Coeliac disease is a permanent disease of the small intestines, caused by an allergic toxicity to the gliadin proteinProteins are large molecules consisting of chains of amino acids. Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body – they are a building block of… found in glutenGluten is a protein found in the cereals wheat, rye and barley. Obvious sources of gluten in the diet are bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and… cereals. Where the condition is present, the lining of the small intestines is unmercifully attacked by gliadin (it doesn’t take much gliadin – less than half a gram a day can cause this reaction). The lining becomes damaged and loses its ability to absorb nutrients from food. Malabsorption and malnutrition therefore follow, inducing deficiencies in ironWhat it does: As a component of red blood cells, iron transports oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from cells. Also vital for energy production…., zincWhat it does: Component of over 200 enzymes in the body, essential for growth, important for healing, controls hormones, aids ability to cope with stress…, calciumWhat it does: Promotes a healthy heart, clots blood, promotes healthy nerves, contracts muscles, improves skin, bone and dental health, relieves aching muscles and bones,…, magnesiumWhat it does: Strengthens bones and teeth, promotes healthy muscles by helping them to relax, also important for PMS, important for heart muscles and nervous…, potassiumWhat it does: Enables nutrients to move in and waste products to move out of cells, promotes healthy nerves and muscles, maintains fluid balance in… and vitamins B6, B12, folic acidWhat it does: Critical during pregnancy for the development of a baby’s brain and nerves. Also essential for brain and nerve function. Needed for utilising… A, D, E and K.
There is a strong genetic aspect to coeliac disease. In identical twins, for example, of those who suffer, in 70% of cases both twins have it, making it 175 times more prevalent among twins than the general population. If you have a mother, father, brother or sister with coeliacs, you have a one in ten chance of having it too, which means you have a 30 times higher risk than the average person.
Medical textbooks still say, wrongly, that it occurs in only one in five thousand or so people. Due to remarkable advancements in laboratory screening for coeliacs, we have learnt that it occurs more frequently than ever imagined. According to a random sampling by the Red Cross, 1 in 250 Americans suffer from coeliac disease (19 out of every 20 of whom go undetected and untreated). More recent studies appearing in the Lancet medical journal have reported a prevalence of 1 in 122 in the Irish, 1 in 85 in the Finnish, 1 in 70 of the Italians in Northern Sardinia, and 1 in 18 in Algerian Saharawi refugee children. Coeliac disease is thought to be such a health threat in Italy that the government has considered mandating that all children, regardless if they are sick or not, must be tested for gliadin sensitivity and coeliac disease by age six.
In Britain, we are still in the Dark Ages in terms of recognising the widespread prevalence of coeliacs.
Screening and diagnosing coeliac disease
Coeliacs used to be diagnosed only by means of a gut biopsy showing atrophy (ie damage) of intestinal villi (the cells which line the intestine). Many doctors regard this biopsy as the ‘gold standard’ for the diagnosis of coeliac disease. It is commonly an outpatient procedure performed by a specialist, where a long tube is inserted through the mouth, oesophagus, stomach and finally into the small intestine, where several samples of mucosal lining are taken. A pathologist, looking for the characteristic mucosal lesions of coeliac disease, then studies these small pieces of tissue under a microscope.
While a gut biopsy is certainly thorough, it is also expensive and inconvenient. Many doctors and their patients are understandably reluctant to have it performed unless there is very good...
Join Today!
JOIN NOW!First month free
Then £7.99 per month & free cancellation at any time
FREE health check
Find out your health score & see how healthy you are
Personal Health Plan
Detailed report, analysis & tailored action plan
Free Vitamin D3
With your first purchase at HOLFORDirect (suitable for vegans)
Save money
20% off all Patrick Holford supplements & events plus free delivery over £30
Exclusive Health support
Ask Patrick your questions, access to Low GL recipes & research updates
Comments
Join the Conversation on our Facebook Page