Is a Wheat Allergy
the Same Thing as Celiac?
There are various types of conditions
that prevent people from eating wheat, so it’s
natural for the question to arise “is a wheat
allergy the same thing as Celiac?” The short
answer is “no”. A rather longer answer follows,
if you’re the overly curious type.
Wheat allergy is the negative reaction of a
person’s immunoglobulin E antibodies to one
or more protein fractions of wheat. Allergic
reactions to wheat may be caused by eating foods
that contain wheat or by inhaling flour-containing
wheat (so-called Baker's asthma). Wheat allergy
seems to be relatively uncommon, but may occur
in any individual, unlike Celiac Disease, which
is hereditary.
Celiac Disease a.k.a. Gluten Enteropathy a.k.a.
Gluten Intolerance is a disorder of the immune
system in which eating gluten damages of the
lining of the small intestine, which and prevents
the absorption of nutrients and vitamins. Though
Celiac Disease is quite common, at lest in the
west CD is frequently misdiagnosed as Irritable
bowel syndrome, or other conditions, particularly
in adults, who may present with less obvious
symptoms.
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