FacebookDiabetes and gluten
Gluten is not necessarily harmful for people with diabetes, unless they also have coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
Type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease
Type 1 diabetes occurs when a person’s immune system attacks the beta cells in the pancreas, which are responsible for making insulin. Insulin is the hormone that regulates the level of sugar in the blood. Eventually, the pancreas stops producing insulin. Patients then have to rely on regular injections to prevent health problems caused by high blood sugar levels.
Coeliac disease is also an autoimmune condition, caused by the immune system launching antibodies at gluten as if it were a toxic invader, leading to severe damage to the lining of the small intestine. The villi, tiny finger-like protuberances that absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, become stunted and eventually flattened out, leading to malabsorption of food, mineral deficiency and even more severe health problems if left untreated. The treatment is a strict gluten free diet.
Studies show that between 3% and 10% of people with type 1 diabetes also have coeliac disease. But a majority of individuals who have been found to have both conditions either show no symptoms of coeliac disease – bloating, diarrhoea, stomach cramping among others – or their symptoms are confused with their diabetes. Therefore, people who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease are urged to test for type 1 diabetes, and vice versa.
Whether a person with coeliac disease shows outward symptoms or not, it is crucial to switch to a gluten free diet immediately.
Recurrent hypoglycaemia can be a sign of coeliac disease in people with type 1 diabetes. In children, type 1 diabetes and growth problems may suggest that they also have coeliac disease.
Type 2 diabetes and coeliac disease
Type 2 diabetes is caused by a sugar-regulation problem in the body. The sugar is glucose which serves as fuel. Consistent high levels of sugar in the blood can lead to health issues in the circulatory, nervous and immune systems.
There is no known link between type 2 diabetes and coeliac disease, but it is possible for a coeliac patient to develop type 2 diabetes. A strictly controlled diet is the key treatment in both cases.
