Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease is an inflammatory disorder in the small intestine which is triggered by consumption of gluten, which causes the body’s immune system to attack and damage the small intestine. Medical professionals may sometimes refer to Celiac Disease as non-tropical sprue or gluten sensitive enteropathy. It is an inherited, autoimmune condition that occurs most with those who are genetically susceptible due to having relatives with Celiac Disease. It's believed that 9 out of 10 people with Celiac Disease are unaware that they have it, and it is the the most common, undiagnosed, and serious intestinal disease in the United States.

If you have Celiac Disease, you need to be on a Gluten Free Diet, and we recommend you use MealMixer to help manage your change to this diet, and your long-term adherence to it. This complex diet avoids the foods that contain gluten which are those having: wheat, barley, kamut, rye, triticale, and spelt. The planner creates plans for you that avoid these grains in all of their forms.

When people with Celiac Disease ingest gluten, the lining of the small intestine becomes inflamed. Ordinarily, this lining is covered with hairlike projections called villi, which are responsible for absorbing nutrients. When the villi are damaged by the inflammation that develops in response to gluten, they cannot absorb nutrients, which leads to malnutrition. It is very important to adhere to a strict gluten-free diet, or one specified by your healthcare practitioner.

The symptoms of Celiac Disease are varied and individual. They may include any of the following symptoms: diarrhea, gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, stools that are gray and fatty or oily, fatigue, osteoporosis, weight loss, infertility, recurrent canker sores, anemia, dermatitis herpetiformis, and more.

Celiac Disease may also cause impact to the colon or large bowel. Celiac patients have been found to have a different make-up of bacteria in the colon, with a higher proportion of unwanted bacteria, perhaps because the good bacteria in the colon are being suppressed by the affects of Celiac Disease in the small bowel. To solve this, supplements or, better yet, Prebiotic plant fibers, can be used to nourish the good bacteria, and don't contain gluten. Also, eating a lot of gluten-free vegetables and fruits can also help keep the bacteria in the colon well balanced.

Celiac Disease Organizations

The Food Allergy Network 11781 Lee Jackson Hwy, Suite 160 Fairfax, VA 22033-3309 800-929-4040	American Celiac Society P.O. Box 23455 New Orleans, LA 70183-0455 504-737-3293
Celiac Sprue Association/USA, Inc. P.O. Box 31700 Omaha, NE 68131-0700 402.558.0600 877.SA-4-CSA	Celiac Disease Foundation 13251 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1 Studio City, CA 91604-1838 818.990.2354
Gluten Intolerance Group 15110 10th Avenue SW, Suite A Seattle, WA 98166-1820 206.246.6652

Gluten-Free Merchants

Ener-G Foods, Inc. 5960 1st Avenue. S. P.O. Box 84487 Seattle, WA 98124-5787 (206) 767-6660 800-331-5222	Dietary Specialists, Inc. P.O. Box 227 Rochester, NY 14601 716.263.2787 Ordering: 800-544-0099
The Really Great Food Company P.O. Box 2239 St. James, NY 11780 800-593-5377	Gluten Free Pantry P.O. Box 840 Glastonbury, CT 06033 860-633-3826
Glutino 3750 Francis Hughes Laval, Quebec Canada H7L5A9 450.629.7689 800-363-DIET (3438) http://www.glutino.com