Which drug will help you cope with gluten intolerance?

Scientists have found that an enzyme that enters the body in the form of a pill can alleviate the effects of eating gluten for people who are sensitive to it.

Enzyme

The study was conducted by scientists from the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Orebro, Sweden. They examined an enzyme called aspergillus black, which is a derivative of the spilled endoprotease (AH-PEP), necessary for splitting gluten. The study was presented as part of the Digestive System Week in Chicago, the world's largest collection of experts studying the gastrointestinal tract.

Previous studies have shown that AN-PEP can break down gluten, but only if it enters the body in liquid form through the feed tube. This study is the first, which shows that the same effect will have its normal use.

Features of the study

The study involved 18 patients who suffered from sensitivity to gluten. They received either a high dose of AN-PEP, a low dose, or a placebo. Then they were given oatmeal, containing crumbled cookies from wheat, that is gluten.

The results showed that the body of participants who took a high or low dose of the enzyme could split gluten by about 85 percent before it reached the thin or duodenum. It is at this time that such symptoms of sensitivity as swelling or nausea become apparent.

"This substance allows patients with gluten sensitivity to protect themselves when they, for example, have dinner in a restaurant and can not be sure that some dishes on the menu do not contain gluten," said lead author Dr. Julius Koenig.

Since even a small amount of gluten can affect the patient with sensitivity, this additive will play an important role in the cleavage of residual gluten, which is often the cause of unpleasant symptoms.

The authors of the study emphasize that this drug is suitable only for those people who are sensitive to gluten, rather than those who have intolerance (celiac disease), when the symptoms are more serious.

Restrictions

It should also be noted that the sample size was rather small, so the results should be further confirmed by additional studies. In addition, participants used a low amount of gluten. This means that before gluten-sensitive people, the task was not to protect themselves from gluten, which, probably, is contained in large quantities in the dishes that they are going to eat.

Thus, scientists say that the AN-PEP enzyme will not help people who want to eat pizza or pasta that contain a lot of gluten, but it can make them feel better if it gets into the body by mistake.