what is this?

[liveitxloveit]

i've never heard of celiac until now, what is it?

[aklap]

Hi Sarah,

You'll be hearing much more about this in the coming years. It's one of the most common autoimmune disease affecting around 1% of healthy, normal, average Americans (http://www.celiacdisease.net/assets/pdf/CDCFactSheets%20FactsFigures%20v3.pdf). The sad part is that 97% of them go undiagnosed. Around 6% of Type 1 Diabetics have Celiac Disease. The average length of time for diagnosis is around 9 years.

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/index.htm

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 a protein called gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in products we use every day, such as stamp and envelope adhesive, medicines, and vitamins.

When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the small intestine. The tiny, fingerlike protrusions lining the small intestine are damaged or destroyed. Called villi, they normally allow nutrients from food to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Without healthy villi, a person becomes malnourished, regardless of the quantity of food eaten.


Villi on the lining of the small intestine help absorb nutrients.

Because the body’s own immune system causes the damage, celiac disease is considered an autoimmune disorder. However, it is also classified as a disease of malabsorption because nutrients are not absorbed. Celiac disease is also known as celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy.

Celiac disease is a genetic disease, meaning it runs in families. Sometimes the disease is triggered—or becomes active for the first time—after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.



http://www.celiacdisease.net/factsheets

What is celiac disease? Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive process of the small intestine. The small intestine is connected to the stomach—the first parts of the small intestine, the duodenum and the jejunum, are where celiac disease is commonly found.

When a person who has celiac disease consumes gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, the individual’s immune system responds by attacking the small intestine and inhibiting the absorption of important nutrients into the body. Specifically, tiny fingerlike protrusions, called villi, on the lining of the small intestine are lost. Nutrients from food are absorbed into the bloodstream through these villi. Celiac disease can be associated to other autoimmune disorders and, undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to osteoporosis, infertility, neurological conditions and in rare cases, cancer.

[DeniseS]

Hi Sarah,


As a mom to two 6 year olds with Celiac disease and 1 of them who is a diabetic pumper, just be aware Gluten is in just about every thing. Toothpaste, lipstick, lotions ,antibiotics, medications. I found a great book from Cecilias Market place with list of everyday food products from the grocery store that are gluten free.

Denise

[aklap]

I found a great book from Cecilias Market place with list of everyday food products from the grocery store that are gluten free.

Denise
Denise,

Please be extremely careful using published lists. Just because it's GF the day that list is published, doesn't mean it's GF when you read that list or buy the product. Manufactures will change product formulation - most times without notice.

Perfect example - Check out the Product Alerts from the 2007 book (http://www.ceceliasmarketplace.com/2007-product-alerts.html). These are products that are no longer GF. If you don't check the Alerts - you're not going to know this...and thus eating polluted food. :(

So - use those lists only to narrow down your selection. Always verify the product by 1) reading the ingredient list or 2) Calling the manufacturer if you can't tell by ingredients.