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Gluten as a cause of gastrointestinal complaints? – these are the symptoms
The so-called gluten protein, which makes bread and pastries crispy and fluffy, is found in numerous types of grain such as wheat, rye, spelled, einkorn or barley. The types of grain are on the daily menu for many people. Most have no trouble digesting these. However, according to the Deutsche Zöliakie Gesellschaft eV , about one percent of Germans suffer from what is known as celiac disease , in which the mucous membrane in the small intestine becomes chronically inflamed as soon as foods containing gluten are fed into the body. Even with an intolerance or intolerance , the body reacts to components of wheat or gluten with symptoms such as:
- diarrhea
- bloated stomach
- stomach pain
- nausea
- Vomit
- weight and strength loss
- loss of appetite
- Iron deficiency with anemia
- Osteoporosis (brittle bones)
- unfulfilled desire to have children or miscarriages
- Vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies
The diagnosis
Celiac disease is diagnosed using a blood test for antibodies followed by a biopsy of the small intestine . A completely gluten-free diet can help alleviate the symptoms of the autoimmune disease.
So is gluten/wheat sensitivity , which is also an oversensitivity to gluten or wheat. It can appear suddenly and at any age, but – in contrast to celiac disease – it can also be a temporary phenomenon that improves with a gluten-free diet.
Since there are no antibodies in the blood in the case of the disease, it is often determined by a process of elimination which components the body reacts to. The gluten-free diet should be followed strictly at first so that the inflamed intestinal mucosa can calm down and regenerate. In order to achieve long-term improvement, the gluten-free diet should be followed for a good two years.