What you can learn:
In this article, you will learn how each person's genetic make-up affects the likelihood of gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance can be inherited or acquired during life.
What is gluten
Gluten is the general name for a protein generally known for its presence in wheat, rye, barley, kamut, spelled and other grains. It helps foods keep their shape and acts as a glue that holds them together. This is why it is often added to processed and packaged foods. For example, candy, sauces, snacks or hotdogs are very likely to contain gluten. In general, gluten is not harmful to your body unless you suffer from gluten intolerance. This means that your body reacts negatively to the intake of gluten.
Degrees of gluten intolerance
With gluten, it is more complicated than it seems at first glance. There are "degrees" of gluten intolerance:
1. the easiest form is gluten intolerance respectively hypersensitivity (or non-celiac sensitivity) – temporary non-specific so-called delayed reaction after eating food containing gluten
2. gluten allergy– more severe form, lifelong allergic reaction, immediately after consuming gluten
3. celiac disease– the most severe form, a life-long, very serious autoimmune disease, when it is necessary to avoid even trace amounts of gluten.
It follows from several recognized studies, as well as from professional practice, that celiac disease does not have to be hereditary, and thus a person can acquire it at any time during life despite the absence of a genetic predisposition. It even turned out that even age and gender are not important in this case. Celiac disease can appear at any time, for example, due to excessive physical and mental stress, or after a traumatic experience (death in the family, car accident, exams and stress at university), or in women after childbirth.
Basic recommendations
The healthiest way is to consume foods from food groups that do not naturally contain gluten. These include fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, dairy products, beans, legumes and nuts. Buckwheat, millet and corn are also gluten-free. Try to avoid foods that are complexly processed in an industrial way.
What you could learn:
In most cases, genetic analysis will show gluten sensitivity if a person has a genetic predisposition to celiac disease. However, it is not a rule, as this disease is not strictly genetic, but can arise on the basis of negative external factors that act as a trigger. If you suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance, it is necessary to replace foods with gluten with their gluten-free alternatives. While a gluten-free diet is permanent in celiac disease, in case of intolerance, the intestine can be restored and a check-up will show whether you can reintroduce gluten. That's why it's important to find out the facts about your body as soon as possible.
You will learn about your genetic predisposition in the analysis BODY4FIT+
References used:
Hunt et al. (2008) Nat Genet. 40(4): 395-402.
van Heel et al. (2007) Nat Genet. 39(7): 827-829.
Monsur et al. (2008) PLoS One. 3(5):e2270
