At a glance
Celiac disease:
- Is a lifelong condition
- Is genetically predisposed
- Requires gluten to manifest itself
- Can show wide-ranging symptoms — intestinal or extra-intestinal
- Can start at any age, from early childhood through late adulthood
- Is autoimmune in nature
- Is common, affecting approximately one in a hundred people (including Caucasians, Middle-Eastern and West-Asian — Indian/Pakistani — populations)
- Remains undiagnosed in 97 per cent of cases
What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease was first recognised by the Greeks in the second century AD. The word celiac comes from koiliakos, a Greek word meaning "suffering of the bowels".
It is caused by an immune reaction (hypersensitivity) to gluten — the main storage protein in wheat and certain other cereal grains including rye, barley, triticale, spelt and kamut. The most toxic component of gluten in celiac disease is gliadin (an alcohol-soluble component of gluten). Others are secalins from rye and hordeins from barley.
Celiac disease is a permanent condition that damages the lining of the small intestine. This limits the absorption of nutrients — particularly iron, folate, calcium and vitamin D. It also increases intestinal permeability, which lets other toxins in and can trigger further autoimmune disease.
Because it is autoimmune, failing to recognise celiac disease in time can lead to serious complications, including cancer. People usually do not outgrow it, and it requires lifelong management.
Keep reading
This information is for awareness and education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor before making changes to your diet or treatment.
Think you might have celiac disease?
Don’t stop eating gluten before you’re tested — it can hide the result.