An intolerance or allergy to gluten diagnosis is much more common than it used to be, and you may have been diagnosed or know someone with an intolerance to gluten, diagnosis of Celiacs or symptoms of gluten sensitivity. Here is some helpful Celiac Info for You as well as information on Flaxseed gluten free.
It is estimated that ~3 million people in America have the disease, yet ~97% are undiagnosed. Those with thyroid disease, Diabetes Type 1, and Down Syndrome have a higher incidence of having Celiacs.
What is Celiac's?
Celiac's is an allergy or intolerance to gluten diagnosis. It is defined by the gluten peptides of wheat, rye and barley damaging and destroying the villi and microvilli of the small intestine of the small intestine causing the body to be malnutrition.Technically, Celiac is a very common autoimmune disease that may be inherited and even though it is devastating for some, many people have found ways to live free of gluten with successful and healthy lives.Celiac (CD) is medically called Celiac disease, but I won't be calling it that here as has a negative connotation -and the fact is, Celiac's can be managed in such a way that one rarely is sick.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is the insoluble protein part of wheat, barley, and rye -it is a mixture of the various proteins, glutenin, gliadin and others. Read more about Gluten free diet for Gluten Diagnosis here.
Symptoms of Celiac's
The symptoms can be very different in various people and can start at any age.In babies - young children, symptoms may include:
Irritability
Bloating
Gas
Diarrhea
Poor Growth
Weight Loss
Anemia and/or
Dental enamel abnormalities
In older children - adults, symptoms may be one or many ~with varying range of severity:
Easy bruising of the skin
Anemia
Nausea
Bloating
Gas
Diarrhea or Constipation (or both)
Lactose Intolerance
Weight loss or Weight Gain
Mouth Ulcers
Extreme Fatigue
Bone +Joint pain
Menstrual Irregularities
Infertility in both men and women
Migraines
Elevated Liver Enzymes
Depression
Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) -rash and blistering of skin
What Are The Risks and Complications of Untreated Celiac's Disease?
If CD is untreated, there are many risks and complications including:
Nutritional deficiencies
Intestinal Cancers
Higher risks of Osteoporosis
Neurological Disorders (seizures + neuropathy)
Development of other Autoimmune Diseases
Reproductive Complications such as Infertility + Miscarriage
Research is proving over and over the many prevention benefits of Flaxseed!!
Have You Been Misdiagnosed?
A large % of people have been misdiagnosed, or not diagnosed at all. The symptoms of Celiac's can be so broad, that many are often misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, and/or ulcers.Those who suffer from Intolerance to gluten diagnosis or Celiac's often have many health problems that can be debilitating and interfere with daily activities. Studies have been done that show many people suffer with Celiac's for ~10-11 years prior to being accurately diagnosed.The more education on Celiac's and Gluten Free, hopefully more people can be diagnosed sooner and have relief and better health sooner!
How Do You Know if You Have Celiac's?
Celiac's can easily be misdiagnosed because of the varying symptoms, so it is important to pay attention to your body and keep a journal of foods you eat during the day along with how you feel. This will help you and your health professional to notice trends.The best way to figure out if you have an intolerance to gluten diagnosis or Celiac's, is to completely eliminate all gluten foods from your diet and slowly add back in foods that can be safe and carefully record what happens and how your body feels.You can have specific screening tests done for Celiacs, called serological tests, however it's accuracy is not 100%. The only test that will give a definitive diagnosis is the small intestinal biopsy.
The Biology Behind Celiac's:
When food is digested it must be absorbed quickly through the walls of the small intestine for it to be diffused into the bloodstream. To speed up the absorption of the nutrients in the small intestines you have thick hair like growth called villi and micro villi lining the walls of the small intestines that help absorb nutrients into the blood stream. The villi increase the surface through which the food can be absorbed.Without these villi, food is not absorbed quickly enough, if at all, and the body becomes malnourished. Another important function of the villi are the enzymes that cover their surface and help to break down the food into nutrients.Celiac disease destroys these vital villi and micro villi. When a person with Celiac's ingests foods with gluten, antibodies are formed in the immune system which attack the intestinal lining. This results in inflammation in the intestines and the villi are damaged.
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