What I Need to Know About Celiac Disease

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What is celiac disease (or celiac sprue)?

In people with celiac disease, the body’s immune system responds to gluten by damaging the lining of the small intestine, flattening the villi (finger-like projections) that help the intestine absorb food.

Having celiac disease means a person can’t eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, or barley. Gluten may also be found in some medicines. Celiac disease is hereditary, meaning it runs in families. The treatment for celiac disease is avoiding eating foods that contain gluten. Even tiny amounts of gluten can damage the intestine.

Is celiac disease serious?

Yes. Celiac disease can be very serious. Besides stomach pain, it can cause anemia, malnutrition, infertility, a certain skin rash, and other health problems.

What are the symptoms of celiac disease?

Slowed growth
Weight loss
Gas
Diarrhea (rarely, constipation)
Stomach pain
Feeling very tired or low mood
A very itchy skin rash with blisters

Most people with celiac disease have one or more symptoms, but not all have digestive problems. Some people with the disease don’t have any symptoms. Having one or more of these symptoms does not mean a person has celiac disease because many other disorders include these symptoms.

How is celiac disease diagnosed?

If your doctor thinks you/your child have celiac disease, you will probably need a blood test. Your child will need to follow a regular diet before and while being tested. If you don’t, the results could be wrong.

If the blood work shows celiac disease, your doctor will likely perform an endoscopy procedure to get biopsies of the intestine to prove the diagnosis.

Should other family members be tested?

Yes. Immediate family members of patients with celiac disease need to be tested.

How is celiac disease treated?

The only treatment for celiac disease is complete avoidance of gluten. A dietitian can work with you to help you learn how to select gluten-free foods. You will learn to check labels of foods and other items for gluten. If you eliminate gluten from your diet, your small intestine will heal. If you eat gluten, you will harm your small intestine.

The following chart lists examples of foods you can eat and foods you should stay away from if you have celiac disease. This list is not complete. A dietitian can help you learn what other foods you can and can’t eat when following a gluten-free diet.

Allowed Foods

Amaranth	Potatoes
Arrowroot	Quinoa
Buckwheat	Rice
Cassava	Sago
Corn	Seeds
Flax	Soy
Indian rice grass	Sorghum
Job’s tears	Tapioca
Legumes	Wild Rice
Millet	Yucca
Nuts

Foods to Avoid

Wheat

Including einkorn, emmer, spelt,

kamut

Wheat starch, wheat bran, wheat

germ, cracked wheat, hydrolyzed
wheat protein

Barley
Rye
Triticale (a cross between wheat and rye)

Other Wheat Products

Bromated flour	Phosphated flour
Durum flour	Plain flour
Enriched flour	Self-rising flour
Farina	Semolina
Graham flour	White flour

Processed Foods that May Contain Wheat, Barley or Rye*

Bouillon cubes	Matzo
Brown rice syrup	Rice mixes
Chips/potato chips	Sauces
Candy	Seasoned tortilla chips
Cold cuts, hot dogs, salami, sausage	Self-basting turkey
Communion wafer	Soups
French fries	Soy sauce
Gravy	Vegetables in sauce
Imitation fish

* Most of these foods can be found gluten-free. When in doubt, check with the food manufacturer.

From the following resource: Thompson T. Celiac Disease Nutrition Guide, 2nd ed. Chicago: American Dietetic Association; 2006. © American Dietetic Association. Adapted with permission. For a complete copy of the Celiac Disease Nutrition Guide, please visit www.eatright.org.

Points to Remember

People with celiac disease can’t eat foods or use items with gluten in them.
Celiac disease harms the small intestine.
People with untreated celiac disease can’t get needed nutrients.
Without treatment, people with celiac disease can develop other health problems.
Celiac disease is diagnosed by blood tests and a biopsy of the small intestine.
A gluten-free diet must be followed for life.
A dietitian can help people choose the right foods.

For More Information

Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892–3570
Phone: 1–800–891–5389
Fax: 703–738–4929
Email: celiac@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: www.celiac.nih.gov

American Celiac Society
P.O. Box 23455
New Orleans, LA 70183–0455
Phone: 504–737–3293
Email: info@americanceliacsociety.org
Internet: www.americanceliacsociety.org

American Dietetic Association
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60606–6995
Phone: 1–800–877–1600
Email: knowledge@eatright.org
Internet: www.eatright.org

Celiac Disease Foundation
13251 Ventura Boulevard, #1
Studio City, CA 91604
Phone: 818–990–2354
Fax: 818–990–2379
Email: cdf@celiac.org
Internet: www.celiac.org

Celiac Sprue Association/USA Inc.
P.O. Box 31700
Omaha, NE 68131–0700
Phone: 1–877–CSA–4CSA (272–4272)
Fax: 402–558–1347
Email: celiacs@csaceliacs.org
Internet: www.csaceliacs.org

Gluten Intolerance Group of North America
31214 124th Avenue SE
Auburn, WA 98092
Phone: 253–833–6655
Fax: 253–833–6675
Email: info@gluten.net
Internet: www.gluten.net

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
P.O. Box 544
Ambler, PA 19002
Phone: 215–325–1306
Email: info@celiaccentral.org
Internet: www.celiaccentral.org

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