Celiac disease is an illness that is caused by an intolerance or sensitivity to GLUTEN, a substance found primarily in wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt. Celiac disease can first appear in childhood or adulthood, and the symptoms can range from very mild to severe. The most severe symptoms seen with celiac disease are:

• weight loss
• bloating
• diarrhea
• abdominal pain and joint pain
• vomiting

You can also have secondary effects of:

• anemia to malabsorption in the intestines
• muscle wasting and
• problems related to nutritional deficiencies.

What causes these symptoms?

When a person with a gluten intolerance eats any foods containing gluten, a protein in the gluten called GLIADIN causes a reaction that results in damage to the intestinal wall, causing the villi in the small intestinal to flatten , which in turn leads to an inability to absorb most nutrients and eventually malnutrition.

Prognosis for Celiac Disease?

Some people experience no abdominal symptoms but can develop signs of nutritional deficiencies. Usually a blood allergy / intolerance test  will be adequate to diagnose an intolerance to gluten, however a biopsy of the small intestine will be necessary to rule out celiac disease. Once diagnosed, the condition can be managed extremely successfully by completely avoiding gluten products from the diet.

If you are suspecting that you may be suffering from an intolerance to gluten, or suspect celiac disease, call the clinic at 416 913 4325  to schedule a naturopathic  appointment for yourself, and we will be able to determine if you are in fact suffering from an intolerance to gluten or any other food and then treat your symptoms and the root cause of the health problem using nutrition and natural therapies.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Celiac disease or celiac sprue, is a reversible digestive disorder caused by eating gluten. In people with celiac disease, gluten triggers an immune reaction in the intestine, which can be reversed once gluten is eliminated completely from the diet. That reaction damages the tiny, finger-like projections called villi, through which intestines absorb nutrients. With Celiac disease, these villi become flattened, which renders them unable to absorb nutrients causing the individual to become malnourished and deficient in vitamins and nutrients.

Gluten is found in various grains such as wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and possibly oat products. Some vitamins and medicines also contain gluten. Many manufactured food products contain gluten in various forms under misleading names, like “modified food starch.” People with celiac disease must learn about all sources of gluten and read food labels thoroughly.

The disease can develop at any age. Although there is no cure, you can control symptoms by eating a gluten-free diet.

Signs and Symptoms of celiac disease 

The symptoms of celiac disease can vary from person to person. For example, one person may have constipation, another may have diarrhea, and yet a third may have no intestinal problems at all.

A partial listing of gastrointestinal symptoms:

• Abdominal pain
• Bloating, gas, indigestion
• Constipation
• Diarrhea, chronic or occasional
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stools that float, are foul smelling, bloody, or “fatty”

A partial listing of non-intestinal symptoms:

• • Anemia

• Joint pain
• Osteoporosis
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Growth delay in children
• Irritability and behavioral changes
• Malnutrition
• Mouth ulcers
• Muscle cramps
• Unexplained short stature
• Skin problems (dermatitis herpetiformis)
• Unexplained weight loss/ weight gain or inability to loose weight (although people can be overweight or of normal weight upon diagnosis)

Biopsies are quite often the only way to diagnose celiac disease for sure. However, if you having been experiencing some the symptoms above, avoid gluten products for a while and see if your symptoms improve. If not, you could be  allergic / sensitive or intolerant to other foods or may be suffering from irritable bowel disease.

For those allergic/sensitive/intolerance to gluten, here are two handy lists: Flour that contains gluten and flours that is essentially gluten-free.

Flour That Contain Gluten

1. Spelt flour
2. Wheat flour
3. Duram flour
4. Kamut brand flour
5. Rye flour
6. Oat flour
7. Barley flour

Essentially Gluten-Free Flours

1. Amaranth flour
2. Arrowroot flour
3. Brown rice flour
4. Buckwheat flour (100%)
5. Chickpea flour
6. Corn flour
7. Legume flours
8. Lentil flours
9. Nut and see flours
10. Mung flour
11. Potato starch flour
12. Quinoa flour
13. Soy flour
14. Tapioca starch flour
15. Teff flour

If you have questions or if you need to schedule an appointment with a naturopathic doctor, please call 416 913 4325.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.