by Caleb Wagner



 

What are Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Sprue Disease?

 

Gluten intolerance--the inability to digest the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley--has become a major health issue in our country. Nobody is quite sure why, but it seems that more people than ever before are having trouble digesting grain products containing gluten. An estimated three million Americans have this disease and even more may have some form of gluten sensitivity or intolerance.  Some health professionals hypothesize that the increase in this condition in the American population may be due to the genetic modification of wheat and other grains. In the most serious of cases, consumption of gluten may lead to the development of Celiac Sprue disease, a life-threatening autoimmune condition. The only known treatment for this disease is the adoption of a strict, lifelong, gluten-free diet.

 

The typical American diet consists of numerous gluten-containing products such as barley, rye, and wheat. Because of the prevalence of foods containing gluten, those who must avoid gluten often struggle to find other food options. Celiacs, in particular, often have limited choices for which foods they can eat.  Additionally, without adequate labeling on food products, those on a medically prescribed, gluten-free diet cannot rely on labelling alone in order to make safe food decisions, putting their lives in danger. (See our companion article on labelling.)  Ingesting gluten can cause more than an adverse reaction to someone with Celiac Sprue disease.  In order to understand this, let's examine what we know about Celiac Sprue disease and why it threatens the health of so many Americans.



Celiac Sprue is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in America, and when it goes undetected, it can be life-threatening. It is a genetic disease that often becomes apparent after pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, viral infection, or severe trauma. The exact cause of celiac disease is unknown. Women are more often affected by the disease than men.  Celiac disease can develop at any stage of life. It causes an adverse, potentially life-threatening reaction in affected individuals following the ingestion of wheat proteins and related alcohol-soluble proteins called prolamins. Ingesting gluten triggers an immune response that harms  the “villi” or epithelial cells lining the walls of the small intestine. This damage affects the digestive system's ability to absorb nutrients critical for survival, resulting in malnutrition. Because of these impairments to the digestive system, celiacs have a reduced ability to derive nutrition from food.  Minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, as well as Vitamins A, D, E, K, B, and C, are present in insufficient amounts in a celiac’s body.  In addition, celiacs often suffer from other food sensitivities. Food products such as soy and MSG may prove troublesome for celiacs. However, these sensitivities do not cause permanent damage to the villi of the small intestine; as far as we know, gluten alone is responsible for this damage. With treatment, Celiac disease is rarely fatal. If the disease remains undiagnosed and untreated, however, it may increase the risk of developing intestinal lymphoma, a type of cancer in the intestine.

 

Symptoms of celiac disease include abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and significant weight loss. These symptoms may be shared by individuals do not necessarily have Celiac Sprue disease, but do experience adverse reactions to the consumption of wheat or gluten due to intolerance or allergic reactions. Wheat allergies are one of the top eight food allergies in America. Allergic reactions caused by eating wheat include skin, mouth, and lung reactions, as well as rash, wheezing, and lip swelling. The part of the human body’s immune system activated in these allergic reactions is not related to the branch responsible for the autoimmune reactions caused by Celiac disease.

 

Gastrointestinal symptoms stemming from gluten intolerance include excess gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. These reactions do create some inflammation in the body, particularly in the digestive tract.  Many Americans also suffer from Irritable Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease, and other forms of non-ulcerative colitis, which cause similar damage and chronic inflammation in the digestive tract and can also be implicated in gluten sensitivities. Inflammatory response in the body, especially if chronic, is related to the development of more serious diseases such as cancer and to a generally increased susceptibility to disease.



How Important is the Diagnosis?

 

Is it important to know whether you have Celiac disease, wheat allergy or gluten intolerance? Although these diseases can be treated similarly by removing all wheat products from a person’s diet, there is a distinct difference between each of these three medical problems. People with Celiac Sprue or wheat allergies or gluten intolerance will often feel relief from their symptoms if they eliminate wheat from their diet, even if no medical test absolutely proves the existence of an allergy.  However, it is important to treat the nutritional deficiencies of Celiac disease. 

Another reason for official diagnosis is that Celiac disease appears to be an inherited condition passed on from generation to generation, or shared among family members. Celiac sprue involves the activation of a particular white blood cell, T lymphocyte, as well as other parts of the immune system. The activation of this cell increases the risk of developing GI cancer in persons with celiac disease. However, people with gluten intolerance or wheat allergy are not at the same risk for developing this cancer because their medical problems do not concern the immune system.  However, individuals suffering from food sensitivities may experience chronic inflammation in the bowel, and chronic inflammatory conditions have been linked to cancer and heart disease, among other pathologies. Regardless of the disease distinctions, the treatment is identical for Celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergy: the complete elimination of gluten from the diet.

 

How Can I Help?

 

Sign Petitions, Stay informed, Raise Public Awareness:

 

Recently, concerned Americans created a petition asking the Obama administration to finalize standards for gluten-free labeling. This petition, created on October 2, 2012, addresses the issues of consumer protection and health care. On November 3, 2012 the goal of 25,000 signatures for the petition was met.  In the words of this petition, “It is up to the White House to protect the health of millions of adults and children by finalizing the rule NOW.”  Keep up to date with ongoing efforts to raise public awareness about the problem, and to protect our rights as American consumers to know what is contained in the foods we purchase.

 

Contribute Gluten Free Options to Food Banks and Soup Kitchens

One of the ongoing challenges for people with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance is accessing gluten-free options in the grocery stores, restaurants, and in the work place.  In some situations, individuals may temporarily require community assistance due to financial difficulties that leave them without enough food to put on the table. This kind of situation is even more complex for people who come to a food bank or other community resource looking for gluten-free foods. Unfortunately, many food banks contain shelves of foods such as macaroni and cheese or cereal, but gluten-free products are not regularly stocked. People with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance are then faced with the very difficult decision of whether to go hungry or to eat foods that will cause their condition to worsen. There is a serious need for food banks to stock up on gluten-free foods so that individuals who must avoid wheat products can arrive at a food bank and not come away empty-handed.

 

Join Our Annual Alumni Food Drives!

 
Please join the efforts of the Theta Lambda Chapter to raise public awareness of this issue and to generate a food drive.  We are based in New Jersey, and each year, arrange local collections of gluten-free food to donate for Valentine's Day.  If you are in New Jersey and would like to contribute to our local drop points or community organizations, you will find a list of opportunities on this website. Or start your own drive whereever you are!  And share the love, gluten-free!

  

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Works Cited

“Celiac disease – sprue.” PubMed Health. A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. January 20, 2010. Web. September 2012.
 

Celiac Sprue Association: Celiacs Helping Celiacs. Web. September 2012.

eMedicineHealth: Experts For Everyday Emergencies. Celiac sprue. Web. September 2012.
 

“What is Celiac Disease?” American Celiac Disease Alliance. Web. September 2012.
 

“Finalize Standards For Gluten Free Labeling.” We The People: Your Voice In Our Government. October 2, 2012. Web. October 6, 2012.
 

“What Are the Effects of Celiac Disease?” Celiac.com. July 26, 1996. Web. October 2012.



 

Caleb W. Wagner is a homeschooled Junior, formerly of Princeton, New Jersey, currently living in Durham, North Carolina, with his younger twin sisters and older brother. He enjoys sports, playing the cello and guitar, writing, and reading. 

Gluten Intolerance, Food Allergies, and Dietary Health Issues