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Research shows that people with celiac disease also have a slightly higher risk of osteoporosis and anemia (due to malabsorption of calcium and iron, respectively) infertility nerve disorders and in rare cases cancer. Estimates suggest that 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease, or about 1% of the population, but about 83% of them are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions. The side effects can range from mild (fatigue, bloating, alternating constipation and diarrhea) to severe (unintentional weight loss, malnutrition, intestinal damage) as seen in the autoimmune disorder celiac disease. If an unknowingly sensitive person continues to eat gluten, this creates a kind of battle ground resulting in inflammation. Some people react differently to gluten, where the body senses it as a toxin, causing one’s immune cells to overreact and attack it. What’s not great about gluten is that it can cause serious side effects in certain individuals. Changes in their amount or activity have been associated with gastrointestinal diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and irritable bowel syndrome.
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These bacteria are normally found in a healthy human gut. Arabinoxylan oligosaccharide is a prebiotic carbohydrate derived from wheat bran that has been shown to stimulate the activity of bifidobacteria in the colon. Gluten may also act as a prebiotic, feeding the “good” bacteria in our bodies. For example, groups with the highest intakes of whole grains including wheat (2-3 servings daily) compared with groups eating the lowest amounts (less than 2 servings daily) were found to have significantly lower rates of heart disease and stroke, development of type 2 diabetes, and deaths from all causes.
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Other grains that contain gluten are wheat berries, spelt, durum, emmer, semolina, farina, farro, graham, khorasan wheat, einkorn, and triticale (a blend of wheat and rye). Without gluten, the dough would rip easily. It acts like a binder, holding food together and adding a “stretchy” quality-think of a pizza maker tossing and stretching out a ball of dough. Gluten is a protein naturally found in some grains including wheat, barley, and rye. The quick answer is that it can be either, but it all depends on the individual.
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