| Did you know that sufferers of celiac disease (those | | | | the destructive connection gluten has to their health. |
| who have an autoimmune reaction to gluten) can end | | | | Suffers of the disease may sustain neurological |
| up with severe neurological problems? | | | | damage whose symptoms include difficulty walking, |
| There are many in-depth articles and discussion on | | | | balance and coordination problems, numbness, slurred |
| medical websites and journals which discuss the links | | | | speech, headaches, seizures and dementia, among |
| between neurological symptoms and gluten | | | | others. These neurological symptoms can occur with |
| intolerance. Most people with classic celiac disease | | | | or without the other symptoms associated with |
| believe that it is mainly their small intestine which is | | | | celiac disease. In the case of neurological symptoms, |
| affected as the body's gluten intake is attacked by | | | | the antibodies attack the brain. In cases of ataxia, |
| the body's autoimmune system. | | | | which causes mobility problems and unsteadiness, the |
| They know that the disease causes the body to | | | | antibodies seem to be attacking the cerebellum, |
| mistakenly identify gluten as a toxic material and | | | | which is the part of the brain that controls |
| then, as a result, it releases antibodies against which | | | | coordination and movement. |
| erode the lining of the small intestine. As it is mostly | | | | Current research indicates that the same antibodies |
| classic digestive symptoms that send the gluten | | | | that attack the small intestine of a person with celiac |
| intolerant to the doctor, it is easy to forget that the | | | | disease are also responsible for the neurological |
| disease can affect other parts of the body as well. | | | | damage as well. As common as the phrases |
| Reaching a diagnosis of celiac often takes years. For | | | | gluten-free and celiac disease have become in recent |
| those with gluten-related neurological disorders, the | | | | years, very little is mentioned about the neurological |
| diagnostic journey is much more difficult, and without | | | | damage that gluten can wreak on the human body. |
| increased public awareness many may never discover | | | | |