Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the digestive system becomes damaged by the ingestion of gluten. When a person has celiac disease and they eat a product with gluten in it, the villi, small membranes in the intestines, are damaged or destroyed and nutrients are unable to be absorbed from the food taken in.
Gluten can be found in various kinds of products such as barely, wheat, and rye. If a person who needs to be on a gluten-free diet ingests one of these products over a long period of time, they run the risk of damaging the villi in their intestines and could end up becoming malnourished because the nutrients from the food are not being absorbed properly.
Symptoms of Celiac Disease
There are more than 300 symptoms of celiac disease, which is why 95% of celiac patients go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years. Some symptoms are: bloating, diarrhea, fatigue, itching skin rash, joint pain, depression, and headaches. However, some people with celiac disease will show no signs or symptoms at all. This just means the undamaged part of their intestines are still absorbing nutrients; however, they are still at risk for the complications of celiac disease.
Complications of Celiac Disease
There are several risk factors associated with celiac disease, particularly if the disease is left untreated. One risk factor is malnutrition. Even if a person is eating, important nutrients, like vitamin B-12 could be lost because it is not being absorbed properly, thus leading to vitamin deficiencies and eventually malnutrition.
Another risk factor is loss of calcium and bone density, particularly if one suffers from diarrhea, because they are losing an excessive amount of vitamin D. This could lead to rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults, a weakening of the bones, which makes them prone to fractures. It can also lead to a specific type of kidney stone called an oxolate stone.
Yet another complication to celiac disease is cancer. Especially if the disease goes untreated or if the patient does not maintain a strict gluten-free diet, cancer, particularly in the form of intestinal lymphoma and bowel cancer can occur. Clearly, a gluten-free diet is of utmost importance to someone with celiac disease.
A Gluten-free Diet
Though it may seem like there's no light at the end of the tunnel for someone who has celiac disease, there really are a lot of things that a celiac patient can eat. Certainly, there are a lot of things that they have to avoid, too, but looking on the bright side of things, there are a number of yummy things that a person with celiac disease can eat.
Some gluten-free friendly foods include acacia gum, agave, almond nut, beeswax, beans, beta carotene, cane sugar, chocolate liqour, eggs, fresh fish, garbanzo beans, honey, hops, and much more. Visit www.celiac.com for a list of gluten-free foods to chose from and be used in a variety of recipes.
It certainly is life-changing to be diagnosed with celiac disease, but it doesn't have to be a total downer. There are plenty of resources online to help a newly diagnosed patient learn about the disease, the foods to avoid, the foods to eat, and support groups to join in order to learn as much about the disease as possible.
Sources:
Celiac.com *"Celiac Symptoms" (accessed June 17, 2010)
Mayoclinic.com *"Celiac Disease Complications" (accessed June 17, 2010)
Celiac.com *"Safe Gluten-Free Food List (Safe Ingredients)" (accessed June 17, 2010)
Christine Rachuy - My name is Christine Rachuy and I enjoy writing on all different subjects. I tend to write mostly about Christianity, music, photography, ...
