Gluten Sensitivity or Celiac Disease. What You Need to Know
You have no doubt heard of “gluten.” More products are labeled as such on the grocery shelves, for example. And I bet you know at least one person who is following a gluten-free diet.
But what exactly is gluten anyway?
Gluten is a mixture of proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. Oats do not contain gluten, but they can be contaminated with gluten. The presence of gluten in flour gives dough its stickiness and elasticity. Gluten also helps the leavening of dough by trapping carbon dioxide gas within it. Thus, allowing the dough to rise into a nice fluffy texture.
Gluten is found in many foods such as cereals, breads, pastas, and processed foods, for example. These foods are made from the just-named grains. Gluten is even found in other products such as lip balms, vitamins and supplements, and medications.
What is celiac disease and what is its relationship to gluten?
If you have celiac disease, you are unable to eat gluten. It is an autoimmune disorder, meaning your body attacks its own cells, causing tissue damage. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) are two other examples of autoimmune diseases. In fact, if you have another autoimmune disease, it increases your risk of having celiac disease.
Normally, your body's immune system is supposed to defend itself against bacteria and viruses. However, in the case of celiac disease, ingesting gluten triggers your immune system to attack the gluten molecules, and ultimately its own small intestine lining. This then causes inflammation and damage to the intestine, resulting in poor absorption of nutrients.
What causes celiac disease?
There are three main things including your genetics, the consumption of gluten, and a trigger of some sort. This trigger can be things like stress, surgery, or pregnancy.
What are the symptoms?
Surprisingly, symptoms vary with individuals, and there are many kinds of symptoms. The symptoms can mimic lactose intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome.
Although most think of celiac disease as causing gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea and weight loss, the truth is that not everyone experiences these symptoms.
In particular, adults tend to have less of these GI symptoms, but other symptoms such as:
Canker sores
Fatigue
Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
Anemia
Osteoporosis (thinning of bones)
Depression
Joint pain
Headaches
Skin rash
Eczema
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Low blood sugar
In fact, these above symptoms are sometimes referred to as extra-intestinal, meaning “outside the intestine,” and there's reported to be hundreds of symptoms.
Failure to thrive (not meeting expected standards of growth)
As already mentioned above, symptoms of gluten sensitivity are like the symptoms of other diseases too, so you need to see a physician to help you determine what is going on.
To complicate matters, some people with celiac disease have no symptoms at all! This is what is known to medical professionals as “silent celiac disease” or “asymptomatic celiac disease.” However, damage is still occurring to their small intestines, so getting a diagnosis is important.
But how do you find out if you have celiac disease, with or without symptoms?
Your physician can request blood tests that look for specific antibodies. If you test positive for the antibodies, then an intestinal biopsy (this is where a small piece of tissue from the intestine is examined) is done to confirm that you have the disease.
It is important to note that you do not want to start a gluten-free diet until you have been diagnosed otherwise the diagnosis could be missed.
What is the treatment for celiac disease?
Implementing a strict gluten-free diet is the only treatment currently. This allows your small intestine to recover from the damage it has been experiencing due to the exposure to gluten.
It is easier to implement a gluten-free diet when you are experiencing symptoms and want to feel better. However, for those without symptoms, it is just as crucial that you stick to this diet too to prevent damage to the intestine, as well as the development of other health conditions which can include:
Malnutrition
Miscarriage
Possible congenital birth defects such as incomplete closure of the baby's spinal column during pregnancy
Decreased height in children as they grow up
Cancer in the G) tract
Osteoporosis (thin bones)
Now that you have learned about celiac disease, another topic is worth discussing. That is the topic of what gluten sensitivity/gluten intolerance is.
You may also hear this referred to as “non-celiac gluten sensitivity.” In 2011, a study at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, reported that gluten was a culprit in gastrointestinal problems in people who did not have celiac disease. However, this researcher has since conducted more research and now states that the existence of gluten sensitivity/gluten intolerance/non-celiac gluten sensitivity is not fully substantiated, and further research needs to be conducted.
Nevertheless, there are many people and health professionals who believe it exists, and when they follow gluten-free diets, they report feeling better. Many reputable sites such as the Center for Celiac Research recognize it as its own condition. So, it deserves its own discussion.
Like celiac disease, symptoms in someone with gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance can include digestive problems such as diarrhea, bloating, pain, or constipation. Fatigue, depression, and joint pain are other symptoms that can also be seen.
How this condition differs from celiac disease, however, is that the tissue in the small intestine is not attacked. No antibodies can be found when a blood test is done, so there is no definitive way to diagnose it. Usually, this diagnosis is made by trying a gluten-free diet to see if symptoms improve.
Celiac disease stats for those affected are about 1%. In the case of gluten sensitivity, it is higher at about 6% of the population. People with gluten sensitivity/intolerance are at higher risk of developing celiac disease through repeated exposure to gluten.
What kind of diet do you need to follow?
Now that you have the lowdown on what gluten is, and how it is related to celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, your next step is to take steps to remove the gluten in your diet. Even some non-food items (lip balms, for example) must be replaced.
If you have celiac disease, it is imperative that you never eat gluten. If you do, your intestine will not be able to heal, which can lead to long-term health problems. Even if you experience no symptoms when you eat gluten, but you have the diagnosis of celiac disease, you must stay away from gluten.
If you have gluten sensitivity or intolerance, no damage has yet been done to your small intestine, but to feel better and prevent the possibility of developing celiac disease later, you should also avoid gluten. However, some people with sensitivity or intolerance may cheat and eat gluten-containing foods occasionally. This is still not recommended, as it may bring on your symptoms.
To conclude, people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity may experience many of the same symptoms. In both cases, gluten is the culprit, and avoiding it will improve your health.
I really expected this lasagna recipe to require more tweaking. But after one try, the gluten-free casein-free lasagna my husband made today turned out quite tasty!
He used brown rice lasagna for the noodles, and they cooked nicely. Although, my husband said that he had to cook them a bit longer than normal. This was not a massive surprise since legume pasta also takes a bit longer than traditional pasta. Speaking of which, I would have much rather used a legume form of lasagna, but there doesn't seem to be one of those types available on the market. Legumes would be a superior choice because of the extra fiber. I will keep my eyes peeled and let you know as soon as I find one.
The rice lasagna held together just as well as traditional white lasagna noodles.
The one thing I do want to mention is that this is a lightened version of traditional lasagna. It has way less sodium and fat and is far less rich than full fat lasagna. This is the way I prefer it anyway, since lasagnas that are heavy like the ones at Olive Garden, are just too rich and salty for me. It has something to do with what you are used to. So, if you are used full fat, super rich lasagna, you may not enjoy it as much as I did.
But I want to encourage you, if you prefer the rich stuff, to give yourself time to readjust to the lower fat and lower sodium content of the lightened recipes. I promise, it will not take long before you don't like that rich stuff anymore.
As far as the casein-free cheeses, we used three distinct types:
The mozzarella cheese in the casein-free, gluten-free lasagna is good, the Parmesan, not so much. So, I would use the mozzarella for the cheese topping next time. Although, it is true, that I've been enjoying the lasagna for several days in a row. It is quite satisfying as a lunch item.
We used light/white meat ground turkey instead of ground beef. I personally like the taste of ground turkey more than the taste of ground beef for most recipes. Meatloaf is an exception, for example. However, for chili, spaghetti sauce, enchilada casseroles, chili mac and lasagna, ground turkey is delicious. And it is way lower in fat and saturated fat. Not only that, but it is less expensive than ground beef. So, that's another benefit.
Anytime you combine a high protein food with vitamin C rich foods, your body will be able to better use the iron. This is the perfect dish for that. The turkey is a good source of iron, and the tomatoes and bell peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C.
Here are some other resources you might find helpful:
Add last 1/3 sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese
Top with parmesan (or use extra mozzarella instead if preferred)
1/2 cup shredded casein-free parmesan cheese
Place in preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 40 minutes or until heated through and slightly brown. NOTE: the parmesan cheese will not appear to be melted like traditional parmesan.
I have been meaning to write a post discussing the connection between autism and casein. Today I'm going to discuss casein-free diet dairy alternatives.
If you are interested in learning about gluten-free alternatives, click here.
Back to the casein-free alternatives…
First of all, I have been pleasantly surprised to find out that ricotta cheese, one of the main ingredients in lasagna, is nearly 100% whey protein. This means that ricotta cheese is nearly 100% casein-free. So, if you are casein intolerant but can eat small amounts of casein without problems, you may be able to tolerate ricotta cheese. To learn the difference between an intolerance and an allergy, click here.
(Stay tuned because we have just finished creating and taste-testing a gluten-free, casein-free lasagna recipe)!
We recently stumbled upon vegan mozzarella cheese that is quite tasty. New Seasons market donates to our church on a regular basis. One of the foods my husband brought home last month was a product called, “Follow Your Heart” Casein-Free Diet Dairy Alternative. It is a mozzarella-type cheese. I have eaten it numerous times in sandwiches, and I really like it! Note that it is not low in fat or saturated fat because it is made with coconut oil.
Casein-Free But Not Low Fat
If you are looking for a lower fat version of cheese, this isn't it. However, if you are looking for casein-free dairy alternatives that taste like cheese, then this might be the product you want. (Not an affiliate). We have a Safeway less than two miles from our house that has 17 assorted products from “Follow Your Heart.” So, I'm confident that this product is readily available in other stores as well. They do carry some of the products at Amazon. However, I'm not sure Amazon has the best price.
“Follow Your Heart” Casein-Free Diet Dairy Alternatives Products include:
Mozzarella slices and shreds
Cheddar slices and shreds
Jack
Smoked Gouda
Parmesan
Just a quick side note.
I like to use Amazon as a place to learn more about products, even if I don't plan to purchase. Sometimes Amazon has the best prices, sometimes not. But at the very least, I can quickly and easily learn about specific products this way. In fact, I just went to Amazon, and I noticed there is a vegan egg replacement. We are going to have to try some of that egg replacement product!
This is another item on my list of things to do: make egg-free products for people who are allergic to eggs.
A1 Versus A2 Milk
I was watching TV a few months ago when a commercial came on advertising this new product called A2 Milk.
I had never heard of A2 milk. So, of course I looked it up. It turns out that mutations in cows have caused certain types of milk intolerances in persons sensitive to A1 type milk. The protein that is supposed to be better tolerated is “A2.” Most cow's milk available in stores today contains a combination of A1 and A2 proteins.
“A2 cows are the older breeds of cows (e.g., Jerseys, Asian and African cows). Some five thousand years ago, a mutation occurred in this proline amino acid, converting it to histidine. Cows that have this mutated beta casein are called A1 cows and include breeds like Holstein.”***
I don't know how they could know what happened “5000 years ago” since they weren't there to observe it. And science is supposed to be based on observation. But that's another subject for another day.
At any rate, I find it interesting that the older breeds of cows are the safe cows, since based on a biblical view of science, we should expect to find more mutations in species of cows as time passes, NOT LESS.
The good news is that A2 brand milk is available in some grocery stores in the US and other countries. If you are interested in trying it, check with your local stores. If they don't carry it, you can ask them to, and they just might.
I see this product in a lot of recipes these days. It's a deactivated form of yeast, and it is used because it has a cheesy, nutty flavor. Often recipes for casein-free dairy alternatives are cashew-based and have nutritional yeast as part of the recipe.
Oh, and Nutritional Yeast is Extremely Nutritional!
Unfortunately, our son has a slight reaction to cashews. The reaction is very subtle and results in tingling in the back of his throat. To be honest, I thought it was in his head when he first mentioned it to me. But I finally looked it up and discovered that the “tingling in back of the throat” is a real phenomenon and is a sign of a slight allergy to certain foods. Thus, no cashew-based cheese sauce for us.
However, if you are interested in trying cashew-based casein-free diet dairy alternatives,” Bob's Red Mill sells nutritional yeast online. The product has the “cheese” sauce recipe on the back. Plus, you can see the recipe without buying the yeast.
There is a good chance you can find Bob's Red Mill in your local grocery store, because they are well known. We are blessed to have the Mill only about 20 miles away. In fact, we recently went to his 90th birthday party celebration!
I highly recommend Bob's Red Mill products (Not an affiliate). They have a separate dedicated gluten-free facility to avoid cross contamination. And this is just one reason I love them!
Bob's products are also available through Amazon here.
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I only promote products I use and love. Clicking on some of the images on this page will take you to a page of a company I am an affiliate with. If you purchase anything, I will get a small commission.
