It can be confusing to differentiate between intolerance and indigestion.A lifetime of poor eating habits creates digestion problem, which leads to banning certain food groups thus labeling ourselves ‘allergic’ which is completely wrong.

Wheat contains a lot more gluten than in the past for industrial purposes. Celiac disease is an intolerance to gluten that leads to an autoimmune disease which impairs body functions such as the absorption of calcium, iron and minerals. Lab tests for celiac disease are available however they should not be mistaken with expensive intolerance tests proposed by some doctors or dietitians that are still not scientifically proven. Researchers are still studying the difference between people suffering from bloating after gluten ingestion and others that have more serious symptoms. Indigestion or even eating Fodmaps (fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), lactose and polyols) can cause bloating because of carbohydrate malabsorption; so it can be either from a specific food or from the micronutrients that compose it.

Intolerance can be specifically on one type of gluten protein and not the other so people can still enjoy bread that does not contain that specific protein. It all goes back to cultural eating behavior. An elimination diet can help identify the food that is causing you discomfort. Sometime chewing food properly avoids bloating.

Allergies are most of the time followed by respiratory or skin problems whereas intolerances take time to appear. Patients who are not diagnosed with celiac disease can suffer from bloating after ingesting bread ,they are hypersensitive to gluten, and show symptoms such as fatigue and gas. Some studies state that irritable bowel syndrome patients might feel better by eliminating gluten from their diet because it can increase the permeability of intestinal cells, leading to immune reactions due to the passing of unwanted particles in the blood stream.

Gluten free diets are not weight loss diets as gluten free products can be high in sugar and calories.

.

If you suffer from discomfort after ingesting gluten ,visit your doctor for proper diagnosis.

Print