Gluten-Intolerance Disorders: Breaking Them Down

Anyone who has perused a supermarket in the last few years has probably noticed a growing “gluten-free” section in most stores. Many are choosing a gluten-free diet as a lifestyle. Although one study shows that 29% of American adults choose to eliminate gluten from their diet either partially or completely, there is a much smaller percentage of the population that must live without gluten; they have been diagnosed with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or a wheat allergy.

Despite its increasing popularity, many are still confused about what exactly gluten is. Put simply, gluten is a mixture of proteins found in wheat, barley and rye. It is also found in triticale, a hybrid grain consisting of wheat and rye. Despite popular belief, oats are naturally gluten-free — instead of containing the gluten protein, they contain proteins known as avenins. However, oftentimes, oats and gluten grains are farmed on the same land, leading to a potential cross-contamination of the products. As a result, people on gluten-free diets must be cautious about consuming them, especially if they have celiac disease.

Celiac disease is the population’s rarest gluten-intolerance disorder, with less than 1% of population living with this diagnoses. Ultimately, gluten causes severe gastrointestinal pain and side effects, including but not limited to vomiting, bloating and abnormal bowel habits in these patients. When people with celiac consume gluten, they are unable to fully hydrolyze the gluten proteins, which induces an immune response. Toxic peptides are also activated and sent to damage the intestine, making it especially dangerous for people with celiac to consume gluten long-term.

Celiac disease is the population’s rarest gluten-intolerance disorder, with less than 1% of population living with this diagnoses.

While researchers know a great deal about celiac disease, much less is known about its related counterpart, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which affects approximately 5–10% of people worldwide. Just as with celiac disease, those who have non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) often experience the same severe gastrointestinal pain and side effects. It has also been proposed that NCGS can lead to depression, anxiety and/or schizophrenia. As with Celiac, people with NCGS are unable to hydrolyze the gluten proteins, and a partial immune response is invoked. However, unlike celiac disease, toxic peptides do not attack the intestine, making the disease slightly less dangerous than its counterpart.

Wheat allergies are also fairly prevalent among Americans, as wheat is one of the 8 major food allergens. When people with a wheat allergy consume the product, an allergic response is initiated and an allergen will bind to IgE antibodies. This can cause a variety of responses in patients, including swelling, itching, and in severe cases, anaphylaxis. However, unlike celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, no gastrointestinal and/or permanent organ damage occurs. Furthermore, in many cases, children will “grow out” of this allergy, with 29% of cases being resolved by age 4 and 65% by age 12.

For people who do live with a gluten-intolerance disorder, the only current treatment is to eliminate gluten from their diet.

For people who do live with a gluten-intolerance disorder, the only current treatment is to eliminate gluten from their diet. Since this often leads to vitamin, folic acid, zinc and iron deficiencies, it is important that people on such a diet replace gluten with other safe grains, such as quinoa or rice, when possible. They must also be extremely cautious when travelling or eating out, as people are still coming to understand the dangers of the disease and may not avoid contamination of their food with gluten products.

Although this may not be a perfect solution, eliminating gluten from their diets greatly improves the quality of life for people who have a gluten intolerance, and will have to suffice until research and technology catches up with the growing popularity of these disorders.

Sources
Properties of Gluten Intolerance (Nutrients)
Gluten-Free Craze is Boon and Bane For Those With Celiac Disease (NPR)
Are Oats Gluten-Free? (Dr. Axe)
Gluten Intolerance Statistics (Gluten Intolerance School)
Epidemiology of wheat allergy (Dr Schär Institute)