Cure Celiac Disease with Gluten- Free Diet

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

Celiac disease : It is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that occurs in genetically predisposed people of all ages. Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine & interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye & barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms.

Causes of celiac disease : When gluten is consumed, the body’s immune system damages the small intestine & nutrients can’t be absorbed. Sometimes the disease is triggered or becomes active for the first time after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress. Celiac disease is both a disease of malabsorption means nutrients are not absorbed properly & an abnormal immune reaction to gluten.

Symptoms of celiac disease : They may vary from person to person. Symptoms may occur in the digestive system or in other parts of the body. Digestive symptoms are more common in infants & young children & may include abdominal bloating & pain, chronic diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool & weight loss.

Adults are less likely to have digestive symptoms & may instead have unexplained iron-deficiency anemia, fatigue, bone or joint pain, arthritis, bone loss or osteoporosis, depression or anxiety, tingling numbness in the hands & feet, seizures, missed menstrual periods, infertility or recurrent miscarriage, canker sores inside the mouth & an itchy skin rashes. People with celiac disease may have no symptoms but can still develop complications of the disease over time.

Treatment of celiac diseases : The only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. Doctors may ask a newly diagnosed person to work with a dietitian on a gluten-free diet plan. A gluten-free diet means not eating foods that contain wheat, rye, and barley. The foods and products made from these grains should also be avoided. In other words, a person with celiac disease should not eat most grain, pasta, cereal, and many processed foods.

People with celiac disease can eat a well-balanced diet with a variety of foods. . They can use potato, rice, soy, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, or bean flour instead of wheat flour. They can buy gluten-free bread, pasta & other products from stores that carry organic foods, or order products from special food companies. Gluten-free products are increasingly available from mainstream stores.

Plain meat, fish, rice, fruits & vegetables do not contain gluten, so people with celiac disease can freely eat these foods. Gluten is also used in some medications. People with celiac disease should ask a pharmacist if prescribed medications contain wheat. The gluten-free diet requires a completely new approach to eating. To stay well, people with celiac disease must avoid gluten for the rest of their lives. Eating even a small amount of gluten can damage the small intestine.

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