Some people are forced to prevent the use of gluten in their diet and to completely avoid its products for some health reasons. What problems can gluten cause? Get acquainted with us, through the coming paragraphs, about the harm of gluten to the health of the body and its various parts, such as the colon and hair, and does gluten cause other problems such as weight loss and depression? In addition to some safe and reliable alternatives.

Gluten damage

Shortly after consuming gluten, many people begin to experience some side effects and damages. This condition is known as “gluten intolerance” and some people suffer from it. Among the damages and side effects that appear on the body are the following:

• Constipation and diarrhea: One of the most common symptoms of gluten intolerance is constipation, fatigue, and nausea, with some experiencing immediate bouts of diarrhea and constipation.
• bloating After eating any food containing gluten, some people experience an annoying and persistent feeling of bloating, usually accompanied by gas.
• Abdominal pain: Some people may experience radiating pain in the abdominal area, but not all people with gluten intolerance experience abdominal pain.
• Feeling tired: Although fatigue may be due to other health reasons, it is a common symptom among people who are intolerant to gluten, and sometimes the feeling of fatigue may be severe and interfere with the ability to perform usual tasks.
• Nausea: Some people with gluten intolerance may experience nausea after eating any foods that contain it.
• Headache: Frequent headaches are a common symptom for people with gluten intolerance.
• Other symptoms: There are some other, but uncommon, symptoms that may occur as a result of eating gluten, such as joint and muscle pain, depression and anxiety, and anemia.

Gluten damage to the colon

One of the common harms of gluten is that it can exacerbate the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, so internal and external digestive symptoms can occur. coli and gluten sensitivity.

However, this matter still needs more experiments and evidence, so if you suffer from any of the previous damages while suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, it is preferable to consult a doctor for the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Gluten damage to hair

Gluten can cause malnutrition, especially for people who are sensitive to it or intolerant to it, as gluten may cause damage to the lining of the intestine sometimes, affecting the body’s ability to absorb minerals and vitamins such as iron, vitamin C and B vitamins, and the loss of these nutrients It can lead to various health problems, including hair loss.

According to one of the experiments, the results indicated that after following a gluten-free diet for several months, hair growth was observed again in a patient with alopecia areata, so a relationship was reached between gluten and hair problems, but the matter still needs more studies and proof.

Gluten damage to infants

Gluten can enter the infant’s body through breastfeeding, if it is less than 5 months old, or when starting to introduce solid foods to its diet after 6 months.

There is a difference between wheat allergy and gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance. Gluten is one of the ingredients in foods made from wheat, not wheat itself. If a child has an adverse reaction to gluten, you will notice the following:

• digestive problems
• The presence of many gases.
• Feeling pain in the abdomen.
• constipation.
• diarrhea.

But in the case of a true wheat allergy, you will notice the following:

• widespread rash.
• swelling.
• Severe abdominal cramps.
• diarrhea or constipation

There are usually no accurate tests to determine the condition in detail, so the doctor usually advises to prevent certain foods for the child, to reduce symptoms and observe changes to know the body’s reactions to them.

Does gluten gain weight?

Many people depend on the gluten-free diet as a way to lose weight, even in cases where they do not have any problems with gluten, but whether or not gluten causes weight gain is debatable, and this question usually cannot be answered with an answer. In short, here’s why:

• For people with gluten sensitivity, cutting out gluten may help eliminate and reduce the feeling of bloating, which contributes to a feeling of lightness, in addition to cutting gluten will reduce inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, which reduces water and gas retention, and as a result of this, the person may feel weight loss. .
• Gluten is found in carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and pastries, which can cause weight gain when consumed in large quantities, so some may associate gluten with weight gain.
• There are some products that, although they are gluten-free, do not contain enough nutrients, and if these products are used instead of products that contain gluten in large quantities, they may also cause weight gain.

Therefore, it must be remembered that weight loss depends primarily on the quality of the food that is eaten, and it is not necessary to avoid gluten with the aim of losing weight only, and it must be avoided in the event of an allergy to it or Celiac disease.

Gluten and depression

Feeling depressed is a common symptom in people with gluten-related celiac disease. Many studies have indicated a relationship between depressive symptoms and celiac disease, even in people who have been following a gluten-free diet for a long time.

According to a study published in 2007, which was conducted on nearly 14,000 people with Celiac disease, the results indicated that these participants were at risk of depression by 80%, and some cases of suicidal thoughts were reported.

Some of these studies suggested that this depression is more caused by a chronic disease than any other cause, but there is some other evidence indicating that depression associated with Celiac disease is more related to brain changes that appear as a result of damage to the intestine due to gluten, which causes Preventing the absorption of some nutrients important for brain health and function, and although following a gluten-free diet may sometimes help, depression does not completely disappear in many cases.

It is also worth noting that some recent studies have indicated that even people who do not suffer from Celiac disease, but suffer from gluten sensitivity, are also exposed to depression, and sometimes the level of depression may increase in people with this sensitivity, compared to people with the disease, but there is not enough evidence to indicate a reason. this happens.

Gluten substitutes

Looking for an alternative to gluten usually means aiming for gluten-free foods. Here are some of the grains, legumes, and starchy foods you can use:

• marigold plant;
• beans.
• black wheat.
• Chia seeds.
• Maize.
• Gluten free oats.
• linen.
• Nut flour.
• potato.
• quinoa.
• the rice.
• soy.

Just remember that it is essential to read the ingredients, and make sure that the target food or beverage product is labeled gluten-free.