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CELIAC DISEASE

Celiac disease is a type of gluten allergy that is a serious digestive disorder. According to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, celiac disease affects 1 in 133 people in the U.S., and the numbers continue to increase. Having a first-degree relative (mother, father, or sibling) with the disease increases your chance to 1 in 22.  Around the globe, 1 in 200 people have celiac disease, with higher rates in cultures that eat a lot of wheat, like Italy, Australia, and the U.S. For example, in Australia the statistics are 1 in 100.

When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten-containing products, his body produces an auto-immune response which attacks the intestinal villi. These villi are responsible for nutrient absorption. Picture the inside of your intestines like long carpet. The damage to this healthy environment in someone with celiac disease would result in the flattening of this villi…or to change that picture in your head, worn out, flattened carpet. Without the proper villi to absorb nutrients, a person with celiac disease would suffer from many different symptoms of malnutrition. That is why it is important to know that people with celiac disease may not have symptoms that are gastrointestinal. Often these symptoms can be so diverse that many people are unaware the disease is present.

Here are possible symptoms:

-Abdominal bloating and pain

-Anxiety/Depression

-Arthritis

-Bone or joint pain

-Canker sores

-Chronic diarrhea

-Constipation

-Delayed growth & development

-Fatigue

-Infertility and/or Miscarriages

-Irritability

-Missed menstrual periods

-Numbness

-Osteoporosis

-Mucous excess

-Seizures

-Rashes

-Tooth enamel decay

-Unexplained iron-deficiency anemia

-Weight loss

-Vomiting

GLUTEN INTOLERANCE

While 1 in 100 people have celiac disease, gluten intolerance is 30 times more prevalent. 1 in 7 people are sensitive to gluten, but test negative for celiac disease. These people suffer from many of the same symptoms as those with celiac disease. These people c an also have intestinal damage. In time, and on a gluten-free diet, the intestinal villi can repair. It is estimated that it takes 3-6 months in children and several years for an adult.

But I thought “whole grains” were good for you!

There is a reason that this disease is growing, and it has to do with the way we process our food. For the most part, grains and dairy products (made from cow’s milk) have become so processed that they are no longer good for our health. Interestingly enough, grains in more traditional cultures, such as Ethiopia and India, ferment their grains for days (if not weeks) before being prepared into a meal. The quality of grains in these cultures are far from being the same level of quality of the grains we purchase in plastic bags at the grocery store here. The traditional methods of soaking, sprouting, and souring grains in order to make them digestible and nutritious has been abandoned to produce food faster and cheaper. Wheat also has been genetically engineered from it’s pure state so that it is fungal-resistant and can be produced in a higher yield. These processed grains contain a high amount of gluten and lectin. Some researchers believe that the traditional methods of preparing grains reduce the toxic peptides responsible for celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

Testing:

There are blood tests that can test for a celiac gene, but they cannot conclude if the disease is active. In some people, it can lay dormant for years before something “triggers” it, whether that be a virus, stress, or just a large consumption of gluten. If you are tested positive for the gene, the only way to truly know if you have celiac disease is to undergo a rather invasive endoscopy, where doctors will search for evidence of destroyed intestinal villa.

But…

As mentioned before, people with gluten intolerance will test negative for the celiac gene, and yet gluten intolerance is even more prevalent! So what then? There are two schools of thought on this issue. (1) An elimination diet or (2) stool sample. In an elimination diet, one would eliminate all gluten-containing products for 3-4 weeks to see if they notice a difference in any of their symptoms. After 3-4 weeks of being completely gluten-free, you would add gluten back in and see if you notice a reaction. When I did this, I noticed that after 3 weeks I could think more clearly and wasn’t as fatigued. I had been so tired, I literally started to fall asleep standing up. When I reintroduced gluten I had horrible gastro-intestinal issues. That pretty much proved it for me!

The second, a stool sample, is a cost-effective way to find out if you are gluten intolerant. You can find out more at www.enterolab.com This lab will test not only for gluten intolerance, but also dairy, eggs, and yeast. Hopefully this isn’t too much info…but one of my family members will be doing this soon. I like this, because sometimes an elimination diet can be tricky.

The art of reading food labels:

I would be lying to you if I said that this isn’t overwhelming at first. All I can promise you is that it won’t always be hard! Sometimes I forget that I even have an issue. You definitely become accustomed to what you can have, and label reading becomes easy. Because wheat is one of the top 10 allergens, the FDA requires “wheat” to be clearly labeled. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about any of the millions of scientific names of wheat anymore, because you will see it in plain english: “wheat” if the product contains it! Here are the other words you need to stay away from: barley, rye, spelt, bran, malt, malitol, and beer (although, they DO make gluten-free beer) It’s fairly easy to find glutens in food. Just make sure you don’t take anything for granted. Check it ALL at first–even your ketchup! You’ll be surprised at where it can hide…seasoning mixes, your Thanksgiving turkey, broths & stocks, and soy sauce. The good news: all of those things DO come with a gluten-free option.

And now the non-foods…

It might surprise you, but gluten can be hidden in:

-glue on stamps & envelopes (get the peel off)

-lip balms, lotion, makeup, shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, sunscreen, soap

-playdough

-low quality vitamins & supplements

So…moral of the story: be a label reader.

Sources:

Axe, Josh, DC. “What’s the Deal With Gluten?” http://www.draxe.com/

health-articles/2010/2/10/whats-the-deal-with-gluten.html

Young, Nikki “Why You Should Go Gluten Free.” Why You Should Go

Gluten Free EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?Why–You–

Should–Go–Gluten–Free&id=1588298

Celiac Disease, Gluten

Intolerance…what’s the difference?