Gluten Intolerance and Diet
Intolerance to certain foods is obviously not ideal. If you consume excessive levels of gluten, it can cause diarrhoea, intestinal pain, bloating, joint pain and headaches. Nothing you want to have to put up with. Luckily, there are alternative, healthy foods that are gluten-free and can be safely consumed by all, as food manufacturers have looked to cater to sufferers of this affliction.
With the recent rise in the number of people suffering from gluten intolerance and sensitivity, you can’t help but wonder what has triggered this recent trend.
Until quite recently, gluten intolerance was deemed to be part of celiac disease. Consuming foods containing significant levels of gluten is believed to cause various gastrointestinal problems, fatigue as well as neurological issues. A simple blood test or intestinal biopsy could easily diagnose gluten intolerance, but as a caution, many people who were not diagnosed as gluten intolerant switched their diet to gluten free foods and noticed a positive change in their health.
However, doctors are now recognising that there are levels; some people can be diagnosed with gluten sensitivity, rather than full blown celiac disease. Making this distinction has allowed people to monitor their diet and more easily determine what it is safe for them to consume. The need for the distinction between gluten sensitivity, gluten intolerance and celiac disease no doubt has come from more people being affected by it.
In actual fact, many people, who have not necessarily been diagnosed with gluten intolerance, report that they feel better after switching over to a gluten free diet. It might be a good idea to try it on for size! A simple change can come in the form of changing your brand of bread to a gluten-free alternative. Most on the shelf breads and bakeries offergluten free products and it can be digested more easily by some people. Changing your cereal to a gluten-free alternative is another simple way of lowering your gluten level, often sometimes giving you a tastier option.
If you feel that a gluten-free diet makes you feel healthier, you should consider changing to a full gluten-free diet and potentially make tummy bloating a thing of the past! Just by changing brand or seeking out the gluten-free alternative, you might find that you feel better.
Of course, if you are suffering from things like severe stomach and intestinal pain, headaches and other common symptoms should obviously consult a doctor or nutritionist, who can deem if a blood test for celiac disease is necessary.
