A gluten-free diet eliminates food and drinks that contain gluten, a protein found in some grains. Grains that contain gluten are wheat, rye, barley, spelt, triticale and kamut, according to Rush University Medical Center. People on a gluten-free diet eat cereals, breads and pastas made from potato, rice, tapioca, soy or bean flour.
Treats Collagenous Sprue
Collagenous sprue is a rare disorder of the small intestine that is often accompanied by celiac disease. A gluten-free diet in conjunction with steroid treatment offers an effective therapy for most patients with this disease, according to a study conducted by doctors at the Mayo Clinic Rochester in Minnesota. The results, reported in the April 2010 issue of "Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology," found that out of 30 participants there were nine confirmed instances of tissue improvement in the gastrointestinal tract and five participants experienced complete remission.
Treats Celiac Disease
The symptoms of the genetic digestive disorder celiac disease may be relieved with a gluten-free diet, according to Rush University Medical Center. A person with celiac disease sustains damage to the lining of the intestines that impairs the human body's ability to absorb nutrients every time they eat or drink something containing gluten. Eating a gluten-free diet may heal previously incurred intestinal damage and prevent further damage. Symptoms of celiac disease that may be relieved by a gluten-free diet include chronic diarrhea, joint pain and fatigue. The Rush University Medical Center explains that patients usually see improvement within days or weeks of starting a gluten-free diet. Additionally, previous damage to the small intestine can heal within one to two years, depending on the age of the patient.
Favorable Pregnancy Outcome
Pregnant women with celiac disease may have more favorable pregnancy outcomes when they follow a gluten-free diet, according to an analysis of available literature conducted by staff of the Lorenzo Bonomo Hospital in Via Torino, Italy. This disease frequently is a cause of miscarriage. In the study, 13 women between the ages of 22 and 38 with celiac disease who experienced recurrent miscarriages were started on a gluten-free diet. The analysis, reported in the November 2008 issue of the medical journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences, found six of the 13 women became pregnant within four years after starting the diet.
References
- "Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology"; Gluten-Free Diet and Steroid Treatment are Effective Therapy; A. Rubio-Tapia, et al; 2010
- Rush University Medical Center: Celiac Disease
- "Digestive Diseases and Sciences"; Effect of Gluten Free Diet on Pregnancy Outcome in Celiac Disease Patients; A. Tursi, et al; 2008
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