Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and all foods containing these grains. Research was done which concluded that the protein gluten, which is the known causative agent in celiac disease is also a trigger for Type 1 Diabetes. In fact, celiac disease and diabetes have the same origin. Meaning if you have one of these diseases you are likely to develop the other. A total of 1% of the total population has been diagnosed with celiac disease however it is more common with people who also have type 1 diabetes. An estimated 10% of people with type 1 diabetes also have celiac disease.
Both diabetes and celiac disease are autoimmune disorders and therefore are a result of malfunctioning immune systems. Your immune system is supposed to attack foreign and dangerous bacteria and cancer cells, not your very own organs. Unfortunately this is what is happening with both of these diseases. With the gluten being the culprit, it is attacking its own systems and literally makes holes in the intestine causing a leaky gut. More often people are gluten sensitive than they are intolerant, meaning they test negative for celiac disease but still have abdominal discomfort and symptoms occur. The autoimmune response to gluten sensitivity may lead to chronic inflammation and physical injury to any part of the body, not just the digestive tract.
Diabetics who are living a gluten free lifestyle are seeing a significant decrease in their blood sugar levels. Therefore less medication and insulin is needed to be given to the body from the outside in. Having a gluten-free lifestyle changes your body’s biochemistry and allows the body to heal itself from the inside out, the way it was intended.