Celiac disease is an underdiagnosed disease that, according to official data, affects 1% of the European population
The causes of this disorder are still unknown, but a recent study has focused on nitrogen used as fertilizer in wheat fields.
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Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that is increasingly being diagnosed. If until just a few decades ago this disease was a complete unknown among the general population, today it is estimated that affects 1% of the European population, that is, more than seven million people, according to the Association of European Celiac Society (AOECS).
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This figure is just the tip of the iceberg. Although it is better known now than it was in the late eighties, celiac disease is still an underdiagnosed disease, so there are many more people who suffer from it and are unaware of it. In addition, the exact reasons that cause it are still unknown, although scientists consider different options, such as eating patterns during childhood, an imbalance in the intestinal microbiota or a change in the amount of gluten ingested.
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Recently, a study led by Josep Peñuelas, researcher at the CSIC and the Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications of the University of Barcelona (CREAF), and published in the journal Foods, has pointed out a possible new cause that could explain this increase in cases: the nitrogen that is used as a fertilizer in the wheat fields.
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Wheat fields and celiac disease
Specifically, the study focuses on gliadins, proteins that participate in the formation of gluten, the allergen causing the disease, and its relationship with the use of nitrogen as a fertilizer.
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As researchers have been able to show, from the 1960s to the present the amount of nitrogen used has been multiplied by ten to fertilize the wheat fields. The reason is simple: nitrogen, in addition to helping crops to prosper, is much cheaper than other types of fertilizers, which is why in recent decades it has become popular around the world.
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However, as the study points out, the excessive use of this chemical element as a fertilizer makes increase gliadin concentration in crops which, in turn, can have harmful effects on our health.
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