Gluten intolerance: what you should know

Celiac disease and gluten intolerance are closely related, but at the same time they are very different. The basis of the problem is gluten, but there are nuances. What should you know about it?

The immune system of people with celiac disease reacts aggressively when gluten, a protein present in cereals, circulates through the digestive tract. Because, celiac patients must make a strict gluten-free diet for life.

While intolerance to gluten is only related (but not part of this disease) and most of the patients emphasize their well-being by not taking gluten.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a glycoprotein that It is found in commonly consumed cereals such as wheat, barley, rye or oats. It is also present in other cereals that are less frequently consumed, such as spelled (also called wild wheat) and triticale (cereal mix of wheat and rye).

In turn, gluten is composed of two other glycoproteins: gliadin and glutenin. The gluten is responsible for the elasticity of the dough of the flour, which allows, together with the fermentation, the bread to obtain volume, as well as the elastic and spongy consistency of the baked doughs.

Gluten is present in most cereals and cereal products. It is the substance that allows, along with the fermentation, that the bread increase its volume.

Gluten intolerance

They are more numerous than celiac patients, are patients with gluten intolerance. Is it possible for our body to react to gluten without needing to be celiac? Indeed, many people say that not taking gluten is much better, although they do not make a strict diet.

Its duodenal villi tend to be strictly normal, butIngestion of things with gluten makes them sick and causes:

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal swelling
• Acidity
• Migraines

Patients with gluten intolerance, when they eat it, feel bad, but without damaging the digestive tract. The celiac, may or may not have discomfort but the fact is that your bowel progressively deteriorates, and he has no choice but to do without gluten, strictly and for life. That is why periodic reviews are so important.

You may also be interested in reading: Know the symptoms of gluten intolerance and how to treat it

What would be the treatment?

In the specific case of gluten sensitivity, and given that a specific biological marker of this disorder has not been identified, the treatment would help confirm this diagnosis and consists of elimination diets with subsequent reintroduction, observing the clinical changes occurred in both periods.

Foods with gluten that should be avoided and your options

To control gluten intolerance and its symptoms, it is important to avoid those foods that contain it in large quantities.

The foods that a person with problems against gluten should avoid are:

• Wheat, barley, rye, spelled, Kamut.
• Everything that is made with the previous cereals, such as: bread, flour, semolina, pasta.
• Think that there are many commercial products that are used to give them texture: bakery products, ice cream, chocolate, pizzas, cheese, sausage, pate, canned preserves, beers. You have to look carefully at the labels.

To not have deficiencies you have to replace the mentioned cereals with gluten-free ones, but with a similar contribution of carbohydrates.

• Rice, corn, millet, sorghum, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, cassava.
• For the same reason, potatoes and legumes should also be included in the menus.

Read also: How to detect if we have gluten intolerance

The gluten-free diet should not be done to lose weight

• The idea that the gluten-free diet serves to lose weight has become popular, but that is not the goal. Withdrawing gluten from regular nutrition should respond to health issuesIn addition, studies have been carried out that have proven that there are gluten-free products that can carry more fat or sugar to improve textures.
• When eating gluten-free (if your body has a problem with this protein) you may feel less swelling and heaviness but this is not synonymous with weight loss as a direct result of the withdrawal of this nutrient.

In conclusion…

Patients with gluten intolerance can support food with this glycoprotein, but may have digestive discomfort. Because, It is often advised to avoid gluten sources as much as possible, opting for those foods labeled as gluten-free.