What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease (CD) is a genetically linked disease with an enviornmental trigger. In people with CD, eating certain types of protein fractions, commonly called gluten, set off an autoimmune response that causes damage to the small intestine. This, in turn, causes the small intestine to lose the ability to absorb the nutrients found in food, leading to malnutrition and a variety of other complications. The offending protein, gluten, is found in wheat, barley, rye, and to a lesser extent, oats (WBRO). Related proteins are found in triticale, spelt, kamut. Refer to grains and flours Glossary for a more extensive list of both safe and offending grains.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. In people with celiac disease, the body responds to gluten, the protein that comes from certain grains, by causing damage to the small intestine. Specifically, the body’s immune system reacts to the gluten by causing inflammation of the lining of the small intestine, leading to malnutrition and other conditions. Other terms for celiac disease are celiac sprue, non-tropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy. Classically, the disease is described by villous atrophy (a wasting away of intestinal villi), malabsorptive symptoms like steatorrhea (fat globules in the bowel movement), weight loss, or nutritional deficiencies (like low levels of iron or calcium), and a resolution of symptoms and intestinal damage after stopping the ingestion of gluten-containing foods. Looking under a microscope you would see a loss in height of the villi (finger-like projections in the intestine which are important for digestion). In severe cases of sprue, the vi
Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms. The small intestine is shaded above. When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging or destroying villi—the tiny, fingerlike protrusions lining the small intestine. Villi normally allow nutrients from food to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. Without healthy villi, a person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food one eats. Villi on the lining of the small intestine help absorb nutrients. Celiac disease is both a disease of malabsorption—meaning nutrients are not absorbed properly—and an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. Celiac disease is
Having celiac disease means a person can’t eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, or barley. Gluten may also be found in some medicines. Celiac disease is hereditary, meaning it runs in families. The treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. Other names for celiac disease are celiac sprue and gluten intolerance. In people with celiac disease, the body’s immune system responds to gluten by damaging the lining of the small intestine. This lining has small finger-like growths called villi. The villi normally absorb nutrients from the foods we eat. When the villi are damaged, the body can’t get the nutrients it needs. People with celiac disease don’t always know they have it because they don’t feel sick. Or if they feel sick, they don’t know celiac disease is the cause.
Celiac disease is a problem some people have with foods that contain gluten. Gluten is a kind of protein found in foods like bread, crackers, and pasta. With celiac disease, your immune system attacks the gluten and harms your small intestine when you eat these kinds of foods. This makes it hard for your body to absorb nutrients that keep you healthy. Gluten comes from grains like wheat, barley, and rye. It’s important to get treatment, because celiac disease can lead to iron deficiency anemia and osteoporosis. It can also raise your risk of lymphoma. Celiac disease can slow growth and weaken bones in children. If it is not treated, your child can get very sick. Call a doctor if your child is losing a lot of weight, has diarrhea, or feels weak and tired for many days for no reason.
