gluten intolerance |
What is the buzz about gluten these days? Every other person is talking about gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity. What is it?
Over 20 million Americans experience stomach problems from gluten.
A number of people also complain of celiac disease (CD), which is an autoimmune
disorder caused by gluten sensitivity or intolerance.
However, gluten doesn’t rattle
the guts of each one of us, but only affects people with celiac disease. This
means gluten isn’t all that bad for everyone. It is not good for people with
CD.
In CD patients, these proteins are absorbed in the small intestinal
walls. As a result, the immune system mistakes these proteins as intruders, starting
a furious, tissue-damaging inflammatory response.
In normal human beings, small bowel comprises villi or finger-like
projections, which produce digestive enzymes. However, in celiac disease
patients, the misguided response from the immune system attacks these villi. As
a result, these fingerlike projections produce fewer digestive enzymes while
absorbing less nutrients. Such reaction of the immune system can damage the
intestinal tract, leading to various digestive problems, nutrient deficiencies,
and increased risk of diseases.
In celiac disease, small intestine is inflamed and gluten causes
it to leak, resulting in diarrhea, anemia, weight loss, and osteoporosis. There
is also a risk of bowel cancer.
Celiac Disease Symptoms
Though the exact cause of CD is still not clear yet, it is known to be a genetically inherited disorder. Some of the most common CD symptoms in kids may include:
- abdominal bloating
- constipation
- chronic diarrhea
- foul-smelling or fatty stool
- chronic gas
- nausea
- stomach pain
- vomiting
Contrarily, adults are less likely to experience digestive problems from celiac disease. Their symptoms may include
- depression
- bone/joint pain
- anemia
- anxiety
- extreme tiredness
- infertility
- itchy skin rashes
- dermatitis
- canker sores in the mouth
- missed menstrual periods
- recurrent miscarriage seizures
- headches
- osteoporosis
- ulcers
- intestinal blockage
What is Gluten
Gluten is derived from the word glue, as it has glue-like
properties.
It is a term used for the proteins found most commonly in grains,
such as wheat, barley, and rye. In simple words, gluten acts as glue that helps
foods maintain their shape. The two sub-proteins, including gliadin and
glutenin, form strands when it comes in contact with water, which strengthen
dough. It gives elastic properties to dough and allows breads to rise upon
baking.
These proteins create pockets in the dough that trap air released
from leavening agents.
Risks
- · Gluten can cause intestinal problems and inflammation and degeneration of intestinal lining.
- · It may have compromise the barrier function of the small bowel, thus raising the risk of leakage of unwanted substances into the bloodstream. However, it is still unclear whether this condition only affects people with celiac disease or also those with no celiac disease but gluten intolerance.
- · It may raise the risk of irritable bowel syndrome.
- · It may cause a leaking gut.
- · Many neurological problems may result from gluten sensitivity in some patients – known as gluten-sensitive idiopathic neuropathy.
- · Cerebellar ataxia is a serious disease of the brain that is claimed to be partly caused by gluten. In this condition, the patient is not able to coordinate movements and balance and experiences communication problems.
- · Gluten ataxia is directly linked to gluten intolerance, which involves irreversible damage to cerebellum.
- · Epilepsy, autism, schizophrenia are known to respond well to a gluten-free diet.
- · Gluten may have opioid-like effect on some people and cause cravings for wheat and related cereals.
- · It is related with many autoimmune diseases, such as Hashimotos thyroid, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, among others.
Gluten Intolerance
Symptoms
Some people with no celiac disease may also get gluten
intolerance. In such patients, there is no attack on the body’s own tissues. But
many symptoms are similar to that of celiac disease. The patient may experience
fatigue, bloating, diarrhea, stomach pain, ands pain in the joints and bones.
- · Skin rashes
- · Fatigue
- · Diarrhea
- · Headache
- · Bloated stomach
Wheat Allergy
or Wheat Intolerance
You may be intolerant or allergic to wheat if you have any of the
following symptoms. However, having these symptoms does not indicate a
confirmed wheat allergy. This could be due to other medical conditions. Always
check with your doctor to understand the cause of your symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Bloated stomach
- Arthritis
- Depression
- Chest pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Eczema
- Mood swings
- Feeling dizzy
- Palpitations
- Joint pain
- Skin rashes
- Psoriasis
- Sneezing
- Fatigue
- Swollen throat
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Unexplained cough
- Watery or itchy eyes
- Runny nose
Wheat
is listed as one of the top food allergens, besides milk, soy, tree nuts, peanuts,
shellfish, fish, and eggs.
If you are intolerant to wheat, you may still have some chance of
returning to using wheat after a short break. Unfortunately, if you have
developed wheat allergy, there is no point of return.
Gluten
Free Foods
Allowed foods
The following foods are naturally gluten-free:
·
Fruits and vegetables
·
Fresh eggs
·
Unprocessed beans, seeds and
nuts
·
Fresh meats, fish and poultry
·
Most dairy products
Gluten-free
foods are produced with gluten-free grains, which include quinoa, corn, tapioca,
rice, teff, and oats. High in iron, protein, and fiber, chickpea flour/gram
flour (besan) is a gluten-free food, which is tasty and has an awesome flavor.
- · Amaranth flour
- · Arrowroot flour
- · Barley flour
- · Banana flour – made from raw, dried bananas
- · Brown rice flour
- · Buckwheat flour
- · Chia flour
- · Coconut flour
- · Chickpea flour
- · Cornflour
- · Coffee flour
- · Corn meal
- · Hemp flour
- · Millet flour
- · Maize flour
- · Lupin flour – belonging to the peanuts family
- · Potato flour
- · Oat flour
- · Quinoa flour – belongs to the beats & spinach family
- · Potato flour
- · Potato starch flour
- · Rye flour
- · Soya flour
- · Sorghum flour
- · Teff flour
- · Tapioca flour
- · White rice flour
Who Needs To Go On A Gluten-Free Diet?
gluten free |
If you have gluten sensitivity or intolerance or celiac disease,
the best option may be to go on a gluten-free diet. Celiac disease causes
inflammation of the lower gastrointestinal tract.
Common Foods
That Contain Gluten
Noodles, Pastas, chowmein, egg noodles, udon, raviolis, breads and
pastries, flatbreads, muffins, rolls, potato bread, pita, croissants, naan, cornbread,
donuts, crackers, baked goods, brownies, pie crusts, cereal & granola, corn
flakes and rice puffs, biscuits, waffles, pancakes, French toast, crepes, panko
breadcrumbs, stuffings, dressings, flour tortillas, sauces & gravies, beer,
brewer’s yeast,
Gluten
free: Rice noodles,
mung bean noodles, tofu, distilled beverages, vinegars, wines, hard liquor
Avoid Unless
Labeled Gluten Free
French fries, energy bars/granola bars, potato chips (especially
those with seasonings containing wheat starch or malt vinegar), candy, processed
lunch meats, soups that use cream and flour as a thickener, salad dressings and
marinades, starch or dextrin, brown rice syrup that uses barley enzymes, imitation
food, meat substitutes made with seitan, soy sauce, self-basting poultry,
cheesecake filling, pre-seasoned meats, beers, malt beverages and vinegars sourced
from gluten-containing grains.
·
herbal or nutritional supplements
·
lipstick, lipgloss, lip balm
·
drugs and over-the-counter medications
·
play-dough
Places where
cross-contact between gluten and non-gluten products can occur include
- · Flour sifters
- · Toasters
- · Oil used for deep frying breaded products and gluten-free items
- · Shared containers
- · Improperly washed containers
- · Condiments, including mayonnaise, jam, peanut butter, butter, mustard
- · Oats
- · Pizza
- · French fries
People with celiac disease are excessively
intolerant to gluten and develop gluten sensitivity or allergy. As a result,
they must remain on a strictly gluten-free diet all through their lives. If such persons accidentally end up eating a
gluten product, they may experience severe symptoms in the form of abdominal pain
or diarrhea. If you have celiac disease, you may experience severe reactions
from gluten, which could even cause extreme complications, such as small
intestinal cancer.
Here are a few gluten free recipes that you may want to try:
Here are a few gluten free recipes that you may want to try:
chickpea gluten free snacks |
References
Nice share. Beneficial to many
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ReplyDeleteGreat Information To how to avoid gluten products on Diet
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