Gluten Intolerance – Diabetes Under Control

Celiac disease is a chronic immune disorder in which the immune system reacts to gluten and causes bowel inflammation and damage, thereby making your body intolerant to gluten products.

As celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, just like type 1 diabetes, they both are closely related. In fact, about 5 percent of people with type 1 diabetes have been found to have celiac disease.

However, it does not mean that people with type 2 diabetes cannot have celiac disease. The difference is that in their case, the two conditions are not related.

Relationship Between Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease

As celiac disease and type 1 diabetes are both autoimmune disorders, they share a similar genetic profile. Both disorders share many symptoms, such as abdominal gas, bloating, weight loss, etc., making it difficult to detect celiac disease.

However, as many people with type 1 diabetes have celiac disease, you must make it a habit to screen yourself regularly for the condition.

If left untreated, celiac disease can cause irregular blood sugar levels in the body. It can also result in the malabsorption of nutrients and lead to hypoglycemia in the body.

Know More About Celiac Disease

Signs and Symptoms

Although the symptoms of celiac disease vary from person to person, some common signs and symptoms of the disease include diarrhoea, constipation, abnormal weight loss, flatulence, bloating, fatigue, nausea, anaemia, mouth ulcers and fluctuating blood sugar levels.

Diagnosis

If you show any signs of celiac disease, your doctor will prescribe you a blood test to find the levels of antibodies in your blood. If this result turns out positive, your doctor will then conduct a small bowel biopsy to confirm the condition.

Treatment

Celiac disease is not a food allergy that can be treated with medications. It is an autoimmune disorder that causes an intolerance to gluten. Therefore, the only treatment for celiac disease is eliminating gluten products from the diet altogether.

Risks

If you do not cut gluten from your diet completely, you are at a higher risk of developing many other health conditions. Intestinal damage caused by gluten can lead to malabsorption of nutrients and elevate the risk of infertility, osteoporosis, cancer, etc. In addition, untreated celiac disease will also cause irregular blood glucose levels and make it difficult for you to manage your diabetes.

Fundamental Dietary Guidelines for People with Celiac Disease

What To Eat?

You can eat naturally gluten-free foods, such as vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, cheese, milk, potatoes, eggs, lentils and pulses. You can also eat processed foods with no-gluten labels or foods prepared with gluten-free substitutes, such as gluten-free bread.

What Not To Eat?

Gluten is a type of protein found in grains, such as wheat, rye, barley and oats. Therefore, you must avoid any product derived from these grains.

Remember, even a small amount of gluten can damage your bowel wall. Therefore, it is crucial to remove all traces of gluten from your diet. You should not eat any product prepared or cooked along with gluten-rich foods. Also, avoid naturally gluten-free products like gram or urad flour prepared in the same factory as wheat, barley, or rye, as they may contain traces of gluten.

How To Manage Celiac Disease with Diabetes?

If you have both celiac disease and diabetes, you should eat foods that:

contain gluten-free carbohydrates
have a low glycemic index
contain low levels of saturated fat
are loaded with dietary fibres, and
are rich in calcium and iron

It is also recommended to consult a dietitian while managing both celiac disease and diabetes as they can help design a healthier eating plan for you.

The Final Takeaway

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes intolerance to gluten. If left untreated, it can cause irregular blood glucose levels and disrupt diabetes management. Therefore, managing celiac disease is extremely important.

The only way to treat celiac disease is by eliminating gluten completely from your diet. Nowadays, there are many gluten-free options available in the market, making it much easier for people with celiac disease to manage the condition.

References

Coeliac disease is a lifelong health condition in which your immune system reacts to gluten and causes bowel inflammation and damage. In this disease, your body becomes intolerant to gluten products.

Coeliac disease and diabetes are also closely related. Type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease are both autoimmune diseases. Therefore, they can occur together. In fact, it has been found that 5 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes have coeliac disease.

People with type 2 diabetes can also have coeliac disease. However, these two conditions are not related. Therefore, if you have type 2 diabetes, it does not mean that you are at risk of developing coeliac disease.

Impact Of Coeliac Disease On Diabetes

Coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes are both autoimmune disorders. So, they share a similar genetic profile.
Most people with type 1 diabetes have coeliac disease. Therefore, they should regularly screen themselves for the condition.
Coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes share many signs and symptoms, such as abdominal gas, bloating, weight loss, etc., often resulting in coeliac disease getting overlooked.
Coeliac disease, if left untreated, can cause irregular blood glucose levels in the body.
Untreated coeliac disease can also cause malabsorption of nutrients and lead to low blood sugar levels or hypoglycemia in the body.

How To Know If You Have Coeliac Disease?

Following are the common signs and symptoms of coeliac disease. However, you must remember that the symptoms of coeliac disease vary from person to person.

diarrhoea
constipation
abnormal weight loss
flatulence and bloating
fatigue
nausea
anaemia
mouth ulcers
fluctuating blood sugar levels

How To Diagnose Coeliac Disease?

If your doctor suspects coeliac disease, they will prescribe a blood test to screen for it. This test will indicate the levels of antibodies in your blood. If the test result is positive, your doctor will then prescribe a small bowel biopsy to confirm the condition.

What Is The Treatment Of Coeliac Disease?

Coeliac disease is not a food allergy that can be treated with medicines. It is an autoimmune disease that results in intolerance to gluten. The only treatment option for coeliac disease is to cut gluten products completely out of your diet.

Where Can You Find Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley and oats. Any ingredient derived from these grains also contains gluten. Therefore, you must avoid all these products.

Even small amounts of gluten can damage your bowel wall. Therefore, it is important to remove all traces of gluten from your diet. You should not eat any product prepared or cooked with gluten products. Avoid even naturally-gluten products such as gram or urad flour prepared in the same factory as wheat, barley, or rye, as they may contain traces of gluten.

What Can You Eat In Coeliac Disease?

You can eat naturally gluten-free foods, foods prepared with gluten-free substitutes or processed foods with no-gluten labels.

There are many naturally gluten-free food options, such as vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, cheese, milk, potatoes, eggs, lentils and pulses for people with coeliac disease. Nowadays, many gluten-free substitutes, such as gluten-free bread, are also easily available.

Healthy Eating Guidelines For People With Both Coeliac Disease And Diabetes

If you have both coeliac disease and diabetes, you must eat foods:

containing gluten-free carbohydrates
having a low glycemic index
containing low levels of saturated fat
rich in calcium and iron
packed with dietary fibres

It is also recommended to see a dietitian while managing both coeliac disease and diabetes. They can help design a better eating plan for you.

What Are The Health Risks Of Not Following A Gluten-Free Diet?

If you have coeliac disease and you do not follow a gluten-free diet, you are at a higher risk of developing other medical conditions. Intestinal damage caused by gluten can lead to insufficient absorption of nutrients from the food, elevating the risk of infertility, osteoporosis, cancer and many other health problems.

Furthermore, untreated coeliac disease will also make it difficult for you to manage your blood glucose levels.

On A Final Note

Coeliac disease causes intolerance to gluten and, if left untreated, can fluctuate your blood glucose levels. Therefore, treating coeliac disease is extremely important, especially if you have diabetes.

The only treatment for coeliac disease is to eliminate gluten products from the diet. Nowadays, there are many options available for people with gluten intolerance. Therefore, the management of the disease has become easier than before.

References