Malabsorption syndrome can be due to undiagnosed Celiac Disease
You may not know that you have malabsorption syndrome!
Every day, in every country of the world, people walk around with undiagnosed diseases. Whether they do not have the funds to see a doctor, or have been incorrectly diagnosed, they are unaware of the real reasons for their symptoms. One such commonly misunderstood problem is malabsorption due to undiagnosed Celiac Disease.
Symptoms of Malabsorption?
If your body has difficulty digesting the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from the food you eat, it can lead to malnutrition. Even if your body does digest the food, the nutrients may not pass into the bloodstream, where they are needed to nourish and repair your tissues.
If you have Celiac Disease, but haven't been diagnosed, you might know that you feel sick, but have no idea that it could be your breakfast cereal, that pizza you ate last night or the sandwich at lunch time, that is to blame.
Malabsorption can be caused by cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis, lactose intolerance, overuse of laxatives, foreign travel, intestinal surgery and even drinking too much of the hard stuff.
In the case of undiagnosed Celiac Disease, the body is unable to break down and absorb gluten proteins, found in wheat, rye and barley. This in turn causes damage to the small intestine, making it less and less able to move the food along the GI tract.
There is also a tendency to not absorb fats, leading to stools that are greasy and difficult to flush away.
Left untreated, the sufferer can lose weight at an alarming rate, even if they are always hungry and eat plenty of food.
Management of Malabsorption syndrome due to Celiac
If the celiac disease tests that your doctor carries out show that you have the condition, you will need to stick to a gluten free diet.
That is where The Gluten Free Chef can help you, with tasty recipes and lists of what is safe and what you should avoid.
In addition to following the diet, you may have a vitamin B12 deficiency and need injections or pills to bring your levels back to normal.
It is also important for newly diagnosed celiacs to ensure that their calcium intake is sufficient, as the ongoing malabsorption could have caused impaired bone formation and a risk of osteoporosis in later life.
If you have been diagnosed with malabsorption syndrome due to celiac disease, don't worry. Now you know what the problem is, you can be sure that by following the gluten free diet you will soon feel better than you have ever done before.
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