Celiac disease<\/strong> is a disorder that causes severe symptoms when you eat gluten<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Stop eating gluten<\/a>, and the short-term symptoms are reversed.<\/p>\n Celiac disease is hereditary. If you have the genes for it, inherited from either or both of your parents, then you have celiac for the rest of your life.<\/p>\n This sounds bad, but unlike many other hereditary diseases, it is relatively easy to manage: just stop eating gluten.<\/p>\n True, avoiding gluten is easier said than done. However, it is possible to avoid gluten and still eat well.<\/p>\n In fact, you will find that your diet is much better without gluten.<\/p>\n Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. There is debate about how harmful the gluten in oats actually is for celiac, but I recommend you avoid oats as well. Most celiac do not do well on oats.<\/p>\n Processed food uses a lot of highly-refined wheat flour, which quite frankly, is bad for everyone’s health.<\/p>\n By avoiding gluten, you will find yourself gravitating towards more healthy foods.<\/p>\n The challenge is less available convenience foods, but this is changing as more and more manufacturers supply gluten-free snacks and foods.<\/p>\n Warning<\/strong>: if you have celiac disease and continue to eat gluten<\/a> for an extended period of time, you will do permanent damage to your body.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you eat gluten, the first set of effects is in your small intestine. Poor absorption of nutrients leads to deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals. Anaemia<\/a> is common amongst celiacs who continue to eat gluten-containing foods.<\/p>\n Eventually, extensive long-term damage can effect all the internal organs, and can be fatal.<\/p>\n There is also a higher incidence of bowel cancer among celiacs who fail to eliminate gluten from their diet.<\/p>\n See celiac symptoms<\/a> for a list of symptoms associated with celiac disease.<\/p>\n A gluten free diet is the only known way to manage celiac disease. See gluten-free<\/a> and gluten free diet<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n News Flash!<\/strong> A new drug, larazotide, is being tested for its ability to control some of the damage caused by gluten. See Celiac Disease Cure?<\/a> for details.<\/p>\nCeliac Damage<\/h2>\n
\nThe villi become damaged, leading to poor absorption of essential nutrients from your food, but at the same time, the body absorbs partially digested food, polluting the blood stream.<\/p>\nCeliac Symptoms<\/h2>\n
Gluten-Free Diet<\/h2>\n
Celiac Disease Management<\/h2>\n
\nExternal Links<\/h3>\n