Bloating can be extremely uncomfortable and can cause you some pain. Some people experience symptoms every time they consume products with gluten, like wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten intolerance is a common problem affecting many people, and celiac disease is another problem caused by gluten.
In gluten intolerance, you experience symptoms similar to irritable bowel syndrome. This is caused by your body being unable to break down gluten. Gluten intolerance isn’t life-threatening; it can, however, interfere with the quality of your life, especially if you experience intolerance symptoms and if gluten is a main part of your diet.
Celiac disease, on the other hand, causes symptoms similar to those of gluten intolerance, which is caused by eating foods containing gluten. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that can damage the intestinal walls of your digestive tract.
When suffering from celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you’ll experience symptoms that include bloating, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, and headache. Adopting a gluten-free diet will help alleviate these symptoms. However, you first need to be sure of your diagnosis hence why we recommend a Sensitivity Test, which will help determine whether you have a gluten intolerance.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a group of proteins found in rye, barley, and wheat. When mixed with water, gluten forms a sticky consistency. This gluten property makes bread rise when baked and has a chewy, satisfying texture when eaten.
People with gluten intolerance experience uncomfortable symptoms when they consume foods with protein, while people with celiac disease experience severe reactions. Getting tested for celiac disease and gluten intolerance is the best action plan before deciding to partake in a gluten-free diet.
When you decide to go on an elimination diet with the guidance of your doctor, you can see an improvement in symptoms you’re experiencing upon gluten consumption. Following a strict gluten-free diet is best for those with celiac disease. With time, one’s intestinal walls can regain their health.
If following a gluten-free diet doesn’t help improve your symptoms, then something else in your diet could be causing you intolerance symptoms. An intolerance test helps you know which other foods could be problematic.
Why you need to adopt a gluten-free diet
Most people eat gluten and dont experience symptoms. If thats you, then you’re on the safer side, and you dont need to worry about a gluten-free diet. However, people with certain conditions must avoid gluten as it mainly causes bloating, among other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Celiac disease
When you have celiac disease, your body mistakes gluten for a threat, and it reacts by attacking gluten proteins causing symptoms throughout the body. When this attack occurs in the body, it damages the gut wall. When your gut wall is attacked, it causes damage which can result in nutrient deficiencies as the gut wall doesn’t absorb substances like it’s supposed to.
When your digestive tract walls have been damaged, they can cause leakage of substances into the bloodstream, which can cause various illnesses and inflammation in the body. You’ll also likely suffer from severe digestive issues.
Celiac disease often causes symptoms like:
- Stomach pain
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Weight loss
- Rashes
Even though these symptoms are common among those with celiac disease, others dont experience intestinal symptoms. However, they experience symptoms like:
- Anemia
- Depression
- Fatigue
These symptoms associated with celiac disease are also common in other medical conditions, which makes it hard to diagnose not unless you take an Allergy and Intolerance Test to check your body for all abnormalities.
Gluten intolerance
It’s also known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). Gluten intolerance affects around 0.6% to 13% of the population. People with gluten intolerance do not have wheat allergy or celiac disease but still suffer symptoms whenever they consume gluten.
Common symptoms of non-celiac gluten sensitivity include;
- Bloating
- Stomach ache
- Fatigue
- Skin rashes
- Bowel movement changes
- Tiredness
Following a gluten-free diet without first taking an intolerance test can be misleading because it will take longer for you to get a diagnosis and treatment. An Intolerance Test removes away the hassle of eliminating foods from your diet that aren’t causing your problems and possibly developing a deficiency.
Gluten ataxia
This is an autoimmune disorder similar to celiac disease. It occurs when your immune system attacks the nervous system after consuming gluten. When this occurs, many neurological symptoms occur.
Gluten ataxia can cause coordination, balance, and motor control issues. It’s common for gluten ataxia to affect people over 50 years. These individuals comprise around 15% of this diagnosis. Ataxias comprise a group of disorders that will cause trouble with balance and coordination.
A gluten-free diet will help reduce gluten ataxia symptoms and prevent more damage to the nervous system.
Wheat allergy
Wheat allergy is an intense immune reaction to one or more wheat proteins. In severe cases, wheat allergies can cause anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening. It is common for children to suffer from wheat allergies, but they outgrow it by the time they’re 12 years.
Common symptoms of wheat allergy include:
- Headache
- Hives
- Difficulty breathing
- Nasal congestion
- Swelling or irritation in the throat and mouth
People with intolerance must avoid gluten. However, most of the foods with gluten also contain wheat, like bread and pasta.
How to avoid gluten
When avoiding gluten-containing products, you must be an avid reader of ingredient lists. Check for gluten in food ingredients, and when you’re unsure, ask for assistance to get clarification.
You will also need to avoid gluten in other foods because of cross-contamination. This means checking for labels like “processed in a facility that also processes wheat-based products” or “may contain gluten proteins.”
For example, naturally, oat doesn’t contain gluten. However, its mainly processed in facilities that also process wheat and other grains that have gluten, which can result in cross-contamination.
Benefits of a gluten-free diet
When following a gluten-free diet, you must ensure it’s planned carefully so you get all the nutrients in your diet. It’s common t miss out on some nutrients, and if you can get the help of a doctor or dietitian when meal planning.
- Relive digestive symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, gas, and constipation can disappear when you follow a gluten-free diet. These symptoms only disappear if you had them before due to gluten consumption. Individuals with gluten intolerance and celiac disease can significantly benefit from the lack of these symptoms.
- It can reduce chronic inflammation. Celiac disease often causes chronic inflammation to fight gluten in the body. When you adopt a gluten-free diet, this stops, and it can completely clear over time.
- Weight loss: even though a gluten-free diet doesn’t mean it’s necessarily healthy, you can lose weight because you’ve cut out a lot of processed and baked goods that come with consuming gluten. Cakes, cookies, and other baked goods often add weight, especially when eaten regularly. Cutting them from your diet helps prevent this weight gain by reducing calorie consumption.
- Energy boost: People with celiac disease and gluten intolerance are often very tired and may have brain fog. Adopting a gluten-free diet can reduce tiredness, sluggishness, and difficulty concentrating. Low energy can also result from iron deficiency, often caused by celiac disease damaging the gut wall.
Final thoughts
A gluten-free diet can reduce bloating, among other digestive symptoms, especially for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Before parking a gluten-free diet, you must get an Ultimate Test to check for possible food intolerances. If you have trouble with gluten, you can eliminate it from your diet.
When eliminating foods with gluten from your diet, ensure you replace them with other equally nutritious alternatives. A lack of that can lead to deficiencies in fiber, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, zinc, folate, and vitamin D. These can, however, be fulfilled by a balanced diet, and it’s easy to get them regularly.
