There is a disease that causes intestinal damage, resulting in abdominal pain and bloating, when consuming flour-based foods. It is an autoimmune disease called celiac disease. Currently, the only option is to maintain a lifelong gluten-free diet. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, and oats, as well as in foods like bread, noodles, and pasta.

Eating gluten-free foods for a year improves gastrointestinal symptoms but does not return them to normal, and unexpectedly, some 'good bacteria' in the gut microbiota decrease, according to research findings. A research team from the University of Nottingham Medical School in the UK reported that this was observed by comparing and analyzing the diets of 36 newly diagnosed celiac disease patients and 36 healthy individuals.

Professor Luca Marciani, the corresponding author of the study and a gastrointestinal imaging specialist, said, "The development of prebiotic treatments that eliminate the negative effects of gluten-free diets on microbiota such as bifidobacteria is urgent." He added, "Celiac disease is quite common, yet we do not know exactly how this disease affects the fundamental physiological functions of the intestine or how a gluten-free diet treatment can change this."

The research team investigated the effects of a gluten-free diet on intestinal function and gut microbiota in celiac disease patients over the course of a year using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). According to the study results, consistent adherence to a gluten-free diet slightly improved patients' intestinal symptoms, intestinal water content, and transit time. However, it did not fully restore these to normal levels. In particular, it was found that some beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria, decreased. Bifidobacteria are related to the reduced intake of wheat starch (amylose) and nutrients.

 

According to the research team, celiac disease is a chronic illness that occurs in about 1% of the total population. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered when patients consume gluten, a component found in foods such as bread and noodles. When affected by this disease, the immune system reacts abnormally, stimulating and damaging the intestinal tissue, leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating. Depending on the individual, symptoms may also include weight changes (increase or decrease), loss of appetite, diarrhea, flatulence, as well as complications such as malnutrition, anemia, neuropathy, and seizures.

 

The research team collected blood and stool samples from participants and used MRI to image their intestines for analysis. Celiac disease patients followed a gluten-free diet for one year. Healthy volunteers did not follow a gluten-free diet during that year. The study found that the 'Small Bowel Water Content (SBWC)' was 157±15 mL in celiac patients and 100±12 mL in healthy individuals. The 'Whole Gut Transit Time (WGTT)' for food was an average of 68±8 hours in celiac patients and 41±5 hours in healthy people. The time it takes for food to pass through the entire intestine is much longer than expected. The gut microbiota of patients showed higher levels of 'bad bacteria' such as Escherichia coli. The research team stated, “These results are expected to help in discovering new treatments that alleviate the long-term symptoms of celiac disease.”

 

=========

These days, my mom stacks bread as a snack.

I'm a bit worried about eating it.

 

There are always snacks at home in winter.

It seems like bread or rice cake.

 

Whole grain breads

The elderly find it a bit tough to eat.