• Celiac disease
• Gluten sensitivity
• Wheat allergy
• How to live without gluten? Enjoyable!

It seems that recently, everyone but one person has suddenly stopped eating gluten. This is even evident in our organic store , where the gluten-free product section is very extensive! A gluten-free diet should be a way to lose weight, a recipe for health and energy, and even a solution for skin problems and a host of other ailments.

However, it's one thing to avoid gluten-containing foods because you believe in the effectiveness of this diet, and another to avoid it for health reasons. And these can be different! The three most common are celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergy.

Celiac disease

It is a genetically determined autoimmune disease that causes affected individuals to react negatively to gluten in food and often even in other types of products, such as cosmetics. When consumed by a person with celiac disease, gluten causes atrophy of the cells lining the small intestine, which can lead to inadequate absorption of nutrients. There are over 300 symptoms of celiac disease, ranging from those most obviously associated with gastrointestinal disturbances such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, and vomiting to more generalized symptoms such as anemia, joint and muscle pain, skin rashes, and even growth disorders and infertility. The bad news: Celiac disease can strike at any age. Estimates suggest that as many as one in every hundred people may have celiac disease, yet due to the nonspecific nature of its symptoms, most go undiagnosed.

Gluten sensitivity

You don't have to have celiac disease to suffer from gluten. There is also non-celiac gluten sensitivity, a condition identified only five years ago, and its causes and effects are still not well understood. So far, it's usually diagnosed in people who have ruled out celiac disease and wheat allergy. In this condition, an adverse reaction to gluten-containing products can occur up to 48 hours after consumption. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, diarrhea, and skin changes.

Wheat allergy

An allergy to wheat and its products can result in a negative reaction to both gluten and one of the hundreds of proteins contained in this grain. In this type of allergy, the body's immune system attacks the wheat proteins, while the entire body is in an "alert" or "danger" state, which can manifest in a variety of ways, from itching and rashes to severe abdominal pain and, in extremely severe cases, anaphylactic shock. Those suffering from a wheat allergy should, of course, avoid products containing this grain, but can consume other gluten-containing products (e.g., oatmeal).

How to live without gluten? Enjoyable !

Celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergy are treatable by avoiding foods containing gluten (or wheat, in the case of the latter). By working closely with a doctor or nutritionist, sufferers can easily manage negative symptoms. And in our shop, they'll find a wide selection of gluten-free and wheat protein-free products, so they won't feel like they're depriving themselves of anything!