Cross- Contamination

[hihikmn]

After I got sick from eating at his moms house, my boyfriend asked me why cross contamination affects me. I was at a loss for words. He wanted to know how such a small amount (such as the amount transferred by a fork, or by uncleaned machinery in a factory) could make me so sick, and I had never thought about it.

Can anyone explain the science behind cross-contamination, and why it only takes a small amount to have an affect?

[kareng]

Would " because the experts say it will" work?

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"The gluten-free diet is a lifetime requirement. Eating any gluten, no matter how small an amount, can damage your intestine. This is true for anyone with the disease, including people who do not have noticeable symptoms. It can take weeks for antibody levels (indicating intestinal damage) to normalize after a person with celiac disease has consumed gluten"

Really, it's a bit like a germ in our body. Germs aren't very big, but our immune system recognizes them as a problem and makes antibodies to attack. Gluten doesn't have to be a large amount to cause our confused, Celiac immune systems to recognize it and make antibodies. Only these antibodies don't attack the gluten, it's not alive, they attack the intestines so we don't absorb the gluten our immune systems think is evil.

[Jestgar]

Your immune system is designed to keep you alive. If your body is invaded by a bacterium or a virus, your immune system doesn't have the luxury of waiting to see how harmful it is, it throws everything it can at the invader to get rid of it, and keep you alive. Kind of like putting out a fire with a fire hose - doesn't matter if it's a match, a candle, or a campfire, the fire hose comes out.

With gluten intolerance, your body has decided that gluten is an invader, and it has the same response. Even if only a tiny, tiny amount comes in, you still get the fire hose.

[hihikmn]

Awesome! Those are very helpful. I hope that helps him understand!

Thanks

[Mom23boys]

For those needing more of a picture I may modify the cat poo/brownie story from a religious moral to a health moral.

If you don't know the story, the kids (or in this case bf) are asking why just a little bit won't hurt. You then bring the kids into the kitchen to bake some brownies. You then ask the kids to go to the catbox since you are out of chocolate chips. When the kids freak at the thought, you remind them that it is just a little bit. Point made.

Your body rebels against the gluten like most minds are rebelling against the thought of any amount of cat poo.