Istanbul Gelisim University, Vocational School of Health Services, Dr. Negin AZARABADİ gave information about Celiac Disease:
Celiac; It is a disease that occurs as a result of an overreaction of the digestive and immune systems caused by the ingestion of gluten, the main protein fraction in wheat, rye and barley, in genetically susceptible individuals. Although the disease in question was rare in children of European descent in the past, it is now one of the most common lifelong disorders affecting people of all ages worldwide. In addition to celiac disease, individuals with non-celiac gluten sensitivity have significant nutritional deficiencies, especially with iron, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin D, calcium, copper, zinc and magnesium, due to intestinal enteropathy. In the treatment of this disease, gluten-free nutrition practices are recommended, which improves the absorption of these important vitamins and minerals by improving the small intestinal mucosa.
Gluten is derived from the Latin word for glue, due to its viscoelastic properties. Gluten is the material that remains after the starch and water-soluble components of wheat dough are washed away, mainly composed of a group of proteins called prolamins, mainly soluble gliadins and insoluble glutenins. In other words, gluten is a type of protein that gives consistency to a dough, allows it to ferment and connects products to each other. For this reason, gluten is a common additive in many naturally gluten-free food products to optimize texture and storage properties, and is a major component of the food industry.
Gluten is naturally found in wheat, rye, and barley. However, on a gluten-free diet (GFD), there should be no foods or products with added gluten and should eliminate all sources of gluten. In other words, any product on a gluten-free diet, from salad dressing to cheese and medicines, should be gluten-free. Pure oats, on the other hand, is gluten-free, but processing oats with gluten-containing grains causes many people to eliminate oats as part of the GFD. In addition, although gluten itself is a protein source with low nutritional value, the foods it contains (whole grains) are naturally rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc. They are products rich in compounds. For this reason, individuals who are not allergic to gluten are not recommended to follow this type of diet and a heavy gluten-free diet. On the other hand, individuals with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity should be encouraged to adopt a gluten-free diet, diets enriched with fiber, folate, vitamin B12, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D.
