The Lilac Naturopathic Clinic
Progressive Health Care Through Traditional Medicine
Gluten-Tag: A Day Without Gluten May Be The Best Medicine
What symptoms does gluten-intolerance cause?
There are several key illnesses that result from the immune reaction to gliadin, notably celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis. However, there is a range of other conditions that are impacted by a reaction to gluten causing symptoms varying from gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, bloating to twitches, cramps, fatigue, and skin reactions. In general symptoms may occur in multiple systems and may present in a multitude of ways.
Celiac Disease/Non-Tropical Sprue:
Is a gastrointestinal disease that leads to atrophy of the small intestine, decreases activity of the surface enzymes, and results in diarrhea with malabsorption of nutrients. The symptoms include:
- Diarrhea
- Fatty stool
- Muscle cramps
- Vertigo
- Nervousness
- Weight loss
- Failure to thrive (children)
- Weakness
- Lassitude
- Fatigue
- Large appetite
- Abdominal distension
- Explosive flatulence
- Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting are rare
Dermatitis herpetiformis:
Is an intensely itchy eruptive auto-immune induced skin disease. Symptoms include:
- Symmetrical intensely itchy rash, with skin eruptions
- Elbows and back of forearms are the most common sites involved
- Buttock, knees, upper back, back of the neck and scalp are also frequent areas
- Oral lesions are infrequent
- Burning or stinging feeling may be prominent
Additionally, gluten-intolerance may contribute to arthritic or fibrositic conditions, osteoporosis, brain disturbances, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, anemia, and chronic fatigue.
Table 2 Grains and starches tolerated by gluten-sensitive individuals
| GLUTEN-FREE GRAINS AND STARCHES |
||
|---|---|---|
| Amaranth |
Millet |
Rice Bran |
| Arrowroot |
Montina |
Sago |
| Buckwheat |
Potato Starch |
Sorghum |
| Corn |
Potato Flour |
Soy (soya) |
| Flax |
Quinoa |
Tapioca |
| Flours made from nuts, beans and seeds |
Rice |
Teff |