By: Nathan Siegel
Ever wonder why gluten free products are offered in stores and now restaurants frequently offer gluten free menus? Let the truth be told that being gluten free is more than just a fashion trend. Many people that are unable to digest particular foods containing wheat, rye or barley have an inherited auto-immune disorder called Celiac Disease. According to Rubio-Tapia, Ludvigsson, Brantner, Murray and Everhart (2012) as many as one in 141 people living in the United States have Celiac Disease. In other research the statistics regarding prevalence vary.
What is Celiac Disease and what happens when an individual with Celiac eats gluten?
Even though many people are avoiding gluten as a “popular trend”, for someone who has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease gluten is 100% prohibited. Leonard, Sapone, Catassi and Fasano (2017) state that Celiac is an inherited auto-immune disorder brought out by the ingestion of gluten. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye and barley, so when a person with Celiac eats or uses any products containing those grains their immune system is triggered and attacks the finger like projections in the small intestine called villi (Leonard, Capone, Catassi, & Fasano, 2017). A person with Celiac disease not only will become extremely ill if they eat gluten but due to the scarring of the villi, absorbing sufficient nutrients for the body to stay healthy becomes challenging. If those with Celiac Disease do not follow a gluten free diet for the rest of their lives, they could develop a myriad of problems including certain cancers.
How do I find out if I have Celiac Disease?
Usually the initial screening for Celiac Disease is a blood test, but the “gold standard” is an endoscopy via the esophagus and a small intestine biopsy (Bobbins-Domingo et al., 2017). Bobbins-Domingo et al. (2017) did not advise performing the endoscopic exam to people who were asymptomatic due to possible complications.
Symptoms include:
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Missed periods
- Vitamin deficiencies
Unfortunately there is no cure for Celiac Disease, Rodriguez-Almagro, Rodriguez-Almagro, Solano-Ruiz, Siles-Gonzalez, and Hernandez-Martinez (2019) state that the only treatment at this time for Celiac Disease is a lifelong adherence to a gluten free diet.
So the next time you encounter someone who is picky about their choice of food, be respectful, attentive and patient because there could be a medical reason behind his or her requests!
References
Bibbins-Domingo, K., Grossan, D. C., Curry, S. J., Barry, M. J., Davidson, K. W., Doubeni, C. A., …Tseng, C.W. (2017). Screening for Celiac Disease: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA, 327(12), 1252-1257. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.2462
Leonard, M. M., Sapone, A., Catassi, C., & Fasano, A. (2017). Celiac Disease and Nonceliac Gluten Sensitivity: A Review. JAMA,318(7), 647-656. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.9730
Rodriguez-Almagro, J., Rodriguez-Almagro, D,. Solano-Ruiz, Mc., Siles-Gonzalez, J,. & Hernandez-Martinez, A. (2019). The Nutritional and Social Contexts of Celiac Disease in Women: A Qualitative Study. The Journal Of Nursing Research: JNR, 27(2), e17. https://doi.org/10.1097/jnr.0000000000000284
Rubio-Tapia, A., Ludvigsson, J.F., Brantner, T.L., Murray, J.A., & Everhart, J.E. (2012). The prevalence of celiac disease in the United States. The American Journal Of Gastronenterology, 107(10), 1538. https://doi.org/10.1038/ajg.2012.219