Celiac disease is also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy. This disease is multisystemic (apart from affecting the digestive system it affects other parts of the body) and has an autoimmune base, that is, the mucous membranes of the small intestine become inflamed when the sufferer ingests gluten. It is estimated that it affects 1% of the population in Europe, mostly women.
Main causes of celiac disease:
This disease has 3 main causes:
- A genetic predisposition
- The immune system of the coeliac
- Certain environmental factors
Genes play a major role in determining whether a person will have celiac disease or not. Secondly, the immune system itself makes it have an autoimmune base. This means that when you eat a gluten-containing food, the body’s defenses react and damage the mucous membrane of the intestine. As a result, the villi of the intestine are destroyed and cannot absorb the nutrients you eat. This can eventually lead to other health problems because many of these nutrients are essential and we need them to carry out vital body functions.
When we talk about environmental factors, we’are saying that gluten is a present protein in many cereals that we consume in our daily life, and in addition, in the last decades has increased its consumption, either in our diet or in the use to make other foods. All this can favor the fact that someone is celiac.
What are the symptoms of the celiac?
There are several symptoms that can be experienced when one is celiac. Depending on your age, you have one or the other.
For example, children often have: fragile hair, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, irritability, growth retardation …
The adolescents suffer symptoms that evolve like the hepatitis, headaches, constipation, iron deficiency anemia, pain in the abdomen or juvenile chronic arthritis.
In adults some of the symptoms of childhood are recovered, the most frequent symptoms are: loss of appetite and weight, tiredness, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of muscle mass, anemia, constant mood changes, abdominal distension, apathy, depression, infertility, early menopause, abdominal pain …
Even if you don’t feel these symptoms, you may have celiac disease and intestinal damage. These always occur. It is estimated that 75% of people with celiac disease are still undiagnosed.
That’s why it’s important to get checked by your doctor from time to time to see if you have celiac disease or not. Because if you have celiac disease, you will be on a gluten diet, which will not allow you to absorb the essential nutrients you need and destroy the intestinal villi. You will have to change it for ingredients that do not contain this protein.
Among the different tests that are performed to know is the blood test, with a test of serological markers of this disease. This will allow you to suspect if you have this condition, which will be determined by an intestinal biopsy. This consists of extracting a sample of the tissue of the intestine to find out if it is damaged.
Can I prevent the fact of being celiac?
Nowadays the only way to prevent celiac disease is to avoid exposure to gluten. To do this, it is vitally important to know the foods that have gluten. Although it may not seem so, there are many that contain it. This happens for two reasons, the first is because it is found naturally in many cereals, and we have already said before that its consumption has increased. The second is that gluten acts as a glue when we cook, it joins all the ingredients together to obtain a perfect mixture, that’s why it is used so much in baking.
Some of the foods that contain gluten are wheat, rye, spelt, precooked soup, industrial sauces, chemical yeast, pizza, pasta, industrial pastries. Many precooked or frozen foods and alcoholic beverages.
Thanks to this little guide you know how to know if you are coeliac, what the main causes are and how to prevent it. If this is your case, you can already adapt your diet to avoid consuming this protein. As a result of the fact that more and more people are coeliacs, it is increasingly easier to find gluten-free foods. In addition, it will also be easier for you in restaurants and food stores.