Why Going Gluten Free Isn’t Always Enough: A Gut Health Q&A with Noisy Guts CEO, Josephine Muir
For many people in the coeliac and gluten-free community, going gluten free is supposed to be the moment everything changes (the bloating eases, the cramps settle, and the gut finally starts behaving). But as many of us know all too well… sometimes the symptoms don’t magically disappear.
Digestive health is complex, and when symptoms linger, it can be confusing, frustrating, and honestly a little overwhelming. That’s why I reached out to someone who lives and breathes this world every day: Josephine Muir, CEO of Noisy Guts and creator of Superflora, a certified low-FODMAP, gluten-free gut health range.
Josephine’s background in medical research, combined with her personal experience with IBS, gives her a unique understanding of gut disorders, gluten sensitivity, FODMAPs and everything in between. I asked her some of the biggest questions people in our community often have and her answers were incredibly insightful.
Below is our full Q&A.
For those who’ve gone gluten free but still experience bloating or discomfort, what are some of the most common reasons why symptoms might persist?
Going gluten free isn’t always the magic fix people hope for. The gut is rarely that simple. In fact, research shows that up to 1 in 4 people with coeliac disease continue to have IBS-type symptoms even after removing gluten and the overlap goes both ways, with a significant proportion of people with IBS reporting gluten sensitivity as well. Our gut disorders love to cluster. For me personally, deciphering my gut health feels like untangling a ball of string. My IBS sits alongside non-coeliac gluten sensitivity and gastroesophageal reflux disease. This combination means my gut is hypersensitive and reactive, even if I’m strict with gluten and careful with FODMAPs, I can still bloat or cramp because my vagus nerve and gut-brain axis are already dialled up. If you’ve gone gluten-free but your symptoms are still hanging around, here are some common reasons why: · High-FODMAP ingredients in gluten-free foods So many gluten-free products use ingredients like inulin, soy flour or polyols - all high-FODMAP and highly fermentable. Gluten-free doesn’t automatically mean symptom free. For example, at your favourite pizzeria, a gluten-free pizza may have a wheat-free base but also have high FODMAP ingredients in the sauce and toppings like onion, garlic and mushrooms. · Inadvertent gluten exposure Even tiny amounts of gluten from sauces, shared fryers or cross-contact can trigger symptoms in people with coeliac disease and keep inflammation ticking along. · Overall dietary composition Many packaged gluten-free foods are high in fat, additives or rapidly fermentable carbs. Fat can slow gut motility, which is a well-known trigger for people with IBS. · Non-diet causes. Symptoms can persist because of things like certain medications, SIBO, H.pylori, constipation, hormonal changes, pelvic floor dysfunction or one of the biggest contributors - stress. The gut-brain connection is powerful; if stress levels are high, even a “perfect” diet might not feel perfect in your gut. For example, here’s what I discovered this morning when I wanted peanut butter on toast for breakfast. Peanut butter is gluten-free and low fodmap (the recommended low fodmap serving size = 50g) but that doesn’t mean it’s always symptom-free. If you get bloating or cramping after eating peanut butter, the culprit is often the fat content, not the fodmaps or gluten. When I compared 2 popular brands in my pantry, I found that one had noticeably more fat, plus double the sugar and less fibre. Being a label detective, rather than just looking for the words “gluten-free” or “low fodmap” means you can make better choices to avoid triggers. In case you’re wondering, Mayver’s Smunchy 5 Seeds Peanut Butter was the winner!
Can you explain what the low FODMAP diet is, and why it can sometimes be beneficial for people with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance?
What is it? The low fodmap diet is a short-term, structured three-phase diet (elimination → reintroduction → personalization) that reduces the intake of fermentable short-chain carbohydrates: oligosaccharides, disaccharides (lactose), monosaccharides (fructose in excess) and polyols. How does it work? Fermentation in the gut is a normal part of the digestive process. But in people with IBS, high fodmap content encourages excess fermentation causing problems. Fodmaps are either slowly absorbed in the small intestine or not absorbed at all. They attract water into the intestines (result = bloating) and rapidly ferment (result = bloating + farting). And that’s why many IBS sufferers “feel” when trouble is brewing. Reducing FODMAP intake reduces the substrate for fermentation and often decreases gas, bloating and pain. Why can the low fodmap diet help people with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance? Many people with coeliac disease who remain symptomatic despite a strict gluten-free diet have IBS-like symptoms driven by FODMAPs (or transient lactose intolerance). Randomised and observational data show that a low-FODMAP trial can reduce persistent IBS-type symptoms in treated coeliac patients. Two popular studies that are cited in support of the low fodmap diet in coeliac patients are van Megel et al (2022) and Trott (2018).
From your experience, what are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about gut health and food intolerances?
“If I feel better off gluten, it must be gluten…” Not always. Many symptom improvements are actually due to reducing high-FODMAP wheat components or eating less processed food. Controlled studies suggest FODMAPs explain many cases labelled “non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.” Wheat itself contains several FODMAPs: · Fructans: These are the most common FODMAPs found in wheat. · GOS (Galacto-oligosaccharides): These are another type of carbohydrate found in wheat that can cause digestive issues in some people · Fructose: This is a simple sugar found in found in wheat. Fructose can cause digestive issues, but it is usually at way too small a concentration in wheat products to be a problem “I’ll have to restrict my diet FOREVER…” The low-FODMAP diet is designed as a temporary elimination followed by reintroduction to widen the diet again. It’s true that many people feel better during the elimination phase and can be reluctant to reintroduce potential triggers. But over-restriction raises the risk of poor nutrient intake and harms gut microbiome diversity. Plus, it’s the low FODMAP diet is not the no FODMAP diet. Very few foods are so high in FODMAPs that you have to exclude them completely, even during the elimination stage of the diet (only garlic, onion and inulin spring to mind). For the majority of foods there is a ‘green’, low FODMAP serving size that can be enjoyed at each phase.
What first inspired you to get involved in the gut health and low FODMAP space? Was there a personal turning point?
In 2017 I was working as the Associate Director of the Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training at The University of Western Australia. My day-to-day responsibilities involved managing the research agenda for Nobel Laureate Professor Barry Marshall. While Prof was particularly interested in very complicated cases of antibiotic-resistant helicobacter, he was very curious about functional gut disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome – mainly because it was a perplexing and ongoing problem with no cure in sight. I was personally delighted that IBS caught his attention because I’d been diagnosed with the condition in my early twenties. Based on one of Prof’s ideas around borborygmi, I put together a research team that started listening, recording and analysing gut noises. It was a fascinating research project that inspired Noisy Guts and ultimately the development of the Superflora gut health range.
Can you tell us a little about Superflora and how your products support gut health?
We make a range of Superflora gut health products that are certified low fodmap and gluten-free. All of our products use clinically validated prebiotic fibre (partially hydrolysed guar gum) and an IBS-specific probiotic (Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856). Superflora products are designed to be gentle on sensitive guts: they contain soluble prebiotic fibre (which can help stool form and feed beneficial bacteria) without the large fermentable carbohydrates that trigger symptoms for people with IBS. We currently have 3 types of products – Gut Health Shakes, Daily Gut Health Boosts and functional Hot Chocolates and chai. And next month, we’re launching our limited-edition Raspberry & Coconut Christmas Granola!
Looking ahead, how do you see gut health science evolving? What excites you most about the future?
I feel that there’s still plenty of scope to improve personalised nutrition, along with new biomarkers and diagnostics (microbiome signatures, immune-cell assays) that will let clinicians predict which diet or therapy an individual is likely to respond to. I’m excited about next-gen probiotics, especially new ‘psychobiotics’ – just waiting for the clinical trial data to ensure the science stacks up. And I’m feeling positive about the introduction of new digital tools that can help make the low fodmap diet easier. While I live on the Monash Fodmap and Fodmap Friendly Apps, there’s definitely more scope for user-friendly tools that incorporate meal planning, barcode scanning, recipe adaptation, etc. Would it be fabulous to be able to use your phone camera to identify fodmap friendly menu options?
Final Thoughts
Gut health is deeply personal and rarely straightforward. Josephine’s insights show that while gluten plays a major role for people with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance, it’s only one piece of a much larger puzzle. FODMAPs, stress, medications, microbiome imbalances, overall diet composition… they all interact in ways that can either support or disrupt your gut.
The good news? With the right information, tools and support, it is possible to understand your triggers and rebuild a calmer, more predictable gut. Brands like Noisy Guts and products like Superflora are helping make that easier by offering options that are both scientifically grounded and gentle on sensitive digestive systems.
A huge thank you to Josephine for sharing her expertise and for continuing to pave the way for innovation in the gut health space.
If you’re interested in learning more about Superflora or exploring their low-FODMAP, gluten-free gut health range, you can find them through this link or via the Marketplace on Coeliapp.
