That ache in your stomach after you eat a piece of bread or eat a bowl of pasta isn’t just your imagination, it isn’t just your stomach being sensitive, and it isn’t something to ignore.
This discomfort and even pain and nausea can be something serious. In some cases, when the culprit seems to be anything with gluten (i.e. bread, pasta, muffins, cake, cookies, pizza, etc.), the cause can be Celiac disease.
“Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body is hypersensitive to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley,” says Elin Grimes, registered dietician at the IU Health Center. “It most commonly affects the small intestine, and requires a lifelong avoidance of gluten in all foods and beverages.”
In other words, Celiac disease is the allergy to wheat/gluten, which requires the elimination of gluten from a diet.
Countless students at IU suffer from Celiac disease, but many say the diet becomes routine once you’re used to it.
“At first it was hard, but now that I have my car, and I know which restaurants are able to make gluten-free meals, it is much easier,” junior Hanna Cooper says.
Cooper was diagnosed in 2002 by an endoscopy (after being put to sleep, a long tube with a camera on the end goes down the throat and into the small intestines) and has been gluten-free ever since.
The symptoms of Celiac can greatly vary from person to person. Some people always feel slight discomfort after they eat while some feel constant unbearable pain. At its worst, Celiac can potentially cause acne, ADD (due to the lack of focus from constant pain), depression, abdominal swelling, asthma, and even loss of hair.
When gluten is ingested it can flatten the gastrointestinal tract and create malnutrition due to the decreased absorption of nutrients. This lack of nutrients can lead to other nutritional problems if left untreated.
Restaurants with gluten-free menus
Scotty’s Brewhouse
B-town Pizza
Lenny’s
Steak and Shake
Chili’s
Cheeseburger in Paradise
Although IU provides various gluten-free options in the dinning halls, not all students still have meal plans or eat there. That is where B-town’s grocery stores and restaurants come in handy. Kroger, Marsh, Bloomingfoods, and Sahara Mart all carry gluten-free products at a reasonable price, which is great for on-the-go snacks and cooking your own meals.
For those 3 a.m. pizza deliveries with your friends B-town Pizza and Lenny’s make gluten-free pizza. Scotty’s Brewhouse has created a reasonably sized gluten-free menu that is available all day.
If you find yourself in a situation that you are typically in discomfort after meals, start a food diary and keep track of how you feel after each meal. Also, contact your doctor to figure out what is going on. The most important thing you can do is let your doctor do his/her job and just relax.
Don’t panic and convince yourself you that you have Celiac disease, just learn a little more about this increasingly common allergy.