Today, May 27, the National Celiac Day is celebrated with the aim of giving support to this group, and HLA San Carlos participate in this visibility. Celiac disease is a multisystemic pathology, which not only affects the digestive system but can also affect other organs. The immune system, for example, intervenes by forcing the defenses to react to the intake of gluten that damages the lining of the intestine and destroys the intestinal villi in charge of absorbing the necessary nutrients to keep us healthy.
“Today, we know that the only treatment that exists for this disease is the realization of a gluten-free diet for life. Gluten is a protein found in cereal seeds such as wheat, rye, barley and some varieties of oats, which lacks nutritional value but has a high value in terms of culinary technology, since it gives consistency and fluffiness to products like bread ”, says Marián Martín, nutritionist at the HLA Hospital San Carlos Office Denia.
Tips to avoid the negative consequences of gluten in celiacs
On this occasion, the hospital staff from Diene want to highlight the importance of carrying out the diet in an adequate way to avoid the adverse effects of gluten intake in celiac patients. “Before gluten poisoning, the body can react with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, dizziness, dermatitis, nausea or vomiting. Nutritional status may be compromised, since due to the intestinal villi atrophy, we would not be absorbing nutrients adequately ”Martin assures. According to the nutritionist, "The best way to have a gluten-free diet is to choose generic foods such as fish, meat, fruits or vegetables". He also advises that if packaged foods are consumed, pay close attention to the labeling and make sure it goes "gluten free." It is also important not store or handle gluten and gluten-free food at the same time, as well as washing hands frequently and cleaning and disinfecting the surfaces where food will be handled.
Despite the fact that it is known that the nutritional value of this protein is low, the foods that contain it are rich in other nutrients, such as carbohydrates, B vitamins, and dietary fiber, therefore, when eliminating foods with gluten these nutrients are also being eliminated.
At the HLA San Carlos Hospital in Denia they are aware of the difficulty that celiacs sometimes have in finding adapted menus, as well as the high prices of special gluten-free products. For this reason, today, May 27, it produces a special menu gluten free on National Celiac Day you stop all hospitalized patients. A menu with a typical dish of the city, rice:
- First of all, green sprout salad with orange vinaigrette
- Main course: arroz a banda
- Dessert: fruit skewers
- Gluten-free bread + water
In the hospital kitchen adequate hygiene and food handling measures are taken to guarantee a gluten-free diet, for this they have a specific storage area for those products that are gluten-free, cooking the products separately and handling them with specific utensils such as cutting boards, knives, etc. Similarly, the menu includes a card with its description, as well as the allergens it contains.
