Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ

by Giulia Enders

In insects, gluten has the effect of inhibiting an important digestive enzyme. A greedy grasshopper might be put off by a little stomachache after eating too much wheat, and that is to the benefit of both plant and animal. In humans, gluten can pass into the cells of the gut in a partially undigested state. There, it can slacken the connections between individual cells. This allows wheat proteins to enter areas they have no business being in. That, in turn, raises the alarm in our immune system. One person in a hundred has a genetic intolerance to gluten (celiac disease), but a considerably higher proportion suffer from gluten sensitivity. In patients with celiac disease, eating wheat can cause serious infections or damage to the villi of the gut wall; it can also damage the nervous system. Celiac disease can cause diarrhea and failure to thrive in children, who may show reduced growth or winter pallor. The tricky thing about celiac disease is that it can appear in more or less pronounced forms. Those with more subtle forms may live with the symptoms for years without realizing it. They may have the occasional stomachache, or their doctor might discover signs of anemia during routine blood tests. Currently, the most effective treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet.