Monday, December 17, 2012

The Facts About Celiac Disease

by Theresa Greenwell
Celiac disease is a genetically inherited autoimmune condition that is triggered by the ingestion of a specific food protein known as gluten, which is found in most grains, including wheat, barley and rye. Celiac disease is not an actual allergy to gluten, but a disease that is characterized by a permanent intolerance to dietary gluten. These grains and the flour made from them are used in the vast majority of baked goods, thickening agents for gravies and broths, flavor enhancers and protein supplements.
These represent many popular food products in the United States, and our gluten intake is correspondingly high as a result. In the United States it is believed that celiac disease affects approximately one out of every 125 individuals.
The exact number of individuals affected worldwide is very difficult to determine, as the diagnosis of ‘celiac disease’ is often used to refer collectively to those with the disease as well as those who are predisposed to developing the disease, and even those who are merely gluten sensitive.
Whenever a person with celiac disease eats any gluten their body will have some reaction. As gluten enters the intestinal tract, it triggers an immune-regulated toxic reaction that results in the damage and destruction of the villi—the tiny, hair-like structures that line the small intestine and allow for the breakdown of foods and the absorption of nutrients. When these villi are damaged or missing, a person cannot effectively absorb the basic nutrients necessary for good health such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.
As a result of the celiac patient’s inability to break down foods, the person can experience vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea or loose stools, weight loss, fatigue and weakness. Not only can celiac disease affect the nutritional status of those who have it, it can influence the onset of other conditions and diseases. Iron-deficiency anemia, depression or anxiety, delayed growth, bone and joint pain, bone loss or osteoporosis, arthritis, dermatitis (dermatitis herpetiformis), mouth and canker sores, seizures and even muscle soreness are just some of the conditions that have been associated with celiac disease.
The only treatment for celiac disease is the lifelong avoidance of dietary gluten. This dietary change can be challenging and tedious. Celiac patients must learn to read labels in order to identify the various foods and ingredients that can contain hidden amounts of gluten. They often must give up foods they enjoy and learn to cook using substitutions for products they have used for years. Pharmaceuticals, supplements and even beer can contain gluten. By following a gluten-free diet, the celiac patient allows the body to heal and recover while decreasing the likelihood of developing other health-related conditions.
Celiac disease is a genetic condition, so the offspring and siblings of celiac patients have the possibility of developing it also. As the disease can develop at any point during one’s life, this prospect of not knowing whether to avoid gluten or not can be daunting. Genetic testing is now being used to identify the presence of specific genes that are considered necessary for developing the disease. If one does have these genes it does not guarantee that the individual will develop celiac disease, it only indicates that they have the predisposition to do so. If gluten is not ingested, the disease cannot develop

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