Gluten and celiac disease, from NIH MedlinePlus magazine.
Gluten: it's all over the news.
But what is it and where can it be found?
Gluten is a protein.
It is found naturally in some grains such
as wheat, barley, and rye.
No, not you rice.
Common food products that have gluten include pastas, cereal, and bread.
Sometimes gluten can also sneak its way into products like vitamins and supplements, lip
balms, and some hair and skin products.
Most people don't have a problem with gluten, but some people can't eat it because of an
autoimmune disorder called celiac disease.
The gluten makes them feel sick.
Celiac disease sometimes is hereditary, meaning it runs in families.
It's also very common, as many as one out of every 141 people in the United States has
celiac disease.
But most people who have celiac disease don't even know they have it.
In celiac disease, gluten can trigger the
immune system to attack the small intestine.
Immune cells damage small finger-like growths in a small intestine called villi, and the
brushing intestinal lining becomes flattened.
When the villi are damaged, the body can't
get the nutrients it needs.
The immune system's reaction can lead to other health problems as well.
Symptoms of celiac disease in adults may include headaches, depression or anxiety, tiredness,
bone or joint pain, and a very itchy skin
rash with blisters called dermatitis herpetiformis.
And in children, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, slowed growth, and delayed puberty.
If untreated, celiac disease can lead to serious complications like anemia, infertility, and
weak and brittle bones.
Celiac disease can be difficult to diagnose because it looks like many other diseases.
If your doctor thinks you might have celiac disease, you may need a blood test looking
for antibody markers like tTGA and EMA.
The diagnosis can also be confirmed with a
biopsy.
A tiny tissue sample is obtained under anesthesia using a thin tube called an endoscope.
The good news is there's a treatment: following a gluten-free diet.
Patients need to learn what to eat and what to avoid, and to read nutrition labels carefully.
For most people, following this diet will
fix the symptoms and heal damage to the small
intestine.
But for some people, diet alone doesn't work.
Finding hidden sources of gluten you may still be eating or using can help.
Through the National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the NIH
supports research to learn more about celiac disease.
Find out more about celiac disease and other topics at NIH MedLine Plus the Magazine: medlineplus.gov/magazine.
You can also search online for “NIDDK Celiac Disease” or visit niddk.nih.gov.
