A
dvances in medical sciences
have made it possible to rap-
idly detect problems of food in-
tolerance. The more effective
identification justifies the con-
siderable increase in the number of celiac
sufferers or intolerant to gluten. The anal-
ysis is by agronomic engineer Priscila Zac-
zuk Bassinello, researcher with Embrapa
Rice and Beans, in Santo Antônio de Goiás
(GO). Besides more efficient diagnoses, she
maintains that healthcare professionals
are equally more aware of these problems,
which helpswith recognizing the patients.
According to the PhD in Food Sciences,
not every gluten intolerant is a celiac pa-
tient, but every celiac patient is intoler-
ant to gluten – protein present in cereals
like wheat, oats and rye, among other ce-
reals. In the body of these people, gluten
attacks and damages the villosity of the
small intestine and jeopardizes food ab-
sorption, bringing about a series of oth-
er complications. “A great part of our diet
contains gluten, but I believe it is a genet-
ic predisposition. We have been consum-
ing wheat for thousands of years. There-
fore, this food is not the villain”, she says.
Marketon
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AMOREEFFICIENTDIAGNOSISOF
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For those who are not intolerant or
celiac, the consumption of gluten pos-
es no problem. Priscila has it that now-
adays common sense has it that gluten
free products are healthier, as they con-
tain lots of other cereals in their compo-
sition. However, she maintains that the
consumption of whole wheat is benefi-
cial to people without problems. “Our
concern consists in not denying the mer-
its of wheat, but it causes a series of dam-
ages and problems to celiac and allergic
patients. Therefore, there is need for a di-
agnosis by a professional healthcare spe-
cialist to evaluate the physical conditions
of the patients and advise them appro-
priately”, she insists.
Another common mistake, according
to the researcher, is that lots of people still
believe that carbohydrate sources contain
Robispierre Giuliani
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