Celiac Disease Is An Autoimmune Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease which means the body’s immune system produces antibodies against gluten which attach to the gluten in the small intestine to form a gluten plus antibody complex. The body’s defense system sees this gluten/antibody complex as an “invader” and attacks it. During this attack the bowel wall is damaged.

Normally your gut has small finger like projections called villi which provide extra surface for your food to be absorbed. In celiac disease the war between the gluten and the abnormal antibodies cause the bowel to become inflamed and damaged.  The damaged villi flatten and this is what causes the physical symptoms and the malabsorption experienced by people suffering from celiac disease.

Once a gluten-free diet is initiated, the intestines will begin to heal and return to normal shape. Children can expect to be symptom free within 3-6 months, but adults may require 2-3 years for healing to occur because they have probably suffered from the damage for longer.

It is possible that long-term damage can occur to the intestinal lining if there is a lengthy delay in diagnosis, but this is rare. Certain symptoms of celiac disease cannot be reversed, such as short stature from reduced growth rates or damage to teeth.

Celiac disease does not go away. You have it for life. If you stick to a strict gluten free diet the symptoms and the long term danger goes away. If you accidentally eat gluten you will react to it because the presence of gluten in your diet will reactivate the production of the antibodies which do the damage.

If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease and  do not go a strict gluten free diet you will remain unwell and risk developing serious life threatening diseases such as intestinal cancer. It is so important to get your gluten free diet right.

The worrying thing is that up to 80% of people with celiac disease have not yet been diagnosed and this is the group of people we need to reach out to so that they can be properly diagnosed and managed on a gluten free diet.

Remember DO NOT start on your gluten free diet until AFTER you have consulted your doctor and a diagnosis of celiac disease has be confirmed. 

If you need to go a gluten free diet because you have celiac disease here is a free report to help you get started: "Top Ten Tips to Follow a Gluten Free Diet Successfully"