What is Celiac Disease?

Symptoms and Treatment

Screening and Diagnosis

Food Allergies

The Foundations of a Gluten-Free Diet

Breast Feeding and Gluten

FAQ

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is also referred to as gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE), gluten intolerance, or celiac sprue. It is considered to be the most under-diagnosed common disease today, potentially affecting 1 in every 133 people in the USA. It is a chronic, inherited disease, and if untreated can ultimately lead to malnutrition. For every American diagnosed with celiac disease, another 4,000 go undiagnosed. Gluten intolerance is the result of an immune-mediated response to the ingestion of gluten (from wheat, rye, and barley) that damages the small intestine. Nutrients then quickly passed through the small intestine, rather than being absorbed. To develop celiac disease three (3) things must be present: 1) you must inherit the gene, 2) consume gluten, and 3) have the gene triggered. Common triggers may include stress, trauma (surgeries, pregnancy, etc.), and viral infections. Approximately 1 in 20 first-degree relatives could have Celiac Disease triggered in their lifetime. The disease is permanent and damage to the small intestine will occur every time you consume gluten, regardless if symptoms are present.

Source: Gluten Intolerance Group of North America

More Facts About Celiac Disease

A Mayo Clinic Article

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Symptoms and Treatment

Symptoms
Many patients are asymptomatic for years, with the disease becoming active for the first time after surgery, viral infection, severe emotional stress, or pregnancy and childbirth. Celiac Disease may appear at any time in the life of a person with a hereditary pre-disposition. Symptoms of Celiac Disease are as varied as the nutritional deficiencies caused by the malabsorption. Infants, toddlers and children may exhibit growth failure, vomiting, bloated abdomen and behavioral changes.

Classic symptoms may include:

• abdominal cramping, intestinal gas, distention and bloating
• chronic diarrhea or constipation (or both)
• steatorrhea -- oily stools
• anemia - unexplained, due to folate, B12, B6, or iron deficiency (or all)
• weight loss with large appetite, or weight gain

Other symptoms:

• dental enamel defects
• osteopenia, osteoporosis
• bone or joint pain
• fatigue, weakness and lack of energy
• infertility
• depression

Source: Celiac Disease Foundation

Treatment
The only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet for life. This means avoiding all foods made from wheat and wheat-related grains--such as bread, cereal, pasta, cake, cookies, and pies--as well as foods containing hidden wheat such as licorice, cream soups, sauces, some condiments, and certain pharmaceuticals.
Source: Savorypalate.com

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Screening and Diagnosis

Initial screening for Celiac Disease is a blood test taken by your physician. The test can be referred to as a Celiac Panel or by the names of the individual tests. To provide the most accurate information,the blood test should include the following tests: anti-endomysial antibody (lgA EMA) and anti-gliadin antibody (lgA & IgG), and tissue transglutaminase (tTG IgA). These tests are very sensitive and specific for celiac disease. A gastroenterologist takes small intestine tissue biopsies if the results of the antibody test(s) are positive or he/she has a strong suspicion of Celiac Disease. A biopsy showing damaged villi in the small intestine is the first half of the 'Gold Standard' to diagnosing Celiac Disease. The second half of the 'Gold Standard' is improvement of health with the gluten-free diet.
It is possible, in some situations, to have normal blood tests and still have celiac disease.
Source: Gluten Intolerance Group of North America

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Food Allergies

Did You Know?

• About 2 to 2 1/2 percent of the general population suffer from true food allergies -- between 6-7 million Americans.
• Eight foods account for 90 percent of the reactions--peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, soy, and wheat.
• Food allergy is the leading cause of anaphylaxis outside the hospital setting, accounting for an estimated 30,000 emergency room visits each year.
• Unlike food allergies--which involve the immune system--food intolerances affect up to 45% of people and are caused by the body's inability to properly digest certain foods. The most popular is lactose intolerance, but any food can be the culprit.
• Among children under three years of age, the incidence of allergies is 8%.
• Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States.
• More than 30 million Americans suffer from chronic sinusitis (which is often attributed to food sensitivities).

Source: www.savorypalate.com

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The Foundations of a Gluten-Free Diet

Overview of the Gluten-Free Diet (Source: Gluten Intolerance Group of North America)

Treatment of Celiac Disease (Source: Celiac Sprue Association)

Link to CSA's Library Series

Not All Grains Are Created Equal, an article by Cynthia Kupper, RD, Celiac Disease, Executive Director Gluten Intolerance Group

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Breast Feeding and Gluten
Submitted by the Celiac Disease Foundation
www.celiac.org

Dr. Fasano….

We are still getting many questions about nursing and gluten. Will you please help me with this question. Is it possible for gluten to be passed through breast milk?

There are two issues that need to be clarified:

1. As far as we know, there are no solid evidence proving that gluten is present of breast milk and passed to infants;

2. Assuming that the infant is genetically predisposed to develop celiac disease, the immune system is not mature yet to develop an autoimmune response

Bottom line, there is no rationale to recommend a gluten free diet to a non celiac nursing mom as a measure of prevention.

Alessio Fasano, MD,
Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Physiology
Director, Mucosal Biology Research Center
University of Maryland School of Medicine

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FAQ

Amaranth and the Gluten-Free Diet

More info about Celiac Disease

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