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Wheat-free, Worry-free
The Art of Healthy, Happy Gluten-free Living
By Danna Korn
When celiacs eat gluten, the villi become damaged, and the harmful effects are cumulative. Damage to the villi begins at the tips and eventually blunts the villi so much that they become ineffective at absorbing the nutrients from digested food.
Villous bluntin generally starts just below the stomach in the duodenum – the part of the small intestine that connects to the stomach. People diagnosed in the earliest stages of celiac disease have less damage and therefore generally have several feet of small intestine left to absorb nutrients. The unaffected portion of the small intestines may be large enough that the person never experiences diarrhea or any of the other classic symptoms. This is one of the reasons that diagnosing celiac disease can be a difficult task.
Years ago it was thought that only people with the classic symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal distension, cramping and other gastrointestinal distress were candidates for a diagnosis of celiac disease. Today we know that the symptoms of celiac disease can be mild or severe and be all over the board, including one or all of those listed at the beginning of this chapter. Symptoms may not even include classic gastrointestinal manifestations, and in fact, many people with celiac disease have no symptoms whatsoever. We also know that even in those people without symptoms, internal damage can be serious and can lead to other complications, and that early detection has crucial implications in their future health.
From a lifestyle standpoint, the most important distinction between celiac diseases and other conditions is that if you have a food allergy or intolerance and you eat wheat (assuming you can stand the consequences), you won't cause long-term damage. Not so with celiac disease. Celiacs must adhere to a strict, gluten-free diet for life. If they continue to eat gluten, they put themselves at risk for malnourishment (the consequence of nutritional deficiencies) and a variety of other, sometimes serious, conditions.
