The Five Most Important Things You Need to Know About Celiac Disease

What is Celiac Disease?

According to the National Foundation for Celiac Disease Awareness, about 3 million people in the United States have Celiac Disease. That's one percent of the population. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects at least one in 133 people.

Celiac Disease is defined as a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine which is covered in finger like parts called villi. This happens when a person who is sensitive to gluten ingest it. Gluten is merely a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and some other grains such as spelt and kamut. Anyone who is sensitive or allergic to gluten will have a reaction to it if ingested.

Over time this type of autoimmune disorder will kill off all the villi in the lining of the small intestine.The job of villi is to help absorb nutrients from the foods we eat. When villi are destroyed from gluten, the nutrients from the foods eaten or nutritional supplements taken are not being absorbed. The body begins showing symptoms of the disease over time if the body continues to receive gluten from foods, and other products. The results of these symptoms lead the body to become malnourished.

What are the Symptoms if Celiac Disease?

There are no typical signs or symptoms of Celiac Disease. The most frequent symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. In additions to the these signs, others experience irritability or depression, stomach upset, mouth sores, skin rash, joint pain, muscle cramps, frequent headaches or severe migraines, Tingling in the legs and the feet called Neuropathy.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Celiac Disease can affect anyone, however, it tends to be more common in people who have Type 1 Diabetes, Autoimmuned Thyroid Disease, Down Syndrome, Colitis, or who are female, heredity is a factor as well as European Ancestry.

Why is It on the Rise?

A study done in 2011 by The Center for Celiac Research and the Mucosal Biology Research Center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine claims that the prevalence of the disease is on the rise since the 1950s.

At first it was thought that Celiac Disease was a disorder limited to certains regions of the United States, but then it was determined that it was global. The high incident has left researchers frantically searching for some answers. There are many theories as to why so many people are being diagnosed with the disease. There are theories stating it be being heredity, and the latest theories involving improvements in sanitation and hygiene. One hygiene theory states that we live in an industrialized environment and we have become too clean and the bodies immune system is underdeveloped and cannot fight off disease.

Others claim its a result of all the types of grains which have become available along with being introduced to grains at a very young age. It is possible that some of these theories could be true on some level, it's probably a combination of several.

The main thing is if you suspect you could be allergic to gluten, you need to be checked. At first adults don't show signs of the disease, and they don't suffer from the digestive symptoms associated with Celiac Disease. They are unaware that they even have it. If gluten is ingested the person may or may not show signs or symptoms from it, but that's not to say that gluten is not doing damage to the body. Even small trances can be damaging to the body and overtime compound the effects. Studies have found that the earlier people find out they have Celiac Disease the more they can do to ward off the debilating effects of the disease. Left untreated, Celiac Disease can lead to loss of calcium and bone density, lactose intolerance, cancer, neurological complications and a lower immune system.

What is the Treatment?

There is no cure for Celiac Disease, but you can manage it and prevent further complications with the proper diet by restricting all products containing gluten. A dietitian can help with the planning of a healthy gluten free diet. If a person has severe nutritional deficiencies then it may be recommended they take vitamin and mineral supplements as well. A dietician can also help with the recommended supplements. Some of the vitamin deficiencies that show up with this autoimmune disorder are calcium, folate, iron, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D, & Vitamin K.

Diet Plans:
Being diagnosed with Celiac Disease doesn't mean a lifetime of boring diets or limited food options. There is plenty of variety of healthly grains such as quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and amaranth. There are many cookbooks published with gluten free recipe ideas, or search "gluten free recipes" in a search engine and you will find many websites offering wonderful choice options and cooking ideas. The most important word to understand and remember with this type of eating is the word "FRESH". FRESH Fruits, FRESH vegetables, and ORGANIC meat, ORGANIC fish and poultry all contain no gluten. Many food manufactures are developing gluten free products so you can still eat select cereals, breadS and pasta. Just keep in mind many gluten free processed foods are also high in fat and sugar and sometimes over processed so read labels carefully. The fewer items listed in the ingredient list the better and when in doubt, go without.

What About Dining out and Socializing with Friends:

Many restaurants are adapting a gluten free section on their menus. If the restaurant does not offer a gluten free section, then chosing a grilled piece of chicken or fish cooked in fresh lemon, tyme, rosemary, and garlic is delicious and very safe. And for a side dish choose a salad, vegetable, potato, quinoa or brown rich are just some safe options.

Calling a restaurant in advance to let them aware that someone coming in has Celiac Disease, they will take extra special care to meet your food requirements.

If going to a house party, or friends house for dinner, bring over some food selections that are healthy for you and that you can share with the other guests. They are delicious choices that just so happen to be gluten free. Eating before a party is also an option when the menu is not available ahead of time, or you are at a house party. In a restaurant setting you can always have the waiter ask the chef to create modifications to eleminate the chance of having something with gluten.

Most authorities say that people with celiac disease can safely drink distilled alcoholic beverages, even those that are made with gluten grains. That's because distillation supposedly removes all of the gluten protein molecules responsible for our reactions, rendering the drinks gluten-free. The Canadian Celiac Association concurs, saying in part, "distilled alcoholic beverages such as gin, vodka, scotch whisky and rye whiskey are made from the fermentation of wheat, barley or rye. Since they are distilled, they do not contain prolamins [i.e., gluten proteins] and are allowed unless otherwise contraindicated."

This will be a major lifestyle change for many, but just keep in mind the rewards of feeling better, eliminating aches and pains, headaches, and digestive disorders will be well worth the challenge of changing diet options. Once the body begins absorbing nutrients the body will begin to heal and become stronger, with more energy and mental clarity.

Depending on how severe the body is suffering with Celiac Disease will determine how long before signs of healing can be seen. Many times the body will actually feel much worse before it begins to feel better. As Gluten begins to leave the body over several days the body will go through several detox symtoms. Possible headaches, nausea and diarrhea are some of the side effects of withdrawal from gluten. As times goes by the symptoms will ease off and be less severe and with each passing day many of the symptoms will slip away.