Today is the National Celiac Day A call for attention to the population to be informed and even put in the hands of your doctor if you have any of the symptoms of this disease.
Celiac disease It is diagnosed more than ever and yet, it is estimated that 75% of people who suffer from it are undiagnosed. Today we stop a little more to know in depth what it is and how this pathology is presented.
What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease is the gluten intolerance of wheat, barley, rye and probably oats. Gluten is a set of microproteins exclusively contained in cereals called dry land, those already mentioned.
What happens to a celiac?
When ingesting a product with gluten, in the body of the person with celiac disease there is a inflammatory reaction in the mucosa of the small intestine that does not absorb the nutrients that would provide that food.
That is why it can even be diagnosed in babies, when cereals with gluten are introduced into their diet.
This inflammation is sometimes asymptomatic for a while but usually it can produce very diverse symptoms, from weight loss, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, growth retardation, abdominal distension, character alterations.
In Europe it is 1% more frequent in women and it should be noted that people with Down syndrome have a 100 times greater risk of suffering from celiac disease.
But ... is that gluten is bad?
No, it is not if you are not a patient with celiac disease and do not have an intolerance. Gluten is still a nutrient for our body except in the exception of people who suffer from it, whether they have been diagnosed or not.
It is essential that the diagnosis is made by a medical professional, It is not a matter of fashion or a need to eliminate gluten from our diet following this or that diet of doubtful efficacy for anything and even less positive for our health.
What to do when we have been diagnosed with celiac disease?
The test to diagnose celiac disease does not go beyond a blood test and since it is a disease with a certain genetic component, it is convenient that the descendants of celiac patients have this test to know if they are or not as soon as possible .
This is a reason, according to the doctors themselves, for which more celiac disease is being detected in the child population in recent years.
The treatment of celiac disease is limited to focusing on follow a strict gluten-free diet for life, which causes the patient to recover the intestinal villi and decrease its inflammation.
Eliminated gluten from the diet improvement can begin to be noticed from the second or third week and in a few months the patient recovers a good nutritional status. With a gluten-free diet you can lead a completely normal life.
The celiac patient must have control over their diet because if they do not, the disease can eventually degenerate into much more complicated pathologies, such as different types of intestinal cancer, autoimmune disorders, osteoporosis, anemia and infertility among others.
Can celiac disease be prevented?
No, you can't prevent celiac disease, yes, once detected the patients should pay close attention to the products they consume so as not to aggravate their condition and especially taking into account that between 70-80% of prepared or processed food products contain gluten in some way or another and as illogical as it seems at first sight.
Gluten is added in the process of making different preservatives, thickeners, dyes, aromas, condiments... so processed foods often give unpleasant surprises to people with celiac disease.
And now
A child or an adult with celiac disease does not have to lead a life different from that of their peers, beyond control over your diet that he should know himself as he grows and understand that there are foods that are not suitable for his health.
Gluten-free products and establishments that offer gluten-free dishes on their menus are becoming more frequent.
There are also many recipes to make gluten-free products at home that can make life easier and equally delicious when we sit at the table.
