What is gluten intolerance?
Gluten intolerance, or celiac disease is actually prevalent all over the world and called “the world’s most neglected disease“. The symptoms are varied and covers not only diarrhea and weight loss, but also include fatigue, increased sensitivity, crying, rashes and depression. Researches has revealed also there is an increase in metabolic problems, obesity and autoimmune diseases resulting from gluten allergy or intolerance.
Previously, celiac disease has been diagnosed by small-bowel biopsy, but it is now possible to detect by blood sampling. The above symptoms can be combined with elevated levels of either circulating antibodies (IgG and IgA) in the blood against gliadin, endomysie or transglutaminase (Ttg) against gliadin give rise to further investigation and consideration of the introduction of a gluten-free diet. A diet free of gluten will in most cases remove the related symptoms and normalize the levels of antibodies and transglutaminase.
Gluten allergy or intolerance symptoms
As more and more people are experiencing digestive problems and perhaps are diagnosed with “irritable bowel syndrome”, can increase attention to what should we eat. The most common foods to take into consideration are; milk and milk products, wheat and products containing wheat, eggs and soy. We eat more white bread, pasta and fast food, and most people consume far more refined white flour than they need.
Gluten is a protein molecule, particularly prevalent in wheat, but also found in other cereals such as rye, barley and oats. Gluten include the protein substance that helps bread to raise while baking. It is the reason why the bakers are looking for a high wheat gluten content. Gluten molecule can be difficult to digest for many and a high intake can trigger digestive problems.
We distinguish between:
• Wheat Intolerance
• Gluten Intolerance
• Clinical gluten intolerance (celiac disease)
• Coat gluten intolerance (celiac disease dumb)
Symptoms of gluten intolerance
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Air in the stomach
• Vomiting
• Poor job satisfaction
• Treat Unit
• Anorexia
• Small Diners
• Cold hands, feet and nose
• Flat butt (no bales)
• Increased vulnerability and sensibility
• Crying
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Rash and blemished skin
• Dermatitis herpetiformis – fluid-filled rash typically seen in celiac disease
• Negative attitude to life
• Depression
Furthermore also anemia could be seen , mostly in the form of iron deficiency or vitamin B12, B6 and folic acid.
The symptoms are much the same whether the case of gluten intolerance or allergies, and treatment should be omitting gluten-containing foods.
Diagnostic methods of gluten intolerance
The doctor can ascertain whether you suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance. The established health system does not operate with gluten intolerance, like celiac disease as a disorder considered highly underdiagnosed. People with celiac disease dumb also overlooked often. (Journal Home; “Celiac disease in adults”; January 2000)
Blood tests diagnose elevated levels of either circulating antibodies to gliadin (IgG and IgA), endomysie or transglutaminase (Ttg) against gliadin. Then you may be referred to tyndtarmsbiosi. Need to make a test for tyndtarmsbiosi is still discussed, as more and more specialists in the field recommend launching a gluten-free diet, if the above blood samples (EMA, AGA and Ttg) is elevated in the results. Often there has been a rapid decline of these values after the introduction of gluten-free diet.
With further development of ant-Ttg provision, one could imagine that in the future there will be possible diagnosis solely from an increase in this values.
Coat celiac disease
The symptoms of the silent celiac disease and clinical celiac disease are not identical. Blood test results in silent celiac are not elevated at all. It can thus as “silent”, but by treatment with gluten-free diet, it is frequently ended in recovery.
It is discussed constantly that more attention should be introduced screening for celiac disease in larger scale than today practiced. Among people developing conditions such as Type 1 diabetes, connective tissue diseases, liver diseases, metabolism related diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, Down’s syndrome, schizophrenia, epilepsy, osteoporosis, etc., it is assumed that there maybe a connection between these illnesses with celiac disease or silent celiac disease.
Gluten intolerance may show the same symptom picture as clinical celiac disease. Here, the condition can be restored by periodically gluten-free diet.
Effects of Gluten Intolerance
A healthy small intestine, which digests our food optimally, has a surface of about 5 m2. In untreated celiac disease one can see a significant reduction in this area as low as 10% in contrast with the original surface, that is, 0.5 m2. This has obviously disastrous consequences for the small intestine’s ability to digest and absorb vital nutrients.
In what food there is gluten?
Gluten can be found in many foods. Therefore, you should be extremely aware of the product labels and read them carefully.
Gluten is particularly found in:
Wheat flour, durum wheat, spelled, emmer, rye flour, rye kernels, barley, wholemeal flour, sifting, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole wheat, semolina, bulgur, couscous. You may also find residues of gluten in the oat products incorporating such oats. Oats dont naturally contain gluten, but it often processed with wheat products, so there will be traces of gluten in oats. It is possible to buy organic as well as custom-made oatmeal with guaranteed gluten.
You can also find gluten in bread, cakes, biscuits and pasta, bread crumbs, waffles, cereal and assorted baking mixes. Also ready meals, fast food dishes, sauces, meatballs, meatloaf or fish cakes etc., breaded products, pates, sausages, cold cuts as well as mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, tartar sauce, curry and many other spice blends.
Sweets can also contain gluten, so avoid liquorice, jelly, caramels and chocolates.
Beer contains gluten, but there are custom-made gluten-free beer sold in health food stores.
Gluten-free diet
It requires great attention in daily life to live gluten-free, but the biggest challenge is for the bread. Flour used in the preparation of daily dishes such as meatballs or sauces, can be easily replaced with rice flour.
But gluten-free baking requires a slightly special technique, since the flour to use for baking bread do not have the same capacity to rise as gluten flour.
It is best to cook the dough in a mixer or food processor. In this way, there is plenty of air for the dough. Let the dough rise for a short time or even better if you raise the program in your oven and bake at high temperature, either 220 or 250 degrees, causing the bread or buns to rise faster. See more information under the individual gluten-free recipes.
Be aware that gluten-free bread quickly becomes dry. Therefore, you may want to freeze it down immediately after baking in small pouches. Once you bake a gluten-free bun, then you take it out of the freezer, sprinkle it with a little water and vagaries in the oven. So the bread can be freshly baked.
It is also possible to cook delicious, gluten-free pizzas, pita bread and rye bread. See more under gluten-free recipes.
Milk and gluten allergies and intolerances
If you suffer from gluten intolerance then intolerance to milk and milk products such as yoghurt and cheese would be possible as well. This is because the changes in intestinal mucosa due to gluten allergy. The enzymes involved in the cleavage of lactose and casein (milk sugar and milk protein) may be more difficult to digest. Intake of milk and dairy products in such circumstances enhance the symptoms and cause increased discomfort. Therefore, it is recommended to leave out milk and dairy products from the diet and replace with rice milk, almond milk or coconut milk if necessary. The milk used in the preparation of pastries or dinner dishes like meatballs or sauces should be replaced with water.
Gluten-free products
If you do not have time to bake yourself, then many healthy food stores offer today gluten-free bread or organic, gluten-free products complying with your diet. So you can do your shopping there and possibly freeze.
Many would benefit from less wheat
Many people, regardless of gluten allergy or intolerance, could benefit from less wheat in daily life. Therefore, it could be a good exercise to have greater attention to the products that contain wheat, and possibly just use rice flour in cooking instead of flour or water instead of milk. Try it, it’s easier than you think.
