What Is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disorder in which eating gluten -- a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye -- triggers an immune response that damages the lining of the small intestine. This damage impairs the absorption of nutrients and can lead to a wide range of symptoms and long-term health complications. Celiac disease affects approximately 1% of the global population, though up to 80% of cases remain undiagnosed.
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat (including spelt, kamut, farro, and durum), barley, and rye. It gives bread its chewy texture and is used as a thickener in many processed foods. Gluten is found not only in obvious sources like bread and pasta, but also in sauces, soups, processed meats, beer, and many unexpected products. Oats are naturally gluten-free but are frequently cross-contaminated.
Gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat (including spelt, kamut, farro, and durum), barley, and rye. It gives bread its chewy texture and is used as a thickener in many processed foods. Gluten is found not only in obvious sources like bread and pasta, but also in sauces, soups, processed meats, beer, and many unexpected products. Oats are naturally gluten-free but are frequently cross-contaminated.
Symptoms
Celiac disease presents very differently in different people:
Classic GI symptoms:
- Chronic diarrhea or constipation
- Bloating and gas
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Foul-smelling, fatty, pale stools (steatorrhea)
Non-GI symptoms (common in adults):
- Iron deficiency anemia unresponsive to supplementation
- Fatigue
- Bone loss (osteopenia, osteoporosis)
- Dermatitis herpetiformis (intensely itchy skin rash with blisters)
- Mouth ulcers
- Joint pain
- Numbness and tingling in hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy)
- Headaches
- Infertility and recurrent miscarriage
- Elevated liver enzymes
- Depression and anxiety