Wise people say that a human being eats to live, not lives to eat. The role of healthy nutrition, nevertheless, should not be underestimated. Food we consume enables us to lead our lives, to think, to feel, to create, to work, and fulfil a lot of other activities.
Millions of people, who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, turn out to be restricted in their choice of foods and products they can safely consume. Malnutrition is a problem, which can cause a lot of consequences, unpleasant ones. To put it short, poor diet is one of the things, which can significantly worsen our lives. The main task of both doctors and patients is to find possibilities to eliminate, lessen, or at least control gastrointestinal disorders following, at the same time, a healthy diet with all the necessary nutritional elements.
This article was made to provide reliable information on celiac disease and the ways of coping with it. Let it be a kind of tip for the sufferers and a sort of support in their struggle for the healthy and full living.
What it is
Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disorder. It affects the small intestine, which becomes damaged by the immune system of the body in response to foods containing a type of protein called gluten. As a result, the absorption of nutrients found in all types of foods is disrupted and a sufferer becomes malnourished and exhausted irrespective of what and how much he eats.
How it happens
The immune system of the body perceives gluten as something hostile and reacts to it causing an inflammation of the small intestine. The latter becomes damaged, since its inner lining – hair-like protrusions called “villi”, which exist in order to absorb vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from food – are destroyed, so that the intestine becomes flattened.
Why it happens
Scientists acknowledge that the exact cause of celiac disease is unknown. However, it is reported that the disorder may be associated with the mutation or changes in the group of genes on Chromosome 6, which are responsible for body’s reaction to gluten.
At the same time, scholars note that celiac disease seems to be polyfactorial – having more than one reason for its development. For example, its onset may be triggered by a surgery, pregnancy, viral infection, emotional stress, etc. It is, nevertheless, clear that the disorder runs in families; thus it is an inherited health problem, which occurs in genetically predisposed people, and in those who have a family history of celiac disease.
Facts about gluten
Gluten is a type of protein found in all forms of wheat, barley, rye, pasta, cereal, and processed foods. In fact, gluten may be found in multiple foods and products, since it is a component of food additives – stabilizers, thickeners, texture enhancers, and preservatives.
There is no reliable data as for the impact of oat on the patients with celiac disease. It seems that only a small minority of them reacts to oat products.
Such foods as potato, rice, soy, buckwheat, meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables are safe to consume; while the vast majority of processed foods (sauces, French fries, candies, chips, sausages, soups, and many others) contain gluten.
Luckily, modern technologies allow the manufacturers produce gluten-free foods for the celiac disease sufferers to be able to consume them. Consequently, people do not have to deprive themselves of the foods they like. Moreover, they can enjoy them without the risk of celiac disease aggravation or the development of complications.
Ivanna
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