Celiac disease
Starting with a gluten free diet
Starting a gluten-free diet can be very overwhelming and it often takes a lot of searching to find the right information.
Building a completely new lifestyle without gluten is really a challenge.
The most important information about the basics of the diet can be found here on this page, covering everything from the diet criteria to important tips and advice.
Celiac disease
Gluten intolerance
A gluten intolerance caused by the autoimmune system that sees gluten as invaders for the body and produces antibodies to fight this as a so-called disease.
Eating gluten activates this immune system response.
Gluten irritates the stomach lining and especially the small intestine, which is damaged when gluten enters the body.
Gluten
Is a protein that occurs in different types of grain, divided into two proteins: glutenins and gliadins. Gliadin and related prolamins can trigger inflammatory responses and defense mechanisms and are not tolerated by people with celiac disease.
Celiac disease can be diagnosed in 4 stages.
In march 1 there is no damage to the intestinal mucosa, but an immune reaction/inflammation is visible that can still be repaired.
March 2 means that there is no damage to the intestinal mucosa, but there is an increased production of new intestinal villi, with a clear observation of immune response/inflammation.
In march 3 there is partial intestinal villous atrophy (destruction of the intestinal villi), but separate intestinal villi can still be observed as well as the production of new intestinal villi, with a clear immune response/inflammation.
The severity of celiac disease therefore depends on how seriously damaged the intestinal villi are in the small intestine. The worst form of celiac disease is March 4 and is called "irreversible" celiac disease, which means that the damage in the small intestine is too great to ever be recovered. to be able to recover.
It often happens that when the condition is diagnosed, a temporary or permanent lactose intolerance is diagnosed, this also applies to osteoporosis.
When diagnosed with celiac disease, it is necessary to follow a gluten-free diet for life.
The symptoms of celiac disease are atypical and sometimes difficult to link to the autoimmune disease.
The main complaints are:
Abdominal pain and/or swollen abdomen after eating.
Feeling of discomfort after eating gluten-containing foods, nausea and/or vomiting.
Fatigue that may be accompanied by a general feeling of weakness.
Loss of weight that can lead to malnutrition and also the loss of vitamins and minerals in the blood and anemia.
Abnormal stool structure such as diarrhea, constipation or signs of incontinence.
In chronic diarrhea, the diagnosis of celiac disease may be missed and a misdiagnosis of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) may be made.
Depressive symptoms and changes in hormone levels may occur, such as the absence of menstruation and even a miscarriage.
Low blood pressure (hypotension).
Science
Celiac disease is sometimes confused with gluten sensitivity. The immune system is not involved and the complaints are usually less serious. Sensitivity is also diagnosed when the diagnosis of celiac disease cannot be proven.
A wheat allergy is also not the same as celiac disease because an allergic reaction occurs to certain proteins present in wheat or related grains.
In contrast to people with celiac disease, those with a wheat allergy can still tolerate gluten-containing grains.
Celiac disease is diagnosed by taking a blood sample and checking whether antibodies against tissue transglutaminase (IgA tTGA) and endomysium (IgA EMA) are present in the blood.
However, the test can also be negative but celiac disease may still be present.
To be sure, a gastroscopy is performed in which biopsies of the small intestine are taken and examined.
Celiac disease has related autoimmune disorders such as diabetes type 1 and thyroid disorders.
The diet
It is extremely important that newly diagnosed patients are well informed about the diet and the associated tips and follow them carefully.
“May contain traces” or “may contain traces” that manufacturers often print on labels sometimes raise doubts as to whether or not it would be suitable within a gluten-free diet.
The best statement in this discussion is very simple: regret always comes too late.
While following the diet, it may happen that gluten accidentally enters the body, which can cause a sudden severe reaction from the body with severe complaints.
This can happen due to cross-contamination with food (shop or at home, in the restaurant, etc.)
The reason why the complaints can suddenly become very severe has to do with the immune system.
The immune system is seen as a troop of soldiers who have been able to rest for some time and are equipped enough to fully fight against a new intruder.
Always read the labels very carefully and buy gluten-free products that are recognizable by their logo. Gluten can also be hidden in products where it is least expected (hidden gluten).
The gluten-free diet is a lifestyle adjustment that can be emotionally overwhelming, so seek advice and talk to fellow sufferers.
In the literature section there are documents available for more information about the condition and the diet.
