About Celiac Disease

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What is Gluten?

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder where the body reacts to gluten as if it were poison.  Gluten is a protein found in wheat (Kamut, Semolina, Spelt and Triticale), rye, barely (including Malt) and contaminated oats (gluten-free oats are ok).

Celiac Disease is triggered by Gluten.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac Disease is more then an allergy, it is a medical condition.

Celiac Disease affects one in 133 people, but many remain undiagnosed and untreated in the United States (this disease is considered common in Canada, Australia, Europe and South Africa).  Many are diagnosed with IBS, since the symptoms do at times overlap.  It takes the average person about 9-11 years to be properly diagnosed with this disease.  Celiac Disease is a disease that affects the lining of the  smaller intestine, further enabling the body to absorb and properly digest the food you ingest, therefore excreting nutrients such as calcium, Vit. D and many others.

Symptoms of C.D. can include gas, diarrhea, bloating, constipation, weight gain or loss, chronic fatigue, migranes, headaches, infertility, depression (often does not respond to medication), cramping, abdominal pain, anemia, nutrient deficit, growth stunting, dental enamel effects, hair loss, hair thinning, extreme acne breakouts, sistic acne, weakness, malnutrition, stomach complications, intestinal damage and more.

In some cases, it is also common for patients diagnosed with C.D. to have gynecological issues.  Problems can arrise when the balance of good estrogen is compromised. Vitamin D, Calcium and estrogen work together to provide a healthy environment.

There is another type of C.D. that affects the skin called Dermatitis Herpetiformis, which results in itchy, blistering skin and/or rash.  It is diagnosed through a skin biopsy and is also treated with the gluten-free diet.  When encountering this type of C.D. it is imperetive that you do not use any shampoos, conditioners and skin creams that have gluten.  

Celiac Disease is a hereditary disease, so those with relatives that have this disease are more at risk.  This is not a disease you can outgrow.  You will have C.D. for life.  If ignored in earlier life, later your symptoms will exasperate and worsen and in some cases cause un-repairable damage.

Often many diagnosed have other associated or related symptoms such as Lactose Intolerance, Osteoporosis, Autoimmune Disorders, Thyroid Disease, Diabetes, Sjorgrens Syndrome, Chronic Liver Disease, non-Hodkins Lymphoma, small Intestinal Cancer, Psychiatric Disorders, Anemia and Infertility.

There is no pill to abolish this disease.  The only way to recover from Celiac Disease is to follow the gluten-free diet followed by a gluten-free lifestyle with no cheating.  Once on the gluten-free diet symptoms will start to disappear and be replaced with new found energy.  There are so many symptoms that are associated with Celiac Disease, each patient diagnosed with the disease may have different symptoms then the next patient.  This is ok.  This doesn't mean that the next patient has C.D. and you don't.  You cannot compare.  

More and more studies show that not only is there genetic C.D., but there is latent C.D., Adult C.D. or silent C.D.  There are some patients that have symptoms like chronic fatigue, headaches and constipation along with no energy, and the next might have just the opposite like extreme diarrhea, stomach cramping, breakouts and hair loss.  Then there are others that appear to have no visible symptoms at all.  Most of the time the commonality between all patients is nutrient loss and a 'feeling' of 'something not feeling 'right''.

Those who have C.D. lose many nutrients and cannot absorb the nutrients properly.  Many excrete any possible nutrients by their bowl movements being so frequent.  It is not uncommon for a person with C.D. to have calcium, Vit. D and Vit. B deficiancies.  These levels can be brought up with the help of an endocrinologist; A doctor that works with blood levels can maintain and watch your levels by placing you on supplements and a gluten-free diet to boost your deficicies.  

Did you know that a gluten allergy is an exasperated wheat allergy?  

There are many ways to diagnose celiac disease.  However the 2 most common ways are through a biospy/edoscopy of the upper intestine and a series of blood tests.  Sometimes, and more often a patient can take a blood test that comes out negative and a biopsy that comes out positive.  There are other times when both tests come out negative.  Sometimes it takes a couple of tries to get diagnosed, which is one of the reasons it takes so long for diagnosis.  Then there are other patients that are so bad to begin with that their doctor's put them on a gluten-free diet immediately.  Some patients are diagnosed through the positive and immediate responses to the gluten free diet.

Fact: after being on a gluten-free diet for aprox. 6 months, all gluten is wiped from your system.  Your intestine and villi repair themselves and heal.  This means that if you get a blood test or an endoscopy during this time and/or after gluten will not be detected in your body.  This does not mean that you no longer have Celiac Disease, a Gluten-Intolerance or other surrounding issues.

There are many patients that experience Lactose/Casein allergies along with Celiac Disease or a Gluten-Intolerance.  This is common.  There are many that cannot digest the milk protein found in dairy.  *In my case prior to my diagnosis I thought I was Lactose Intolerant.  Once diagnosed and put on the gluten-free diet my Lactose symptoms disappeared.  A wise nutritionist suggested I only eat hard cheeses rather then soft.  That I eliminate semi-soft and soft cheese like Goat, Brie, Blue Cheeses and other soft cheeses and stick with Cheddar, Feta and Parmesan.  This helped tremendously!  This was back in 2005.  Now we are in 2010.  I have not had an issue since, until the last month.  I have now completely eliminated dairy again and my 'strange like' symptoms have disappeared within one week of eliminating dairy.  The key is to listen to your body.

Long term complications of an un-diagnosed patient can result in Lymphoma, Osteoporosis, neurological complications, miscarriage, malnutrition as well as stomach cancers.

What is a Gluten-Intolerance?

There are many people that follow the gluten free diet that are not 'diagnosed' with celiac disease.

Someone who has a gluten allergy or is intolerant also cannot tolerate the protein found in gluten and are put on gluten- free diets.   The symtpoms often appear the same minus the increased risk of stomach cancers.  Those with a gluten-Intolerance must also follow the gluten-free lifestyle in order to function properly both mentally and physically.  This does not mean because you don't have a diagnosis you can cheat.  The treatment is the same and so are the reactions (for the most part).  There are those that have problems with gluten and have the same symptoms of celiac disease, but through a blood test and/or endoscopy, their results come out negative.  Many doctors overlook this, and assume that the patient does not have celiac disease, and then that person continues their gluten filled life.  It is this person that would need to try a gluten-free diet and follow a gluten-free lifestyle.

There is that famous saying if you don't feel good after you have eaten it, then take it out of your diet.  It is just that simple.

What is the difference between Gluten-Sensitivity and Celiac Disease?


According to Dr. Fassano; Director at the Center For Celiac Research says: With CD, you are going to have it for life.  It is an autoimmune disease.  It will not go away.  You can't even eat a crumb, your system will perceive it as an entire loaf of bread!  With a Gluten-Sensitivity, that's not necessarily so.  You may grow out of a gluten sensitivity.  CD has a genetic component so it can affect the rest of the family.  Gluten sensitivity does not.  With CD, if you make a mistake, not only do you pay the price on the spot because you get sick, but it contributes to comorbidities.  With a gluten-sensitivity that is not necessarily so.  If you make a mistake you pay the price, but nothing will happen to you over time.


There is a difference, but a very fine one.  As a gluten-Intolerant or Gluten-Sensitive


When you as a patient think you have a gluten allergy you go and get tested.  You are not allergic to wheat, and you do not have Celiac Disease.  A doctor might tell you it's nothing.  It's all in your mind.  But it isn't.  Any doctor that tells you that? Find a new doctor, because the truth is, you are not making this up.  What then?  A gluten sensitivity.  For those that fall with no CD diagnosis and no wheat allergy, this group can be found in gluten-sensitivity group.

**I am not a nutritionist or a Doctor.  My information is based on my research, my work with my doctors and dealing with my own experiences.  If you suspect you may have a Gluten-Intolerance or Celiac Disease, take responsibility for your own health, start doing research and get in touch with your doctor's.  If your doctors do not understand or are unwilling to guide you, then find another doctor.