Understanding the need to live gluten-free starts with understanding how gluten can cause life-threatening problems if not removed from the diet of those who cannot tolerate it. But the good news is that following a gluten-free diet can mitigate debilitating symptoms and pain in as little as a few months—using food and not a pharmacy. Those following a gluten-free diet need not be deprived of baked goods as delicious as those made with gluten, from rich cakes to crispy cookies and gooey pies.
Our bodies contain a complex and interlocking system to prevent harm. There is a network of organs, glands, and cell types that are lumped under the heading of the immune system that are all dedicated to warding off illness. But sometimes the immune system has been mysteriously programmed incorrectly and attacks healthy cells rather than potentially harmful ones. These maladies are termed autoimmune diseases. Although autoimmune disorders are not fully understood, many medical professionals agree that the sources include viruses that change the information carried inside the cell; sunlight and other forms of radiation; certain chemicals; and drugs. There may also be a link between autoimmune diseases and sex hormones since many more women suffer than do men.
There are more than eighty types of autoimmune disease, and they include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Graves’ disease. (Some medical authorities also believe that multiple sclerosis is caused by an autoimmune response.) While the aggravating factors in many of these diseases are complex, in the case of celiac disease it is really rather easy. Celiac disease is caused by an autoimmune response to gluten, one of the thirty proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye.
Humans as a species are unable to properly digest the gluten protein. Normal protein digestion involves a complete breakdown of protein into small particles called amino acids that are in turn absorbed by the small intestine and used by the body as a nutritional source. Those without gluten intolerance don’t appear to be affected negatively by the inability to properly digest gluten in the way those with gluten intolerance are.
But for those who are intolerant, the undigested gluten protein gets absorbed into the lining of the small intestine but is not seen by the body as a source of nutrition. To the contrary, the body’s immune system attacks these protein particles as something that needs to be destroyed, in very much the same way as it would attack an invading organism such as a virus, bacteria, or parasite. This causes inflammation and damage to the small intestine, which prevents it from absorbing the nutrients your body needs for optimal health.
Normally, the small intestine is lined with tiny, hair-like projections called villi that resemble the deep pile of a plush carpet on a microscopic scale. It is these villi that work to absorb vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from the food you eat. Without prominent villi, the inner surface of the small intestine becomes less like a plush carpet and more like a tile floor. The body is unable to absorb nutrients necessary for health and growth, resulting in malnutrition.
It is now clear that the disease is far more common than doctors once believed. New research reveals that celiac disease may be one of the most common genetic diseases, and one federal study estimates that 1 in every 133 Americans suffers from it. That’s more than 3 million people.
The condition is diagnosed by testing for three antibodies—anti-gliadin, anti-endomysial, and anti-tissue transglutaminase—all of which are present when an affected person is exposed to gluten but disappear when the offending grains are no longer consumed.
But there are millions more people whose digestive problems don’t fall under the strict definition of celiac disease (because they do not test positively for the antibodies) but who have found that following a gluten-free diet helps them. Rather than calling them gluten-intolerant, they’re termed gluten-sensitive, and this group could include up to 30 percent of the American population.
For this much larger group, removing gluten can eliminate symptoms ranging from abdominal pain to osteoporosis and sinus congestion. Gluten-sensitivity has also been linked to conditions such as psoriasis, anemia, and asthma.
Following a gluten-free diet is not a temporary measure to ameliorate a condition. It’s for life. Eliminating gluten doesn’t cause the body to become less sensitive to it. The condition will return as soon as gluten is reintroduced to the diet.
Today, with all the gluten-free products flooding into supermarkets, it’s easier than ever to follow a gluten-free diet. This increase in gluten-free foods makes it possible to find the ingredients needed for the delicious baked goods in this book in general supermarkets rather than health food specialty shops. The recipes were formulated so that everyone will love them, and for those on a gluten-free diet it means they can enjoy sweet treats again.