What Is Celiac Disease and What Causes It?
The digestive system is the set of organs that digest food and absorb the important nutrients the body needs to stay healthy and grow. One important part of the digestive system is the small intestine, which is lined with millions of microscopic, finger-like projections called villi (pronounced: vih-lye). Nutrients are absorbed into the body through the villi. People who have celiac (pronounced: see-lee-ak) disease have a disorder that makes their bodies react to gluten. When they eat gluten, an immune system reaction to the protein gradually damages the villi in the small intestine. When the villi are damaged, the body is unable to absorb the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs to stay healthy. People with celiac disease are therefore at risk of malnutrition and can develop anemia (a decreased number of red blood cells due to lack of iron) or osteoporosis (brittle bones from lack of calcium). The body’s inability to absorb nutrients can also mean that young people with un
