Gluten. What is it? Where does it come from? How does it affect you?
These are some questions you may ask yourself if you’ve had digestive problems in the past.
Celiac Disease is a serious genetic autoimmune disease. Left untreated, Celiac can lead to skin rashes, infertility, bone weakness, and even nerve damage!
The sooner you find out, the sooner you can adjust your diet and lifestyle to keep yourself healthy.
Many people are completely unaware that they have Celiac Disease or some form of allergy to gluten.
Maintaining a gluten free diet is not easy, but the sooner you can determine if it is necessary for you, the sooner you can start to feel better.
Is it Coeliac disease, gluten allergy, gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance? Which is the correct term and what are the differences between them?
In this article we intend to dispel the confusion and give you a clear overview of these gluten related, but different conditions. You might be surprised at what you find.
It’s important to understand that Coeliac disease is very different to a gluten intolerance or allergy, and to never to confuse the two. Likewise, gluten allergy and gluten intolerance are one of the same thing, having recently been simplified to the term ‘gluten sensitivity’.
With that said, the common denominator is of course gluten. Whether you have Coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, the symptoms of both are caused by consuming gluten.
But what are the differences? Let’s get started by breaking this article into two distinct categories: Coeliac disease and the rest of the terms.
For the best part of the last five years I have lived in Thailand. In Thailand, gluten free rice-based dishes are commonplace and ingredients are mostly purchased fresh everyday at ‘wet markets’.
Outside of big cities, western dishes are not so popular, and equally-so gluten-free alternatives simply don’t exist.
Whilst living in Thailand, I would rarely eat any gluten free breads or biscuits because my local supermarket didn’t stock them. I made do without.
