You see a lot more gluten-free products on the shelves of hip supermarkets these days. Do we have more people who suffer from the autoimmune disorder? Or are we just better at diagnosing it? Or are gluten-free diets becoming more of a fad that people are utilizing to treat a state that is not really gluten intolerance? Or are food manufacturers marketing a disorder in an effort to move product?
It’s tough to say what the main driver of the increase in cases is. But it’s definitely worth knowing what it is and isn’t, especially since we’re seeing an increase of parents requesting these dietary restrictions in schools.
Glutens are the proteins in wheat flour that make yeast breads so elastic and delicious. Similar proteins occur in related grains such as barley or rye. These grains contain many proteins, among them gluten, to which people might have typical allergic reactions: skin rashes, runny noses or, rarely, anaphylactic shock.
This response causes a bewildering variety of symptoms, among them digestive disorders, nausea, skin rashes, anemia, chronic fatigue, neurological problems, headaches and depression.
Many people have such symptoms. But gluten-intolerant people may have two others. In most, the lining of the small intestine flattens out in places and loses the ability to digest and absorb nutrients. Some develop a blistery skin condition.
The non-specificity of most symptoms makes gluten intolerance difficult to diagnose.
