About one out of every hundred people will be diagnosed with celiac disease. The best way to combat this problem is to go on a gluten free diet. CD sufferers need to avoid foods containing wheat, barley, and rye.
Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder. It causes the white blood cells to become inflamed and destroy the villi in the small intestines. It’s as though the body is fighting itself.
Several health issues can arise when you have celiac disease. Not everyone will have celiac disease, but you can still be non-celiac gluten intolerant. That means you’ll display similar symptoms, just not as severe.
While most people can handle gluten in their diet, statistics show that more and more people are becoming gluten intolerant. This intolerance is probably due to the genetically modified wheat that presents in so many foods.
The jury is still out on this theory, but what matters is that you recognize the different signs. It’s easy to overlook the symptoms because many of them are everyday occurrences.
Reasons Why You Should Adopt a Gluten Free Diet
Another misconception is that gluten only affects your digestive system. In reality, there are other symptoms such as skin rashes and headaches that result from gluten intolerance.
Let’s look at some of the conditions associated with gluten intolerance.
You can avoid digestive problems with a gluten free diet
This is probably the most obvious one. People who are gluten intolerant may feel bloated, gassy, or experience abdominal cramps. Diarrhea is another common problem.
On the surface, these may seem relatively harmless and merely uncomfortable. However, there are more serious concerns here. The lower intestine could be inflamed and not functioning optimally.
When this happens, your body is not able to absorb the nutrients from food.
Additionally, the stools may become watery, and you find yourself going to the toilet several times a day. It all depends on how the body is reacting to gluten.
In some cases, the sufferer may experience acid reflux and heartburn.
Minimize mental and nerve issues with a gluten free diet
Headaches, fogginess, and numbness in your extremities are other symptoms of celiac disease. Headaches can be intense and recurring. The best way to make the headaches disappear is to eliminate gluten from the diet.
If you experience numbness and tingling in the feet, you’ll need to eliminate gluten from your diet too. It’s best to speak to your doctor because it could be a sign of other health problems. A professional medical opinion will be your best option here.
A gluten free diet will help with skin, hair, joint pain, and other problems
Keratosis pilaris, dermatitis herpetiformis, and rashes are all linked to gluten intolerance. You will often find rashes at your joints, such as the elbows and back of the knees. You may have rashes on your scalp, forearms, and back as well.
The rashes will come and go at intervals, but if you want them to disappear permanently, you’ll need to get on a gluten free diet.
Besides skin problems, gluten intolerance can also lead to hair loss. Joint pain, mouth ulcers, fatigue, memory problems, bruising, etc., are symptoms of celiac disease. Your risk of heart disease, cancer, lung problems, and infertility rises when you’re gluten intolerant and continue to consume it.
If you’re diagnosed with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten intolerant, take immediate steps to eliminate gluten from your diet. You’ll feel much better.
Why CD Symptoms are still Present While on a Gluten Free Diet
Sometimes symptoms persist despite the best efforts of those adopting a gluten free diet. We’ll look at several reasons why and what you can do to fix the problem.
1. Gluten is still present in your food
The most common reason why symptoms remain is that gluten is still present. For some reason, gluten is creeping into your diet, and you might not even realize it.
You need to be extra vigilant if your symptoms persist. Cross-contamination could be a factor if family members are not as careful as they should be.
Another reason could be a vitamin supplement that you’re consuming.
2. Your body needs time to heal
Your body needs time to recover. The inflammation present before you started a gluten free diet will persist for a while. Give your body the time it needs to adapt to the new diet. Eventually, the symptoms will subside and disappear.
We live in a world of instant gratification and expect fast results. The body usually takes longer to respond. So be patient and give yourself 3 to 6 weeks to see positive results.
3. Gluten free diet does not alleviate lactose intolerance
The flatulence and bowel problems you experience could be due to lactose intolerance. These symptoms occur when the enzyme lactase is not present in the small intestine.
While this is a medical problem, it is not celiac disease. Being on a gluten free diet will not have any impact on lactose intolerance.
4. You have Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)
When your pancreas does not create sufficient digestive enzymes to process your food, you have a condition known as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
A patient with EPI could experience fatigue, weight loss, abdominal distention, and flatulence. These symptoms are similar to those with celiac disease.
So, you might be suffering from this problem and not celiac disease. A gluten free diet does not mitigate the symptoms of EPI.
5. You suffer from Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
In some cases, people may be suffering from an overgrowth of bacteria in their small intestine known as SIBO. This condition is a result of bacteria from the colon entering and contaminating the gut.
The symptoms are bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatulence, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, etc. Once again, all these symptoms are similar to those of celiac disease.
Your doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics to remedy this problem and restore intestinal motility. When you resolve this health issue, your symptoms will subside, and you’ll begin to feel better.
These are five possible reasons you don’t see any improvement in your CD symptoms after adopting a gluten free diet. If you adhere to your diet and symptoms persist, consult with your doctor.
If you feel you’ve been misdiagnosed, get a second opinion. Other underlying conditions could be in play.
If you suspect you have Celiac disease or are non-celiac gluten intolerant, see your doctor as soon as possible. Once you address the cause of your health problems and start eating gluten free meals, your symptoms will diminish and disappear.
You don’t have to suffer. Get a proper diagnosis so you can start living a better, healthier life.
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Very good article – I also take a supplement of whole food nutrients in capsule form – and have found it helps me with the article. Thank you for submitting this.
Thanks, Thomas. Glad it helped.