Your digestive system uses muscles to mechanically propel food particles, enzymes to break those particles into smaller molecules and cells to absorb the energy and nutrients your body needs to function. Gluten intolerance, a condition known as celiac disease, damages the cells in the small intestines causing food to remain undigested. As the undigested food continues through the digestive tract it can cause diarrhea that may be accompanied by gas, abdominal bloating, cramps or nausea.
Gluten Intolerance
Doctors classify gluten intolerance as an autoimmune, disease because it occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks the cells lining the small intestine in response to the environmental trigger gluten – the protein complex found in wheat, rye and barley. The immune cells damage the cells in the small intestine and destroy the tiny, fingerlike projections called villi. Villi increase the surface area of your small intestines to more than 250 square miles, thereby increasing the absorption of nutrients, according to Colorado State University. By decreasing the absorption of nutrients gluten intolerance causes malabsorption with classic digestive symptoms, including diarrhea.
Diarrhea
Most people experience periodic episodes of diarrhea, the occurrence of loose and watery stool. Diarrhea that lasts for more than two days may be a sign of a serious condition, and chronic diarrhea that lasts more than four weeks may be a symptom of chronic disease, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Chronic digestive diseases such as Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome commonly cause diarrhea, but doctors should not overlook celiac disease as a cause of chronic diarrhea.
Cause
In a healthy digestive system, the majority of food gets broken down into tiny particles and absorbed in the small intestine leaving only waste, bile and fiber to travel to the large intestine. The large intestines absorb the majority of the water from the waste, leaving solid waste for excretion. Over time, as gluten intolerance destroys more and more of the cells in your small intestine, the process of digestion remains incomplete, leaving undigested and unabsorbed food in the digestive tract. The undigested food contains vitamins and minerals such as sodium and potassium that attract water, making the stool watery and causing diarrhea.
Treatment
The treatment for diarrhea depends upon the cause of the condition. Diarrhea caused by bacterial or parasitic infections may require antibiotics to treat. In the case of gluten intolerance, the only treatment is to avoid consuming gluten, since the gluten triggers the intestinal damage that prevents the absorption of nutrients and leads to diarrhea. If you and your doctor suspect gluten intolerance, following a gluten-free diet should reduce or eliminate your symptoms, including your diarrhea. Avoiding gluten requires more than just cutting bread and pasta from your diet. Many foods contain hidden sources of gluten, so you must carefully read all labels, including those on processed foods, sauces and dressings, to follow a strict gluten-free diet.
References
- Health Care Professionals Live; Celiac Disease an Underrecognized Cause of Chronic Diarrhea; D. Borna and S. Glass; December 2007
- Mayoclinic.com; Diarrhea; June 2010
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Celiac Disease; September 2008
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Diarrhea; January 2011
- Colorado State University; Gross and Microscopic Anatomy of the Small Intestine; R. Bowen; April 2000
