Celiac disease, intolerance and gluten allergy: main differences
Statistics say that every time there is a tendency to be more people suffering from celiac, or in short, of some kind of allergy or gluten intolerance. Gluten consists of a set of proteins found mainly in the flour of dry cereals, especially wheat, barley, rye and oats. In the particular case of gluten and the different intolerances that may arise, we find that gluten is actually made up of two different proteins, gliadin and glutenin.
The truth is that life without gluten may be possible, given that we must take into account that gluten is not really an essential protein for our body, so that if a person suffers from celiac disease, intolerance or gluten allergy can actually substitute this protein with others, such as vegetable and animal proteins.
What is celiac disease?
The celiac It becomes an intestinal disease, which affects genetically predisposed individuals, when they eat foods that contain gluten, a protein that is part of the flour of cereals, such as barley, wheat, oats and rye.
In these cases, the contact of gluten with the intestinal mucosa it produces a series of immune-based inflammatory reactions, which can even cause serious damage to the small intestine, by damaging and destroying the walls of the intestine.
The symptoms of celiac disease are both digestive and non-digestive:
- Digestive symptoms: loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, swollen abdomen, weight loss and abdominal pain.
- Non-digestive symptoms: growth and / or development delay, anemia, fatigue and ulcers in the mouth.
What is gluten intolerance?
The gluten intolerance is a reaction caused by a food that contains gluten. It usually tends to cause gastrointestinal symptoms, but does not affect the person's immune system or cause tissue damage.
The symptoms of gluten intolerance are: headache, irritability, tingling in the legs and arms, swelling and diarrhea. These symptoms always tend to appear after eating.
Unlike gluten allergy, gluten intolerance does not improve with the passage of time.
What is gluten allergy?
The gluten allergy is a immune system response (that is, it is an immunological response of the organism), when considering food with gluten as harmful to the body, when evidently the reality is that it is not.
The symptoms of gluten allergy are: nausea, congestion of the nose and eyes, cramps, swelling of the mouth, trouble breathing and skin rash with itching.
Unlike celiac disease or gluten intolerance, the allergy improves over time, so that after the years the person can return to consume foods with gluten.
Images | david pacey / Phu Thinh Co This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist. ThemesFood intolerances
