It’s hard to believe that eating your favorite and seemingly innocuous foods – cookies, pasta, bread; can be harmful to your health. But this is an unpleasant reality, and the culprit of the problems is gluten. A person may not be aware that they have celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that manifests itself in severe allergies to foods containing gluten.
What are the dangers of gluten?
If a person with celiac disease eats foods containing gluten, his own immune system begins to attack and destroy the cells of the small intestine. Of course, this has a very bad effect on gastrointestinal function: important nutrients are not absorbed correctly, and some may not be absorbed at all. The consequences of this condition can be most unpleasant: a person suffers from lack of vitamins, the weight falls below normal, dystrophy may develop, due to weak immunity the body is attacked by infections. There have also been cases of death.
The only thing people with celiac disease can do to help themselves is to completely eliminate gluten from their diet. Even medicinal products can harm them, as tablet and capsule shells are often made from starch, which also contains gluten. It is important for such people to carefully study the composition of foods and medications before they enter their bodies.
Where can I find gluten?
Gluten is a group of protein compounds found in many grains, especially wheat, oats and rye. It can be found in all foods containing these grains – bread, cereals, pasta, cookies, porridges, mixtures. A great source of gluten is starch and products made with it.
What foods are safe?
If diagnosed with celiac disease, don’t despair. Nuts, eggs, buckwheat, meat, milk, cheeses, corn, fruits, vegetables, soybeans, rice, potatoes, and legumes are all safe foods to eat.
An overestimated threat?
If a person does not suffer from diseases related to the inability to digest gluten, then there is no need to change your diet. For example, wheat products are not only harmless for a healthy person, but also bring tangible benefits.
There is also a fairly common opinion that excluding gluten from the diet helps to lose weight, but this is a misconception. Research by nutritionists has proven that a gluten-free diet has no significant effect on body weight.