Celiac disease is a pathology that causes intolerance to gluten, a protein complex found in some cereals.
Celiac disease vs. wheat allergy
Celiac disease should not be confused with wheat allergy, which can be overcome with time. Celiac disease, on the other hand, is a chronic intolerance. The treatment for celiac disease and wheat allergy is also different. In the case of allergy, it is sufficient to eliminate wheat from the patient’s diet, whereas, in the case of celiac disease, the patient will need to eliminate from his diet all foods containing gluten, which are many more than those containing simply wheat. This is due to the fact that gluten is present in other cereals such as oats, barley or rye.
Gluten intolerance is a genetic disease that reacts by inflammation of the intestinal villi. These villi work for the correct absorption of nutrients in the intestine and a permanent inflammation of these villi means that they are degraded. This explains why the main symptom of celiac disease is diarrhea, because the inflammation of the villi means that they are not able to absorb nutrients properly and are therefore eliminated. This leads to the other symptoms of the disease: malnutrition, weight loss and retarded growth and development in children, tiredness and irritability, among others.
How to treat celiac disease
There is only one possible treatment for celiac disease, which is not too difficult. It consists of the total elimination of gluten from the diet. In this way the intestinal villi are progressively regenerated to normal, and a relapse into inflammation and subsequent degradation is avoided.
But while it is true that the theory is not complicated, putting it into practice requires a greater effort on the part of the patient. Culturally, the use of cereals in our diet is deeply rooted, especially wheat, which is consumed in the form of cookies, flour, breakfast cereals, cakes and a long etcetera of products containing gluten. In addition, a large number of wheat derivatives are also used as additives in other foods, so that we can find gluten in products that we would not imagine, such as instant coffee, cold cuts, sauces and even chewing gum.
The possible contamination during food handling must also be taken into account, since a product that does not contain gluten but has passed through the same work table as one that does, or if it has been fried in the same oil as a food with flour, can be harmful for coeliacs.
Which foods should a coeliac eat and which should not?
Despite suffering from celiac disease, one should not neglect the diet, which must be balanced and varied. To ensure that we ingest the necessary nutrients, the consumption of fresh and gluten-free foods should be encouraged:
- Gluten-free cereals: rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, etc.
- Tubers
- Legumes
- Vegetables and fruits
- Meat, fish and eggs
- Milk
- Oil
On the other hand, it is very important to always read carefully the labels of processed or packaged foods. They contain all the nutritional information of the product. What interests us in this case is to find the identifying symbol that classifies the product as a gluten-free food. In order to know which food it is, we will have to look for a drawing of an ear of wheat inside a circle and crossed by a line. Even so, experts in Nutrition and Dietetics warn that there are products that contain traces of hidden gluten. Some examples of food additives that may contain gluten are the following:
- Modified starches: E 1400, E 1401, E 1402, E 1403, E 1404, E 1405, E 1410, E 1412, E 1414, E 1420, E 1422, E 1440, E 1442, E 1450, E 1451
- E 1200 Polydextrose
- E 306 Vitamin E (extracts rich in tocopherols)
- E 621 Monosodium glutamate
Also, other possible sources of hidden gluten are:
- Thickeners
- Stabilizers
- Cereal extract
- Vegetable starch
- Cereal germ
- Vegetable protein
However, it is necessary to make the population aware that, for a coeliac, going out for a drink or eating outside the home can end up being a problem. Few establishments tend to use foods that do not contain gluten, or take into account that they should not handle foods for coeliacs in the same place or with the same instruments with which they have prepared any other food. Therefore, it is advisable for people with celiac disease to be well informed about the dishes before ordering anything and, if they have the possibility, to warn in advance about their celiac condition.