Aug 6, 2008 -- Strict avoidance of gluten in your diet will ease this autoimmune condition and prevent serious complications.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by a reaction to gluten that can develop at any time during your life. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Celiac disease affects an estimated two million Americans. People of Caucasian or European descent, and those with a family history of the disorder, are at a greater risk.

“Gluten is the protein component found in many grains,” says Lynn Goldstein, MS, RN, CDN, a dietician at Weill Cornell Medical College. “People with celiac disease are intolerant to gluten and therefore need to avoid all foods that contain gluten.”
Some people with Celiac disease experience diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain, and fatigue, but others don’t experience any symptoms. A blood test or endoscopy can help determine the presence of the disease.

Dietary Dos and Don’ts
Strict adherence to a gluten-free diet can help prevent serious complications of Celiac disease, such as anemia, osteoporosis, and bowel cancer. Within weeks of removing gluten from the diet, intestinal damage begins to heal.
“To avoid gluten, you need to avoid the following grains and any food products or recipes that are made with them: wheat, barley, rye, semolina, durum, spelt, triticale, and kamut,” says Goldstein. These are typically found in foods such as bread, pasta, and baked goods.
“If a product says it is gluten-free, then it can be trusted,” she adds. “However, if a product does not say that, the ingredients list must be examined for any of the above grains.” The following grains do not contain gluten and therefore are safe to eat: corn, potato, rice, soybeans, tapioca, arrowroot, carob, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, rice flour, and potato flour.
In August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will finalize the definition of “gluten-free.” A product can only be labeled “gluten-free” if it meets the FDA definition—that is, if it does not contain any species of wheat, rye, or barley.


What You Can Do·
- Be careful when eating in restaurants, because cross-contamination can occur in
a kitchen that is not set up for gluten-free cooking.
- Visit www.glutenfreerestaurants.org to find gluten-free restaurants.
- Avoid foods that contain the following ingredients: Stabilizer, starch, flavoring,
emulsifier, hydrolyzed plant protein, malt, malt flavoring or malt vinegar,
modified starch, vegetable gum, and soy sauce.
- Avoid oats. While oats are safe for people with Celiac disease, many factories
that make oat products also make wheat products and there is a high risk for
cross-contamination.