Living with a condition such as lymphocytic colitis can be challenging and life-altering. Many types of diet changes may benefit colitis. Often, the gluten free diet -- also known as the celiac diet -- comes into question when there are persistent issues within the gastrointestinal tract. While some people may benefit from a gluten free lifestyle, others may not see improvement, depending on the initial cause of the lymphocytic colitis.
What Is a Celiac Diet?
The celiac diet involves eliminating all gluten products. Gluten can be found in wheat, barley and rye. People using a gluten free diet must also avoid oats, unless specified as gluten free. Products that contain gluten include bread, cereals, bread crumbs, cakes, crackers, and even some candies, soups, or other processed foods. The gluten free diet requires reading all nutritional labels, and avoiding cross contamination of foods when they are being prepared, served, or stored.
What Causes Lymphocytic Colitis
Lymphocytic colitis is caused when the body produces more of a certain type of white blood cell, known as a lymphocyte, within the colon, causing inflammation. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. Although some medical professionals theorize that this may be caused by bacteria or viruses in the body, it is also accepted that other autoimmune disorders, such as celiac disease, can cause the condition.
What is Celiac Disease
Celiac disease, also known as celiac sprue, is an autoimmune disorder caused by ingesting gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Celiac disease is passed genetically, and is therefore often found in relatives of those with the disorder. When a celiac patient is not gluten free, the villi in the stomach is flattened by the body's immune system, causing a range of problems from vitamin deficiencies to inflammation throughout the body. Symptoms vary from stomach upset to joint pain, making celiac disease hard to diagnose.
How the Celiac Diet Can Help
A gluten free diet can be beneficial to those who have lymphocytic colitis as a symptom of celiac disease. While there are many tests to determine if celiac disease is the issue, these tests are also new and often show false negatives. If the gluten free diet helps in clearing up the symptoms of colitis, then there is a good chance that celiac disease -- or a gluten intolerance -- are the main culprits. One of the best ways to determine if the diet will help is to try going gluten free for several weeks and then assess the severity of the colitis.
