diagnosis."

If they suspect celiac, doctors can do blood work to check for anemia (a common red flag) or celiac antibodies. An intestinal biopsy, which looks for damage caused by gluten consumption, is the "gold standard" and the only way to get a true diagnosis.

Gluten sensitivity

Gluten sensitivity is a so-called "gray area" in medicine. Doctors believe it exists, and know that a gluten-free diet can help, but as of now there is no way to diagnose this sensitivity.

"I say gray area because non-celiac gluten sensitivity is not yet defined. It can't be properly diagnosed, and the long-term effects are still unknown," said Frey.

Doctors typically suspect gluten sensitivity if a patient has tested negative for celiac and wheat allergies, but is having symptoms of these disorders. These symptoms typically disappear with diet changes.

Symptoms can begin within hours to days of exposure to gluten, and include abdominal pain, eczema, headache, foggy mind, fatigue, diarrhea, anemia, depression, joint pain, and numbness in the arms or legs.

"These are still symptoms for many different problems. That's why it's so challenging for doctors to diagnosis a gluten sensitivity," said Frey. "With celiac disease, you can have a diagnosis with a biopsy.

There are diagnostic tests for a wheat allergy. There is no test for gluten sensitivity. We don't have enough research to give us all of these answers."

Wheat allergy

Wheat allergies are often confused with celiac disease, but more easily diagnosed. Doctors typically diagnose a wheat allergy with a food diary, skin test, or blood work.

Wheat allergies are more common in babies or toddlers, especially in children whose parents have hay fever, and it is possible to outgrow this allergy. Adults can develop a wheat allergy as a cross-sensitivity to grass pollen.

A wheat allergy is a reaction, sometimes life-threatening, to the proteins in wheat such as albumin and globulin.

"These are the ones, in baked goods, that cause a chemical reaction and make them taste really good," said Frey.

Reactions can begin within minutes or hours of eating or inhaling wheat particles, and include itching, swelling or irritation of mouth or throat, hives, headache, itchy watery eyes, cramps or nausea, vomiting, anaphylaxis, rhinitis and conjunctivitis.

Treatment for a wheat allergy, like all food allergies, involves avoiding wheat. It may be necessary to carry a prescription epi-pen if you have a life-threatening reaction to wheat exposure. Unlike celiac disease, people with a wheat allergy can still eat barley and rye.

"Wheat is always listed as an allergen on food labels, so this is the relatively easy one to avoid," she said.