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Cindy Celiac Complete WORD Public
Cindy Celiac Complete WORD Public
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digestively disruptive ways, or it can be the source problem for a host of other
pancreatic insufficiency, cancer of the small bowel, esophagus, or pancreas, and other
autoimmune disorders. (Dr Scot Lewy (n.d.) Gallbladder Problems Common In Celiac
difficult to diagnose, if found early enough, it can be treated easily. The greatest
challenges are in getting educated about all the less obvious locations gluten may be
lurking, and of course the inconvenient, frustrating reduction of foods a celiac diseased
person can consume. A gluten free diet (aka GFD) for the rest of one’s life is vital for
improved health and longevity. Even trace exposures on a semi-regular basis can have
a devastating effect on both one’s quality of life and life span if they are celiac or gluten
intolerant.
with gluten, even a trace amount, there is a cascade of autoimmune responses that
take place in the digestive tract that a normal person does not experience. It is
important to understand information about other forms of gluten intolerance and wheat
allergies. They are not CD, however, they may exist alongside CD, and complete relief
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may require addressing both conditions. Although CD’s hallmark effect is a damaged
small intestine, it should be viewed as a whole body condition. This is because when
the small intestine cannot absorb nutrients properly, leaky gut syndrome and
malabsorption result causing the entire body to suffer. Other conditions can then
the small intestine aimed at the gluten. The attack is severe enough to also destroy the
mucosal lining in the small intestine including the villi that line the small intestine and are
pictured below. These villi serve to increase surface area and provide a variety of
and strain out undigested particles or toxins. When they are destroyed or even
small intestine is what determines if someone is CD or not, as long as it occurs from the
Gluten is a composite of the two proteins gliadin and glutenin. They are the well
known proteins in wheat, rye, barley and all grains derived from these grains. The word
gluten translates to “glue” in Latin. This glue-like protein does not fully breakdown in the
Many CD enthusiasts suggest that those with any gluten intolerance conditions
consider avoiding oats as well. Oats don’t inherently contain gluten, but many sources
of oats now test positive for gluten due to crop and factory cross contamination. One
does not need to have symptoms to be in danger of serious damage from secondary
diseases. Therefore, even trace amounts of gluten from cross contamination of grains,
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trace amounts from the wheat in soy sauce and teriyaki sauce, or even from a shared
Below is a diagram that shows normal villi that line the small intestine. (Conor G.
person, and one who has had extreme damage from being celiac and consuming
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gluten. (R. JOHN PRESUTTI, DO, JOHN R. CANGEMI, MD, HARVEY D. CASSIDY,
MD, and DAVID A. HILL, DO. (12/15/2007) Celiac Disease, Fam Physician. Figure 3.)
“Endoscopic and biopsy findings in patients with and without celiac disease. (A) High-
definition endoscopic photo of normal small intestine. The villi are clearly visible with no
evidence of atrophy or scalloping of the folds. (B) Biopsy specimen of normal small
intestine in a patient with celiac disease, showing scalloping of the mucosal folds
atrophy compared with normal. (D) Biopsy specimen of small intestine in a patient with
celiac disease (hematoxylineosin; original magnification, × 100). Note the loss of villous
architecture. “
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One of the challenges with proper diagnosis is that while there are some people
who have classic symptoms of celiac, some may have none at all, and some of the
symptoms may mimic other conditions. These conditions include microscopic colitis,
sprue, and T-cell lymphoma. (R. JOHN PRESUTTI, DO, JOHN R. CANGEMI, MD,
HARVEY D. CASSIDY, MD, and DAVID A. HILL, DO. (12/15/2007) Celiac Disease Fam
gluten free diet, you are at risk for a host of other conditions. Here are some of the
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“Digestive symptoms are more common in infants and young children and may include
• chronic diarrhea
• vomiting
• constipation
• weight loss
during the years when nutrition is critical to a child’s normal growth and development
can result in other problems such as failure to thrive in infants, delayed growth and short
stature, delayed puberty, and dental enamel defects of the permanent teeth.
Adults are less likely to have digestive symptoms and may instead have one or
• fatigue
• arthritis
• depression or anxiety
• seizures
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People with celiac disease may have no symptoms but can still develop
which can lead to anemia, osteoporosis, and miscarriage, among other problems—liver
Currently, there are three common tests for diagnosing celiac, however, the tests
are not always accurate, and not all medical professionals are proficient at
understanding the results of the tests. The three tests as shown by the National
with CD may test negative with this test. If CD is implicated in other ways, the person
should have additional tests, and have an intestinal biopsy. A person who intends to
have these blood test must continue to consume gluten containing foods so that the
antibodies the test intends to find will show up if they have CD. 2) An Intestinal Biopsy
is done if symptoms and blood work appear to confirm CD. It is important to have this
biopsy include at least 4 different areas of the intestine because of the varying degree
and locations in the small intestine that may have been affected. 3) A test for Dermatitis
Herpetiformis (DH) is the third common possible way to diagnose celiac. DH is an itchy
blistery skin condition, consequently a skin biopsy is used to confirm this form of CD. It
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is interesting to note that most people with DH have no digestive symptoms, yet they
Many people have had great success in following a diet called “the specific
carbohydrate diet” (SCD) for at least the first year after diagnosis. The diet is suggested
for people with a variety of digestive orders, not just CD. It was created to support and
expedite the healing of the gut during that first year following diagnosis. This is because
many innocent foods a person with CD eats might still be problematic just after their
diagnosis. Eliminating the antagonist may not be enough at first. CD and other
digestive orders are inflammatory conditions. The SCD is void of all foods with gluten,
and only includes foods that either diminish inflammation or are at least neutral. The
Additional resources for learning about CD what foods to avoid, and other
1) www.celiac.com This is one of the most popular sites about CD. There are four main
2) http://www.scdrecipe.com/ This site has a search engine that allows you to enter in a
according to the specific carbohydrate diet’s list of acceptable and not acceptable foods.
If it is not legal, articles will be listed explaining why, and if it is legal, recipes will be
gluten free recipes. The creator, Lauren Hoover, was a pastry chef who discovered that
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she had celiac. She created this site and the recipes with the intention providing gluten
and dairy free foods that are delicious and have textures characteristic of the traditional
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References:
Conor G. Loftus M.D., Joseph A. Murray M.D. (2010) CELIAC DISEASE, Division of
R. JOHN PRESUTTI, DO, JOHN R. CANGEMI, MD, HARVEY D. CASSIDY, MD, and
DAVID A. HILL, DO. (12/15/2007) Celiac Disease Fam Physician, Mayo Clinic,
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2007/1215/p1795.html
What are the symptoms of celiac disease? and How is celiac disease diagnosed? (n.d.)
This publication was reviewed by Ciaran Kelly, M.D., Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center; Mitchell Cohen, M.D., Cincinnati, Children’s Hospital Medical Center;
Walter Reed Army Medical Center; National Foundation for Celiac Awareness; Celiac
Disease Foundation; Celiac Sprue Association/USA, Inc.; and Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention staff. The gluten-free diet chart was reviewed by Alice Bast and
Nancy Dickens, National Foundation for Celiac Awareness; Cynthia Kupper, R.D., C.D.,
Gluten Intolerance Group; and Elaine Monarch, Celiac Disease Foundation. Retrieved
Dr Scot Lewy (n.d.) Gallbladder Problems Common In Celiac Disease May Be Missed
http://ezinearticles.com/?Gallbladder-Problems-Common-In-Celiac-Disease-May-Be-
Missed-By-Doctors-Because-Of-Normal-Tests&id=229284