While many people race to embrace a gluten-free diet for its supposed health benefits, individuals with celiac disease – who cannot digest the grain protein gluten – may be close to a supplement that allows them to eat all the pizza they want.
Developed by researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada, a prospective supplement made from egg yolks block the body’s absorption of the protein gliadin, a component of gluten.
“This protein binds with gluten in the stomach and helps to neutralize it, therefore providing defense to the small intestine, limiting the damage gliadin causes,” Hoon Sunwoo, an associate professor of pharmacy who helped develop the supplement, said in a statement. “It is our hope that this supplement will improve the quality of life for those who have celiac disease and gluten intolerance.”
As described by the Celiac Disease Foundation, celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to react to gluten and consequently attack the finger-like villi that line the small intestine. Villi absorb nutrients from food, but can be harmed or destroyed by the immune response to gluten, causing overall poor nutrient absorption. Other effects of the hereditary disease include queasiness, bloating, and loose stools.
Without medical care, people with celiac disease are at risk of contracting other autoimmune disorders, such as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Sunwoo said he became fascinated by the disease after learning his friend’s family suffered from it.
Improving lives one pizza at a time
“I wanted to learn more about why some people cannot tolerate gluten and if there was a way to reduce the symptoms,” he said. “With gluten present in so much of our food, I wanted to find a way to improve the quality of life for my friend, his family and others.”
The experimental supplement is scheduled to pass through effectiveness trials within a year. If it proves useful, the supplement might be brought to market within three years via a partnership with the pharmaceutical company Vetanda Group.
“This collaboration gives us the opportunity to change the lives of those suffering with a debilitating autoimmune condition,” said Vetanda Group communications director Claire Perry. “The product could be available to celiac sufferers in Canada within three years, paving the way for testing and product approval in the United States and Europe.”
(Image credit: Thinkstock)
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