Celiac Disease treatment

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley.

In celiac disease, gluten causes the immune system to produce antibodies that attack the delicate lining of the small intestine, which is responsible for absorbing nutrients and vitamins from food. The body is deprived of the nutrients and vitimins it needs. The result is poor health in the form of physical discomfort and/or pain as well as undesireable emotional responses.

Gluten is a generic term for the storage proteins that are found in grains. The particular grains that a celiac sufferer needs to pay attention to are wheat, barley, and rye. The gluten in wheat, barley, and rye contain particular amino acid sequences that are harmful to persons with celiac disease.

When you hear the term "gluten free diet", it means a diet that contains no wheat, barley and rye as well as no foods that contain traces of them.

You will find gluten in breads, pastas, cookies and other obvious grain products. Gluten is also "hidden" in many processed foods such as frozen french fried potatoes, snacks, soy sauce and cereal. Even many non-food items like cosmetics, and household cleansers contain gluten.

It is best to get professional advice from a dietician or nutrition specialist to compile a list of all foods and products that must be avoided and most importantly a long list of foods and products that you can enjoy as a substitute.

Once someone has been diagnosed with celiac disease, they need to be on a gluten free diet for the rest of their life.

In most cases, the symptoms experienced by celiac sufferers will disappear within a few days of starting a gluten free diet. So long as the person stays true to the diet, the symptoms will not reappear. The person with celiac disease will live a normal, healthy and active life on a gluten free diet.

The first step in moving to a gluten free diet involves education about gluten in foods. What foods contain gluten and how do you detect gluten in food products?

The second step involves compiling a long list of all the foods and meals that you can enjoy , including substitutes for foods containing gluten.

Steps one and two requires that you work with a health professional familiar with celiac disease, like a dietician and/or nutritionist.

Here is a general list of foods that are gluten free:

- fresh meat, chicken, fish
- eggs
- cheese
- milk, cream, butter
- all fruit, salads, vegetables
- potatoes
- rice and maize
- nuts and seeds
- jam
- marmalade
- honey
- some brands of chocolate
- sugar
- coffee
- tea
- fruit squash
- cocoa
- fizzy drinks

Here is what you need to know about alcoholic drinks:

Most specialists now consider all distilled forms of alcohol safe to drink, provided no colourings or other additives have been added, as these ingredients may contain gluten.

Although straight bourbon is made from corn and wheat, rye or barley, the gluten in these grains is removed by the process of distillation.

Whiskey on the other hand will likely contain gluten as the malted barley or rye is often added after the grain mash has been distilled.

Spirits made without any grain such as brandy, wine, mead, cider, sherry, port, rum, tequila and vermouth do not contain gluten, although some vineyards use a flour paste to caulk the oak barrels in which wine is aged, so some Celiacs may wish to exercise caution.

Liqueurs and pre-mixed drinks should be examined carefully for gluten-derived ingredients.

Here is a general list of foods and products to be wary of:

1. Avoid all foods made from wheat, rye, and barley. Examples are breads, cereals, pasta, crackers, cakes, pies, cookies, and gravies.

2. Pay attention to processed foods that may contain gluten. Wheat flour is a common ingredient in many processed foods. Examples of foods that may contain gluten, to name only a few, include:
- canned soups,
- salad dressings,
- ice cream,
- candy bars,
- instant coffee,
- luncheon meats,
- ketchup,
- mustard,
- processed and canned meats,
- yogurt,
- sausages
- pasta.

3. Avoid beer. Almost all beers are brewed with malted barley or wheat and will contain gluten.

4. Beware of tablets, capsules, and vitamin preparations that contain gluten. Wheat starch is commonly employed as a binding agent in tablets and capsules. Gluten also can be found in many vitamin products, and cosmetic products such as lipstick.

You will have to learn how to read labels on foods and products that you may want to consume. Your dietitian/nutritionist will help you with this.