Frequently Asked Questions About Celiac Disease
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How much gluten is in a normal diet, and how much damage does it cause to the intestine?
To give you an idea, one slice of wheat bread has 4.8 grams of gluten, and one serving of pasta has 6.4 grams of gluten. These are just components of the gluten-containing diet, which usually includes about 40-60 grams of gluten per day. As small as 0.1 gram of gluten can cause damage to the lining of the small intestine in an individual with celiac disease. This means that 1/48th of a slice of bread can damage the lining. So, even a little bit of gluten can be dangerous to the individual with celiac disease. It's important to completely eliminate gluten from your diet, once you've been diagnosed with celiac disease by a physician (Celiac.com).
If gluten-containing products touch my skin, can that be dangerous as well?
This is unlikely. Gluten is only dangerous to the gut of an individual with celiac disease, so if it does not directly contact the gut, it is unlikely to cause damage. Only people who have had an anaphylactic reaction to gluten before should avoid any topical contact with the substance, although this is extremely rare (Celiac.com).
How accurate are the blood tests for celiac disease?
The blood tests are very accurate, so long as the individual is on a gluten-containing diet at the time of testing. The gluten autoantibodies will only be detected by the blood test when the person has consumed gluten recently (Massgeneral.org).
Is celiac disease an allergy?
No. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that is triggered by the consumption of gluten. It is not an allergy to wheat or to gluten. An allergy is when an individual's immune system overreacts to a substance and produces symptoms as a result. An autoimmune disorder is much more severe, because in this case, the body's immune system malfunctions and reacts incorrectly to its own bodily tissues. This is what happens in the case of celiac disease, when the body produces immunoglobulins that attack it's own small intestine lining's villi (About.com).
Can you grow out of celiac disease?
No. Celiac disease is a condition that follows the individual for the rest of his or her life. This is why it is important to adapt to a gluten-free diet and lifestyle, to protect one's small intestine's longevity and health. If an individual were to stray from his or her gluten-free diet later on in life, the body would react to the consumption with the same negative autoimmune reaction as before the diagnosis (Coeliac.com).
The following is a link to a Dr. Oz video about Celiac Disease that may answer some other potential questions you may have regarding celiac disease: Dr. Oz: Celiac Disease.
Resources:
Celiac Disease & Gluten-free Diet Information at
Celiac.com. (n.d.). . Retrieved June 12, 2014, from http://www.celiac.com/
Massachusetts General Hospital Home. (n.d.). . Retrieved
June 12, 2014, from http://www.massgeneral.org/
Celiac Disease - Gluten-Free Diet. (n.d.). About.com
Celiac Disease & Gluten Sensitivity. Retrieved June 12, 2014, from http://celiacdisease.about.com
Home - Coeliac UK. (n.d.). Home - Coeliac UK.
Retrieved June 12, 2014, from https://www.coeliac.org.uk
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