Celiac Disease Awareness!

Happy May! Did you know that May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month? I would like to take the time to address my friends who have Celiac or choose to eat gluten-free! The average person is generally deficient in some kind of vitamin or mineral but those who eat gluten-free are much more susceptible to certain nutrient deficiencies. So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.

Celiac disease is a lot more common than you might think with 1-in-100 individuals carrying a diagnosis according to Celiac.org. It is an autoimmune disorder where the body has a negative reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Let me clarify and make this clear: Not all grains have gluten. There is an abundance of grains that are safe for GF individuals. Amaranth, buckwheat, rice, and quinoa are among a few. Oats are gluten free as well but are commonly cross-contaminated with wheat in processing plants. Only buy Certified Gluten-Free oats to prevent negative reactions.

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Now for those of you who do not have an immune response to gluten, going GF will not automatically result in weight loss, better GI health, clearer skin or insert claim here. If you walk through the GF aisle of any grocery store you may be surprised that a good amount of products have less nutrients (more on this later) and similar calorie content than their gluten containing friends. Here is a comparison.

GF brand has more calories, fat, sodium, with less protein and fiber. The numbers are similar but if you have this every day the numbers add up over time. Let me reiterate, going gluten-free will not solve the above problems. If weight loss, increased energy, and improved general health are your goals there are much less restrictive (and cheaper) ways to do this. Set up an appointment to find out how! (Good plug?)

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Now back to the Celiac Awareness. When gluten is consumed the most common autoimmune response is in the small intestine. The microvilli structures weaken and can become inflamed. This is dangerous because it is through these microvilli that we absorb nutrients. Without healthy microvilli, a person can become malnourished and experience the common symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation among others. See the picture from Khan Academy that shows how the microvilli respond to gluten in someone with Celiac Disease.

Common Nutrient Deficiencies

Water soluble B-vitamins, iron and calcium are the most common nutrient deficiencies in those with Celiac. This is due in part to the lack of absorption to damaged microvilli (oral supplements will rarely help in these cases) and also due to lack of intake in diet. Many of our refined grains in America are actually fortified or enriched (see difference here) with iron and B vitamins to replace those lost in processing. The same cannot be said for many gluten-free alternatives. Now what about calcium? It is very common with those with Celiac to also have lactose intolerance so calcium intake will be limited due to the lack of dairy intake. Makes sense?

So what should you eat on a GF diet? You shouldn’t be terribly surprised when I tell you a steady diet of fruits, vegetables and meat protein is the key to success. Throw in some other whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds and we have a wonderful recipe for success. Below are some gluten and dairy-free ways to combat those common nutrient deficiencies.

Iron: All kinds of meats, legumes, lentils and soybeans.

Calcium: Green leafy vegetables (spinach, turnip greens, collard greens), nuts, seeds and canned fish with bones in them.

B-vitamins: Once again those green leafy vegetables, mushrooms (my fav), and legumes among so many depending on the particular B-vitamin. Go ahead and have some whole fruits for me while you’re at it.

Just for good measure let me through in some tips for making sure we get the most nutrients out of our food. Eat your fruits whole as much as possible. Cook your vegetables lightly, the longer and higher heat you cook your veggies, the more likely you are to lose nutrients. Choose steaming or baking or frying or boiling. Lastly, taste the rainbow. No do not eat Skittles but eat foods of different colors. Each color corresponds to a different source nutrient.

-For labeling questions go here.

-For the research junkie go here.

-Don’t have Celiac but want to go GF? Check out this article first. Or this one.

-The Gluten Intolerance Group also has many great resources!