WHAT IS CELIAC DISEASE?
Celiac Disease (CD) is a genetic disorder that affects 1:133 Americans. Other terms used to describe CD are: celiac sprue, gluten intolerance, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, non-tropical sprue, sprue, and in Europe
coelic disease. It is considered to be the most under diagnosed common disease today. New research from the University of Maryland Research Center and the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University both indicate that Celiac Disease is twice as common as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and cystic fibrosis combined.
CD is a genetically based, life-long autoimmune disease in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten. According to Webster's Dictionary gluten is: "A grayish sticky component of wheat flour and other grain flours". This damage is done to the small intestine by gluten results in mal-absorption. Untreated CD can be life threatening. The critical reason for banning all gluten from the diet is for the celiac is that even a small particle can do some silent damage with the person never knowing at the time that anything is wrong. Celiacs who do not maintain a gluten-free diet also stand a much greater chance of getting certain types of cancer especially intestinal lymphoma. The longer a person has untreated celiac disease the more autoimmune disorders the person will have. It is important to get a timely diagnosis and begin treatment to avoid further complications.
Because this condition is genetically based it is recommended by Dr. Peter Green and Dr. A. Fassano of the Celiac Research Centers that your first-degree relatives be blood tested for Celiac Disease. All other relatives with gastrointestinal symptoms should also be tested. CD can present itself at any age.
The healthy small intestine is line with small, finger like projections called villi, which produce digestive enzymes and absorb nutrients. In Celiac Sprue, gluten is toxic to the villi. Upon exposure to gluten the villi become shortened and enzyme production is diminished. A common analogy is that the healthy villi looks like a lush carpet whereas the untreated Celiac's villi is smooth and is often described as a "flat".
Celiacs often suffer from other food sensitivities. Dairy is difficult to digest when the villi are not functioning properly. Once you have healed dairy may be re-introduced into the diet. It is not a lactose problem, but instead it is a difficulty in absorbing dairy when the viili are damaged and healing. Lactose- reduced products do not work for Celiacs unless you have a lactose intolerance and that is not the same thing as previously discussed. Some Celiacs have difficulty with soy, eggs and MSG etc. However it should be noted that these other sensitivities while troublesome do not damage the villi. As far as experts in the field know only gluten causes damage. |
