What is Celiac Disease and how is it treated?

Gluten is used in all kinds of things – including paper and fabric glues, wallpaper paste, and MSG (monosodium glutamate).  Gluten is also found in wheat and wheat by-products, as well as in some other grains (including those which are processed in facilities which process wheat).  For Celiac sufferers, eating anyt of these will inflame the damage in the small intestine.

For small children (babies and toddlers), the result can be digestive discomfort, diarrhea or constipation, and a lack of growth.  In adults, gluten intolerance leads to many different health challenges, including asthma, auto-immune disorders, neurological disorders, and lack of positive growth.  Some people have 'silent' Celiac, which means there are no outward symptoms; in these cases, they may have other symptoms, seemingly unrelated, which refuse to leave.

The way to beat Celiac disease or any gluten sensitivity or intolerance is to assume a gluten-free diet.  As more and more people suffer from this condition, finding gluten-free foods becomes easier.  Health food stores will have entire aisles devoted to gluten-free foods.  The biggest challenge for a gluten-sufferer is that they will seldom (if ever) be able to eat processed foods again.  There are websites devoted to gluten-free lifestyles, such as this one:  www.celiac.com.  On the site are recipes, links, and suggestions for ways to eliminate gluten from a diet.