If you have celiac disease and some food makes you sick, you might think it must have gluten. This is a myth. It might or might not. Let’s look more closely.
There are a few things to consider here, ranging from why celiac disease may cause other foods to give you a reaction, to thinking celiac disease is the cause of all your health problems.
Celiac Disease and Damaged Gut
One of the key symptoms of celiac disease is that the gut becomes inflamed and damaged. The villi, tiny hairs that line your intestine and absorb nutrients, become flat and this causes all sorts of problems. One problem is that most celiacs can’t digest milk. This is because the enzyme, lactase, that helps digest milk, is made at the ends of the villi, bu the villi ends are no longer there. This leads to bloating, discomfort and diarrhea, which is similar to some celiac disease symptoms.
Because the gluten-attacked gut of the celiac is damaged, some foods just make you feel off when you eat them, or at least this may happen before your gluten free diet takes effect.
Until you have managed to follow a perfect gluten free diet for long enough that the gut heals, all bets are off. This can take several weeks or several months, depending on the state of your gut, how quickly you heal, and how well you stick to your gluten free diet.
Yes, you have the right to be suspicious of all foods that you eat when you are following this stringent diet. You really can’t be too careful. But if a food makes you sick, it may not contain gluten.
Gluten is the Cause of All Health Problems Syndrome
If you have celiac disease and you eat gluten, you will get sick. But just like everyone else, if you have stomach flue or food poisoning, that too will make you sick. So will being super-stressed about your diet.
Be careful but don’t be paranoid. Common sense still applies. Gluten is not the only thing that can make you sick, it is just the most likely.
What is your experience with feeling sick with celiac disease? Did you ever think some food make you sick due to gluten but it was really something else? Please leave a comment.