Coeliac Disease What is Coeliac Disease?
Coeliac disease is a medical condition and is a permanent intolerance to dietary gluten. In people with coeliac disease the cells which line the small intestine (bowel) become damaged by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in certain grains including wheat, barley and rye.
This process causes a flattening of the tiny, finger like projections, called villi, which line the inside of the bowel, and is called villous atrophy.
The function of villi is to break down food to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. In untreated coeliac disease, the villi become flat and inflamed and their surface area is significantly reduced. This leads to deficiencies in vitamins, iron, folic acid and calcium, because of poor absorption. Sugars, proteins and fats are often poorly absorbed as well. Without healthy villi, a person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food the person eats.
What happens to a person with COeliac Disease?
If a person with coeliac disease mistaken to eats a food that contain gluten protein his/her villi flatten out and no longer perform their function. Nutrients in food are thus no longer assimilated and are passed out of the body in the faeces. Celiac’s who ingest gluten effectively put their intestine out of service; their bodies no longer receive the necessary nutrition and consequently they lose weight, their growth is stunted and they become ill. Gluten intolerance symptoms vary, the most noticeable being diarrhoea, abdominal swelling, loss of appetite and vomiting. However, sufferers may also develop other less immediately apparent symptoms, such as iron and calcium deficiency.
The Treatment The main treatment for coeliac disease is to not to eat any food that contains gluten for the rest of your life. The symptoms then usually go within a few weeks. The main foods to stop are any that contain wheat, barley, or rye. Many common foods contain these ingredients such as breads, pasta, cakes, pastries and some cereals. Foods made from oats are usually safe to eat. However, some people with coeliac disease have symptoms if they eat oats. Potatoes, rice, maize, corn, fruit, dairy products and soya-based foods are fine. Avoiding gluten is for life. If you eat gluten again, symptoms will return. Even small amounts of gluten can sensitise the gut again.
Coeliac Disease
What is Coeliac Disease?
Coeliac disease is a medical condition and is a permanent intolerance to dietary gluten. In people with coeliac disease the cells which line the small intestine (bowel) become damaged by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in certain grains including wheat, barley and rye.
This process causes a flattening of the tiny, finger like projections, called villi, which line the inside of the bowel, and is called villous atrophy.
The function of villi is to break down food to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. In untreated coeliac disease, the villi become flat and inflamed and their surface area is significantly reduced. This leads to deficiencies in vitamins, iron, folic acid and calcium, because of poor absorption. Sugars, proteins and fats are often poorly absorbed as well. Without healthy villi, a person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food the person eats.
What happens to a person with COeliac Disease?
If a person with coeliac disease mistaken to eats a food that contain gluten protein his/her villi flatten out and no longer perform their function. Nutrients in food are thus no longer assimilated and are passed out of the body in the faeces. Celiac’s who ingest gluten effectively put their intestine out of service; their bodies no longer receive the necessary nutrition and consequently they lose weight, their growth is stunted and they become ill. Gluten intolerance symptoms vary, the most noticeable being diarrhoea, abdominal swelling, loss of appetite and vomiting. However, sufferers may also develop other less immediately apparent symptoms, such as iron and calcium deficiency.
The Treatment
The main treatment for coeliac disease is to not to eat any food that contains gluten for the rest of your life. The symptoms then usually go within a few weeks. The main foods to stop are any that contain wheat, barley, or rye. Many common foods contain these ingredients such as breads, pasta, cakes, pastries and some cereals. Foods made from oats are usually safe to eat. However, some people with coeliac disease have symptoms if they eat oats. Potatoes, rice, maize, corn, fruit, dairy products and soya-based foods are fine. Avoiding gluten is for life. If you eat gluten again, symptoms will return. Even small amounts of gluten can sensitise the gut again. 
