The word terrorism automatically conjures up guns, bombs explosions and general devastation. The food terrorist gluten likewise causes general mayhem and untold misery to those susceptible to gluten and ignorance of this is detrimental to our general health. Ignoring it is tantamount to negligence on the part of those professionals who are responsible for the care of our health such as Doctors and Nutritionists.
Gluten intolerance is present in three categories: coeliac disease, wheat allergy and pure Gluten intolerance. There are no defining boundaries to the reactions the body goes through from Gluten intolerance and all three categories appear to have very similar symptoms. The systems affected are digestive, nervous and integumentary; sufferers usually complain of abdominal discomfort, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, generalized apathy, headaches, joint and bone pains. Skin rashes are very distressing and a condition called dermatitis herpetiformis is associated with it. Sufferers get a very itchy blistery rash usually affecting elbows, knees, back of neck and chest and sometimes the scalp.
In the digestive system the lining of the small intestines is affected leading to mal absorption, Vitamin deficiencies and anaemia have been reported. Blood tests show antibodies and changes due to the anaemia. The gold standard for diagnosis is a duodenal biopsy carried out via endoscopy.
What is Gluten? It is a Protein consisting of gliadin and glutenin, it's found in wheat, barley, rye and several other cereals. Wheat contains 12% Gluten and appears to be the main culprit. It's used in food additives in the form of flavouring, Stabilizing and thickening agent. Often as dextran, therefore Gluten is found in biscuits, cakes, pastries and all kinds of bread as well as in beer and various other food where wheat, barley or rye are ingredients.
Treatment is a Gluten free diet. This has to be lifelong. In the west Gluten free food is available though at a cost. But sufferers of Gluten intolerance are glad to bear the extra cost and enjoy food that would otherwise have been forbidden. Research carried out in Finland has shown that the elderly are more likely to suffer from Gluten intolerance.
In Sri Lanka we are fortunate as our basic diet has many of Gluten free carbohydrates in the form of rice, rice flour, lentils such as gram, mung, cow pea, yams such as manioc and sweet potato bread fruit and jack. Reduction in wheat flour consumption will help reduce the misery caused by Gluten intolerance. Our economy too will benefit if we eat more rice and similar and less wheat products, thereby reducing the import of wheat flour.
Sri Lanka spends millions of rupees importing wheat, this can be eliminated and be a saving for the country if more people are educated on the adverse effects of wheat.
Gluten awareness has also hit the celebrities of the western world; a recent article in the Sunday Times (UK) featured actresses and a fashion designer who had switched to a Gluten free diet regime and how they felt the self improvement.
Written by Dr. Mahanama Warnakulasuriya
A health professional with over 30years of experience in the medical field; he has served in the Sri Lankan Army and plantation sector, thereafter he moved to the UK and has been working for the National Health Service.
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0 Comments
M J says:
Feb 22, 2014 at 12:00 amThank you for the article, this is probably the only article written on Gluten Intolerance by a Sri Lankan. I have come to know that i am gluten intolerant based on my symptoms. Although the endoscopy biopsy came negative for celiac disease I feel huge difference when I stay away from having gluten containing food. It is a shame that not many Sri Lankans know about the ill effects of it. It use to make me tired, made my knees numb and gave me a brain fog affecting my ability to think clearly. I