Coeliac Awareness month aims to raise awareness for what is a chronic immune-mediated disorder, and SuperNutrio has teamed up with expert nutritionist Natalie Rouse to shed light on the importance of not just gluten, but the other elements of dieting.
“Coeliac disease causes the immune system to attack the small intestine, resulting in extreme abdominal pain, fatigue and nutrient deficiencies. The damage inflicted by gluten can hinder the body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients which can lead to further medical issues. One of the most alarming deficiencies that this puts coeliacs at risk of is calcium deficiency,” Natalie explains.
“Calcium deficiencies can be dangerous and have a major impact on acute and chronic health, and it can affect people at all ages. Whilst the discussion around calcium intake and the benefits it offers is on the rise, given recent study such as the one on bowel cancer and how increased calcium can reduce the risk of it, the importance to those suffering with coeliac disease needs to be much more widely considered.
“Coeliacs should look to consume at least 1000mg of calcium a day, focusing their diet on leafy greens, meats and dairy products, which are most effective.
“Insufficient calcium consumption negatively impacts your immune system and can exacerbate symptoms of coeliac disease. You may begin to see a general decline in the body, with an overall feeling of weakness, fatigue and low energy levels – this is a warning sign to increase calcium intake. This is the same for bone health, with the lack of calcium absorption putting coeliacs at greater risk of osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and increases the likelihood of fractures.
“It’s also crucial to note that calcium absorption declines with age,” Natalie claims, “so for coeliacs that fall within those older age demographics, typically those who are postmenopausal and suffer with low bone density , calcium rich foods need to be even more at the forefront.”
Katy Gray, Head of Marketing at SuperNutrio, added: “Coeliac disease is something particularly close to my heart as I have seen first hand just how much it can affect people. That’s why, I think it’s such an important issue to discuss and also highlight how it’s so much more than just considering a gluten-free diet.
“SuperNutrio is a product that can seamlessly be added to a person’s diet, whether that be through use in hot drinks, smoothies, or over your cereal in a morning, or even in recipes such as mac ‘n’ cheese. Yet, despite its simplicity, that fact that it offers 80% more calcium is not only great for everyone, but particularly important for coeliacs. We hope we can encourage more people to make simple swaps for the good of their health.”
For further information and expert insight, please visit www.supernutrio.co.uk.