What does a damaged intestine look like? A recap of 3 diagrams to help visualize why a gluten-free lifestyle is important to us
- At June 25, 2016
- By wendi e.
- In blog
3
Diagram from www.livethesmartway.com
Those of us with a gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, might already carry the visual in our heads of what our small intestines must look like, both before we quit eating gluten, and now that we follow a gluten-free lifestyle.
It’s an odd topic to many, and misunderstood, so I went to the web to share the simplest visuals with you. Once you see them, clarity of what’s going on ‘inside’ is much easier to explain to others, and perhaps, to ourselves.
These three diagrams show the basics of what an intestinal wall looks like, and the damage gluten and other toxins can do to it. Anyone with a gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, who consumes gluten (wheat, barley, rye) “their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine… leading to damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly in the body.” (www.celiac.org article)
Diagram from https://.draxe.com
Read Dr. Axe’s 4 Steps to Heal Leaky Gut & Autoimmune Disease. He discusses the full realm of Brain, Skin, Thyroid, Colon, Adrenals, Joints, Sinus and Mouth issues affected by gluten and other toxins. He has some great illustrations!
Simply said, your villi get broken off, and everything you consume goes in one way and out the other, without absorbing any of the good stuff you’ve ingested. When your body doesn’t absorb nutrients, you feel like crap. Your energy drags, your mood shifts, your focus goes flat, and your stomach hurts. Oh, and you open yourself to some additional, major autoimmune diseases as the years progress.
Diagram from www.trulyglutenfree.co.uk
Take a read from Truly Gluten Free’s fantastic article on the leaky small intestine. They simplified the process, speak on inflammation, and discuss solutions.
I’ve read from many sources that if a person diagnosed with a gluten intolerance or celiac disease consumes gluten, the damage they’ve done to their villi will take 4 months of abstaining from gluten to repair their small intestine.
Was that warm, fragrant bread at the restaurant worth 4 months of your life? Choices.
As with any lifestyle change, speak with a good doctor and nutritionist to see what’s best for you. And listen to that stomach of yours. It’s speaking… loudly.
– wendi e. :O)
Dherry
What a great information article! Maybe it will be read by someone who is not aware of what is going on with their body – including me.
wendi e.
Thank you. I always find diagrams helpful, too. One day perhaps I will create some to go with my stories ;O).
I hope readers take time to visit Dr. Axe’s site – so much great information!
Micki Rose
Thanks Wendy for including my article at Truly Gluten Free – I’m glad it helped. We have an awful lot to learn in this evolving field of medicine – its fascinating!