Now, let us look more closely into the cause of the discomfort we experience after eating flour from the perspective of modern medicine. There is a high possibility that the culprit is gluten, one of the proteins in flour. This phenomenon, called gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity, occurs when our immune system mistakenly identifies gluten as an external invader and attacks it due to specific genetic or environmental factors. Put simply, gluten is not completely broken down in the small intestine and remains there, triggering an immune response.
This immune response induces inflammation and causes damage to the small intestinal mucosa. The small intestinal mucosa plays an important role in absorbing nutrients, and when it is damaged, proper nutrient absorption becomes difficult, resulting in various digestive symptoms such as abdominal distension, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. Furthermore, malabsorption can lead to systemic symptoms such as chronic fatigue, anemia, skin troubles, headaches, and joint pain. This aligns directly with Donguibogam's statement that dampness affects the entire body. Considering that the small intestine is a core organ where more than 70% of our body's immune cells are concentrated, you can understand how significant the damage to the small intestinal mucosa caused by gluten can be.
In particular, gluten sensitivity is known to be triggered by various causes besides genetic predisposition, such as an imbalance in the gut microbiota environment, stress, and taking certain medications. Stress can increase intestinal permeability, making it easier for large molecules like gluten to pass through the intestinal barrier, which can lead to a vicious cycle of strengthening the immune response again. This makes us realize once again how much of an impact the stress experienced by modern people has on digestive symptoms.
In addition, gluten contains a component called lectin, which can irritate the intestinal mucosa and induce inflammation. Research findings also suggest that lectin adheres to the intestinal mucosa to interfere with digestion, increases intestinal permeability, and can worsen leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut syndrome refers to a phenomenon where the junction sites of the small intestinal wall become loose, allowing undigested food particles or toxins to flow into the bloodstream, which is known to potentially cause various chronic diseases, including autoimmune diseases.
Then, how can you know if you have gluten intolerance? While the most definitive method is receiving a professional diagnosis, trying a self-test in daily life is also helpful. If you feel notably uncomfortable when eating flour-based foods, try a gluten-free diet for about 2 to 4 weeks. Then, observe closely what changes appear when you consume foods containing gluten again. If your symptoms clearly improve and then worsen again, it is highly likely to be gluten intolerance. Of course, because differentiation from other digestive disorders is necessary, you must visit a medical institution for an accurate diagnosis if symptoms are severe. However, do not forget that listening to your body is emphasized in common by both Eastern and Western medicine.
