Usually when we have a party or we celebrate, there has to be cake, a lot of chocolate and a lot of pizza. There’s a certain group of people though that deems the above mentioned things as poison. Yes, people who have Celiac disease cannot consume anything that contains gluten because it could very well kill them.
What is Celiac?
The digestive system is an intricate connection of organs that work together in sync to absorb nutrients and digest the food we consume. One important part of the digestive system is the small intestine which has a lining of small components called the “villi”. What the Villi does is that when digested food enters the small intestine post stomach processing, it absorbs nutrients into the blood stream.
People with Celiac are perceptive to gluten and when consumed it damages the villi. Damaged villi can no longer absorb the required nutrients which subsequently mean that even though people with Celiac eat a lot of food, the required vitamins and minerals never enter their blood stream, causing malnutrition. In the long run, diseases like osteoporosis and blood anemia can be contracted.
If young people have this disease and do not pursue treatment for it, they can grow up to be disfigured and fatigued. This disease gives rise to gluten allergy so people with this disease have to avoid it at any cost.
What can be done about Celiac?
People with Celiac can obviously not stop consuming food totally but their diet should be very specific and have no hint of gluten. The gluten-free diet should therefore be followed the entire life and any mishap on the part of the patient can lead to serious consequences.
A Celiac diet should therefore be followed religiously. What food manufacturers do now is that they put the ingredients on their labels so if you just read before you consume, it can easily be seen if the food item has gluten or not. A little precaution can save from massive illnesses.
People with Celiac don’t have to become social outcasts and limit their eating to just canned foods or foods in bottles which say “no gluten”. If they wish to eat out, knowing exactly what they order and what their order has in its constituents can help a lot.
Because this is a life-long disease and technically even if it is treated there is a high chance that after resumption of gluten intake, the disease can come back, people need to be very careful. Food manufacturers now also produce gluten-free stuff which is easily available at local stores, but even if that isn’t the case, a little precaution and a little care can ensure a good and healthy life.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader concerned about their health should seek the advice of a doctor.
Nida Rasheed - A freelance writer and owner of an outsourcing company, I often find myself wanting to write about the subjects that are closest to my ...
