Gluten has not had a good press recently. As it turns out, intolerance to this protein can affect a large percentage of the world’s population. But is it right that many people give up eating gluten for the sake of their well-being? How do I check for gluten intolerance? (1,2).
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found mainly in cereals (including wheat and barley). It consists of gliadin and glutenin. It is also a great carrier of aromas.
Unfortunately, gluten can cause many negative consequences in the body. The most common gluten reactions are allergy, coeliac disease and hypersensitivity to gluten. (1,2)
What are the symptoms of gluten intolerance?
Depending on the type of disease, a slightly different set of symptoms may occur
Allergies to gluten are manifested by vomiting, diarrhoea, watery catarrh, bronchospasm and urticaria, among others. Oral itching and swelling, headaches and tearing of the eyes may also occur. Symptoms are aggravated by increased gluten intake.
On the other hand, the most common symptoms of hypersensitivity to gluten include:
rash,
Diarrhoea,
bloating,
constipation,
faintings,
esophageal baking,
apathy,
Reduction of mood,
Muscle and bone pains,
language inflammation. (1,2)
Allergies to gluten – tests
Many people who suspect gluten intolerance are wondering how to test their sensitization to gluten? Specific tests are carried out to diagnose an allergy to this type of protein. Special tests are most commonly used. First, skin tests are performed. In this case, the exclusion of coeliac disease is important and tests for antibodies typical of this disease should therefore be carried out.
After the skin examination, the next test is the elimination diet with the reintroduction of an allergenic stimulus.
Hypersensitivity to gluten, on the other hand, is diagnosed through diagnostic tests for coeliac disease exclusion and genetic tests. An allergen re-introduced elimination diet also applies.
In both diseases, the treatment consists mainly in the elimination of gluten from the daily diet. It should be remembered, however, that in the case of both allergies and hypersensitivity, this protein must be eliminated only for a certain period of time. (1)
Gluten intolerance in children >>
Serotonin and depression
It is worth remembering that gluten can cause depression. This involves reducing the amount of serotonin, which is an important neurotransmitter. She is responsible for the sense of happiness. Consumption of gluten contributes to a decrease in serotonin production, which may result in reduced well-being.
Gluten intolerance affects quite a large part of the population. Hypersensitivity or allergy to gluten is manifested by diarrhoea, vomiting, swelling of the oral cavity, apathy and mood loss, among other things.
To determine whether you are allergic, a gluten test should be performed. On the one hand, we should have proper skin tests and, on the other, we should have an elimination diet with the reintroduction of allergens.
The treatment consists primarily of the temporary withdrawal of gluten-containing products.