What is Gluten Intolerance? What is Celiac Disease?

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Main Category: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Also Included In: Allergy;  Nutrition / Diet;  Irritable-Bowel Syndrome
Article Date: 20 Feb 2006 - 17:00 PDT

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Gluten intolerance is also known as Celiac disease (or Coeliac disease). Quite simply, if you suffer from Celiac disease you have a genetic disorder that makes you intolerant to gluten.

Celiac disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin (a gluten protein found in wheat). It can affect all types of people. However, it seems to be more prevalent among people of Northern European descent.

In the USA about 1 in 133 people suffer from Celiac disease.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease Can Include:

• Diarrhea
• Weight Loss
• Malnutrition
• Mild weakness
• Bone pain
• Abdominal bloating (stomach swells)
• Nutrient Deficiencies
• Ill health with no gastrointestinal symptoms

The Most Common Foods that Contain Gluten are:

• Wheat
• Rye
• Barley

Many believed oats were toxic to people suffering from Celiac Disease. However, experts are not so sure as recent studies seem to indicate this may not be the case. The jury is still out on whether oats are bad for Celiacs (people who suffer from Celiac Disease).

Consequences of Consuming Gluten for Celiacs

If a person who is gluten intolerant continues consuming gluten their chances of developing gastrointestinal cancer increase dramatically. Apart from this, their quality of life may be seriously undermined.

Testing for Celiac Disease

To test for Celiac Disease, blood is screened for AGA (Antigliadin) and EmA (Andomysium Antibodies). It is also common to carry out a biopsy in the affected area.

Treatment

The patient should avoid all products that contain gluten for the rest of their life. This is the only real treatment if they want to be free of all the complications and risks the disease presents.

Avoiding gluten is not so easy. Many products have hidden gluten in them. It is important for the patient to educate themself.

Some Good Web Sites To Start Learning More About Celiac Disease Are:

• www.celiac.com
• www.gluten.net
• www.gflinks.com (has many links)

Sources: National Health Service (NHS), UK, The Mayo Clinic, Wikipedia, HHS (Department of Health and Human Services USA), NIH (National Institutes of Health, USA).

Written by: Christian Nordqvist

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