My Gluten Free Story...coming soon
First let me preface by saying, if you are gluten-free you know how it changes everything. If you are not gluten-free and you are wondering if you should be, maybe I will give you some insight. I am lucky to have both a personal and professional perspective about wheat and gluten intolerance.
What is Gluten? Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other related grains like, spelt, kamut, barley, rye, and triticale. There is a debate on whether oats contain gluten or not. Most oats are processed on shared equipment used by wheat. There are certified gluten-free oat products out there. Personally, when I eat oats (non-gluten-free), I feel ill.
People often ask me, “Were you always like this?” “Did you always have to eat like this?” Unfortunately, most diagnosed cases of celiacs, gluten Intolerance or sensitivity occur in people who are older 20’s to 40’s. I have even seen cases of people diagnosed in their 60’s. There is a genetic predisposition to becoming gluten intolerant. Often people of European descent are predisposed, where wheat ancestrally was not a staple food. People with ABO blood type O tend to be from European decent. Predisposition, viral infection or other illness may induce gluten intolerance in these individuals.
What is Gluten? Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other related grains like, spelt, kamut, barley, rye, and triticale. There is a debate on whether oats contain gluten or not. Most oats are processed on shared equipment used by wheat. There are certified gluten-free oat products out there. Personally, when I eat oats (non-gluten-free), I feel ill.
People often ask me, “Were you always like this?” “Did you always have to eat like this?” Unfortunately, most diagnosed cases of celiacs, gluten Intolerance or sensitivity occur in people who are older 20’s to 40’s. I have even seen cases of people diagnosed in their 60’s. There is a genetic predisposition to becoming gluten intolerant. Often people of European descent are predisposed, where wheat ancestrally was not a staple food. People with ABO blood type O tend to be from European decent. Predisposition, viral infection or other illness may induce gluten intolerance in these individuals.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the cells of the small intestine are attacked. The small intestine is instrumental in digestion. A trigger like a viral infection may lead to the formation of antibodies against gluten. Gluten and viruses have similar amino acid sequences. The similarities of the two, may lead antibodies to attack gluten as well as the virus it was intended to fight. As our immune system fights off a virus, now it is tricked into thinking gluten and other gluten containing grains are indeed something bad and foreign to the body.
The continued ingestion of gluten in individuals who have become gluten intolerant damages the gastrointestinal cells, especially the small intestine. Cramping, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue and many others may be symptoms of gluten intolerance. A biopsy of the small intestine is diagnostic for celiac disease and shows atrophied cells. Blood tests may indicate if someone has antibodies to gluten, and if a gluten free diet would be beneficial.
Damaged cells lose their ability to function properly, digest and maintain cellular integrity. Leaky gut is a term describing poor cellular membrane integrity of a damaged gastrointestinal tract. These cellular membranes no longer have tight cellular junctions. The loose, leaky cells now spill their content and expose it to the blood stream. When we expose our blood to the gut content this increases food sensitivity, illness, inflammation and immune response throughout the body.
