Birthday cake. Pizza. Chocolate chip cookies. For people with celiac disease,
a disorder of the digestive system, these foods aren't the treats that most
people think they are. Why? Because they contain a type of protein called
gluten, which causes problems for people with celiac disease.
Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley, spelt, triticale,
kamut, and farina. Grains are so common in our diet that many foods,
particularly those that are prepackaged, contain gluten in some form.
What Is Celiac Disease and What Causes
It?
The digestive
system is the set of organs that digest food and absorb the important
nutrients the body needs to stay healthy and grow. One important part of the
digestive system is the small intestine, which is lined with millions of
microscopic, finger-like projections called villi (pronounced:
vih-lie). Nutrients are absorbed into the body through the villi.
People who have celiac (pronounced: see-lee-ak) disease have a
disorder that makes their bodies react to gluten, a type of protein that is
found in many foods. When these people eat gluten, an immune system reaction to
the protein gradually damages the villi in the small intestine. When the villi
are damaged, the body is unable to absorb the vitamins,
minerals, and other nutrients it needs to stay healthy. People with celiac
disease are therefore at risk of malnutrition and
can develop anemia (a decreased number of red blood cells due to lack of iron)
or osteoporosis (brittle bones from lack of calcium). The body's inability to
absorb nutrients can also mean that young people with celiac disease may not
grow as tall as they could. In addition, people who have celiac disease may be
prone to developing other diseases, such as thyroid
disease, diabetes, lupus, and
certain types of cancer.
It's not known exactly why people get celiac disease, which is also called
gluten intolerance, celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, or gluten-sensitive
enteropathy. The disease does appear to be genetic, though, which means that it
runs in families. Just like eye or hair color, people inherit the genes that
make a person more likely to get celiac disease from their parents and
grandparents. If an immediate family member has celiac disease, such as a
parent, brother, or sister, there's a 10% chance that you could have it, too.
Although celiac disease affects people of all heritages, it appears to be most
common among people of northern European descent.
In the past, experts believed celiac disease to be somewhat rare in the
United States. However, study results released in early 2003 by the University
of Maryland Center for Celiac Research in Baltimore show that the disease is
more widespread than previously thought.
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