So, What Does Gluten Actually Do To The Body?

Millions of people are surprised when they find out they're allergic to wheat based products. Unfortunately for them, wheat can be found in a variety of common foods including pastas, breads, bagels, and pastries. It can be quite hard to completely avoid these given the fact that wheat is in so many of our favorite foods.

How does Gluten affect the body?

Gluten attacks the tiny hair-like projections in and on the intestinal wall called Villi. Normally it is the job of these Villi to absorb vitamins and nutrients as the food passes through the intestines. This can cause you to lack certain vital nutrients even if you've been consciously trying to include them more in your diet. The body simply cannot absorb the nutrients from the food you're eating.

Since the Villi in the intestine can no longer absorb the nutrients, the food now passes through partially absorbed. This is what causes people to feel constipation and a pain in their lower belly after eating. People who don’t realize they have a sensitivity to gluten may still experience these same side effects. Since they aren’t aware the pain is from the wheat they're consuming, this damage can go on for some time.

Being allergic to gluten can cause an array of other side effects such as acid re-flux and heartburn because the stomach cannot digest the foods as fast or efficiently as it should. At this point you would probably be looking to grab an antacid or any other over the counter product for relief. It is very important to realize how this vicious cycle forms and know exactly how to resolve it.

With the Villi now being destroyed, you may also have started to develop holes in the intestinal lining. Through these holes, partially absorbed food particles can now leak into the blood stream causing all sorts of trouble. The immune system will then attack itself trying to fight it off. This will show up on the skin in the form of rashes like eczema. You might also notice bloating and headaches.

How to Eliminate Gluten:

The first thing you'll want to do is try to eliminate all wheat based products from your diet. This will allow you to find out if it is really a gluten sensitivity you are experiencing and not another food allergy altogether. There are many illnesses that can cause the same symptoms so it is good to do a quick process of elimination.

Removing gluten from your diet is a process. There are so many things you would never think of that contain it, so checking the nutrition labels on the back of packages and eating whole foods such as fruits and vegetables will help you stay clear and avoid it. In about 6 months or so, you should have a new intestinal lining and be on the road to recovery.

As with anything, it will take practice to totally perfect a gluten free diet so don’t be discouraged. Soon after removing gluten from your diet you will start to feel better and be able to digest your food with little to no problems if it is indeed gluten that was the source of the prior discomfort.