Celiac Disease

Overview

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that affects the inner lining of the intestines. This condition triggers gluten, which is found in wheat barley and rye. It affects nearly 3 million people in America. How this works is that when a person suffering from celiac disease eats anything that contains gluten, it immediately attacks the villi in their intestine, the organ that absorbs nutrients from your food.

When the villi get damaged, and you cannot digest food properly and get the necessary nutrients, it leads to malnutrition and loss in bone density. It is necessary to get tested as sometimes you may not get the symptoms until way after the fact and that may lead to life-long consequences and health complications. Some people do not take celiac disease seriously as they do not get the symptoms, what they do not realize is that even though the effects may not seem apparent, the damage is still taking place.

What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder that causes your body to react to the protein gluten. When gluten enters the digestive system, it triggers the immune system to produce antibodies against it. In individuals with celiac disease, consuming gluten leads to an overreaction by the immune system, which damages the villi—small finger-like projections along the wall of the small intestine. Damaged villi impair nutrient absorption, potentially leading to malnourishment and a range of symptoms such as weakened bones, mood changes, and miscarriage.

As a hereditary condition, celiac disease runs in families. Individuals with a first-degree relative (parent, child, or sibling) with celiac disease have a 1 in 10 risk of developing the disorder.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease

The symptoms of celiac disease vary widely from person to person. Some people may not notice any symptoms, although the disease could still be harming their intestines. For those who do have symptoms, they can affect many parts of the body. Digestive symptoms may appear shortly after consuming gluten and can include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, gas, heartburn, nausea, and pale or foul-smelling poop that floats (steatorrhea).

Causes of Celiac Disease

There isn’t any concrete evidence as it why celiac disease may be the cause, more situational evidence. The evidence suggests that genes contribute the most to celiac disease. Many autoimmune diseases, including celiac disease, have a genetic component, meaning they are at least partly inherited. A specific gene mutation passed down through family lines can increase susceptibility to developing these diseases. However, not everyone with the gene mutation will develop the disease, and not all who develop the disease have the known gene mutations. This suggests that other factors also play a role in triggering autoimmune diseases.

Tests and Treatments for Celiac Disease

Doctors use two main methods to test for celiac disease-blood tests and biopsies. Blood tests check for gluten antibodies that damage the intestines. To confirm the diagnosis, a small tissue sample from the small intestine is examined under a microscope. This biopsy is obtained through an endoscopic exam performed by a gastroenterologist. During an upper endoscopy, a tiny camera on a long, thin catheter is passed down the throat into the small intestine. The camera guides the endoscopist in taking the biopsy, allowing them to assess the intestinal damage directly. Both tests are typically used together for accurate diagnosis.

The only treatment for celiac disease is lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. Those living gluten-free must avoid foods containing wheat, rye, and barley, including items like bread and beer.

To make up for the lack of necessary nutrients a celiac patient must consume animal protein like chicken, seafood dairy products and eggs. A lot of oil-rich food like avocado, olive oil, coconut oil solid fats and butter. Fruits and vegetables, in any form whether frozen or canned. Gluten-free cereals like Amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, quinoa, rice, sorghum, teff, and wild rice. Herbs and spices, all fresh and dried herbs and spices are naturally gluten-free and can be enjoyed liberally. Beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, and soy. Any type of nuts and seeds, including almonds, cashews, chia, flax, pecans, pepitas, pine nuts, and walnuts.

Prevention for Celiac Disease

Make sure to check labels for hidden gluten before eating processed foods.Foods that must be avoided at all costs are baked goods like Bagels, biscuits, bread, cornbread, crepes, croissants, doughnuts, flatbread, flour tortillas, French toast, muffins, naan bread, pancakes, pita bread, potato bread, rolls, and waffles. Pasta must also be avoided, for example, Chowmein, couscous, dumplings, egg noodles, gnocchi, ramen noodles, ravioli, soba noodles, udon noodles, and wheat pasta. For beverages, celiac patients must steer clear of beer and other malted beverages.

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