I’m trying to explain the difference between coeliac disease and wheat intolerance to a coworker and while I understand the complexities of coeliac disease and how it can effect different people to different levels, I struggled when he asked me to explain the key differences between the disorder and an allergy.
In: Biology
Autoimmune is when your body attacks itself.
Allergy is when your body overreacts to some external factor (eg. dust in the air, or nuts in your food).
Gluten/wheat is usually something else – *intolerance* where body can’t properly process something, and is reacting negatively to it (but not *over*reacting like in case of an allergy).
PS. There are exceptions, and distinction isn’t always so clear, but that’s the rule of the thumb.
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