Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease is one of the most common conditions worldwide it is estimated that 1 in 100 people suffer from this condition and more still are becoming sensitive or intolerant to this protein. So what is it exactly?

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is the inability to digest gluten (a protein found in wheat products and a lot of more common packaged, processed foods). Having this disease means that your small intestines are hypersensitive to gluten, this leads to a break down in the gut lining allowing food particles and other foods stuffs that should pass through your system out into your blood stream, this triggers an auto immune response.

Celiac disease is often triggered by an allergy to gluten and following a strict gluten free diet is considered the only definitive way to improve symptoms and prevent future health problems. Many experts in the field of food allergies believe that many more people may actually have celiac disease but not realise it. So, the question remains, do you struggle with your digestion? could gluten be an issue for you?

What are the Symptoms?

many symptoms come down to a dysfunction in the digestive tract, including the gut. Celiac disease is a type of auto immune disease in which an inflammatory response to gluten damages the tissue in the small intestine. In other words the intake of gluten triggers and immune response where the body views the small intestine as a foreign invader and attacks it.

Because a large part of nutrient absorption is done through the small intestine so if celiac disease is present, without a proper diet to address this, nutrient absorption stops working the way it should. The less nutrients our bodies get the more chance we have of becoming malnourished - leading to a lot more problems down the line.

This disease can be difficult to diagnose because it effects people in different ways. There is believed to be hundreds of symptoms within the body that are related to the effects of this disease on both the immune system and digestive system

some of the most common ones are:

Bloating Cramping

Diarrhoea or Constipation

Changes in weight

Brain fog

Trouble concentrating

Sleep disturbances

Chronic fatigue and headaches

Gluten is sometimes referred to as the 'silent killer' as it can be the source of lasting damage throughout the whole body without that person even knowing. Your gut bacterial is the starting place for where these symptoms start to develop and then they spread out by various tissues. Symptoms can range in terms of intensity and will depend on the persons own response. This means that everyone will experience different degrees, different reactions and different signs of the symptoms.

Because the symptoms of celiac disease are so similar to IBS, celiac disease can be difficult to spot.

There are more serious symptoms of the disease such as anaemia and intestinal cancers, it is important that if you feel you are experiencing any of the above that you visit your doctor to be tested.

Is Celiac Disease different to Gluten Sensitivity?

Yes, it is possible to have a gluten intolerance but not full blown celiac disease, this is referred to as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or NCGS. Again, the only way to treat this is by way of a proper diet.

today more and more people are identifying themselves as NCGS, myself included.

One reason for this is that we've become over exposed to gluten, it's everywhere. Gluten hides in so many foods today from packaged processed foods like cookies to cereal and ice-cream and even in condiments like ketchup. its even lurking in some beauty products.

as a whole people are becoming more knowledgeable to the effects of gluten and are choosing to either reduce or eliminate.

Diet is a BIG part of treating this disease, and a big part of what a nutrition coach, like myself, can help you with. If you have been diagnosed or you believe you are sensitive to gluten coaching can be a great help in getting your health back on track. You can contact me on Sinead.grant28@gmail if you have any questions.

Disclaimer

this post is for informational purposes only, it is not intended to diagnose or treat disease. It is not a substitute for medical treatment or advice. If you believe you may be affected by anything mentioned here please seek advise of your licensed medical practitioner.