What is gluten intolerance?

Gluten intolerance is also known as celiac disease. It is a chronic intestinal disorder that occurs due to an intolerance to gluten. How do you know that you have this disease and what can you do about it?

Gluten is a protein found in all grains. But only the grains containing gliadin also cause celiac disease. Rice and corn, for example, do not cause celiac disease because their gluten does not contain gliadin.

The immune response to gliadin will lead to reduced absorption of nutrients in the intestine. Typical complaints are diarrhea, flatulence, weight loss and fatigue.

The diagnosis is made by taking a blood sample and possibly supplemented with an endoscopy of the small intestine. Treatment consists of a gluten-free diet. These people are therefore not allowed to eat wheat, rye, barley and spelt for life. They must therefore be especially careful with bread, crackers, pizza, pasta, breadcrumbs, cookies, cake and pie, but sauces and soups can also contain gluten in the binding agent or vermicelli. They can eat rice and corn.

Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/celiac-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20352220

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2024-08-02 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024