Gluten is a protein that can be found in wheat, barley, and rye, three very healthy grains. But for those with celiac disease the body will treat gluten as a toxin, triggering an immune response which means antibody production and inflammation. In severe cases the intestinal tract can become damaged putting a person at risk of inadequate nutrition (leading to anemia, osteoporosis, etc.) due to malabsorption of vitamins and nutrients. Other non-gastrointestinal symptoms can also occur like skin rash, fatigue, and mental fuzziness. The cure for celiac disease is to avoid gluten; the gut can heal itself over time.
So don't fall for those fancy detox schemes that suggest detoxifying your system with a gluten-free diet. For most of us, especially we vegetarians who use gluten as an excellent plant-source of protein, pass the barley soup, rye bread sandwiches and wheat flour muffins please!
9-10-11 Addendum:
Since posting this I've learned that actually one third of us carry one of two versions of the gene for the disease. So something triggers it - infection, surgery, drugs, or something else. This means you can, at any age, develop celiac disease. I also learned that you can have gluten sensitivity and so not tolerate it well (mainly diarrhea) but not get the full blown disease. There's also 'celiac lite' which is some worse than a sensitivity but also not true celiac.
3 comments:
Mmmm...wheat gluten.
-Shirin
Good Article Ingrid joon. I recently found out I am Gluten Intolerant. I also found this stuff called Proteases which actually help break down the gluten enzymes in the body before eating gluten to help digestion. Lot of new stuff but ends up making sense when mysterious health issues arise then disappear by just fixing the gutt.
LuvnHugs
-marjan
Ahh interesting, sort of like the lactase enzyme supplements for those with lactose intolerance. Glad you found something to help.
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