WHAT?
Coeliac Disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the body
WHO GETS IT?
Anyone can have Coeliac Disease, but it often runs in families.
WHAT HAPPENS?
When a person with Coeliac Disease eats GLUTEN – even a tiny crumb – their body begins an immune response that attacks the small intestine. Gluten is a protein that is found in Barley, Wheat, Rye, and sometimes Oats.
The small intestine is part of the digestion process and where food goes after you have eaten it.
The small intestine is lined with tiny hair-like structures called VILLI. The job of the villi is to absorb nutrients in food.
If gluten food is eaten the villi become flattened, damaged and stop absorbing nutrients.
SYMPTOMS?
Immediate symptoms (within a few hours) can be bloating, gas, stomach pain, headache, brain fog, sickness, and diarrhea. Long-term health problems associated with poor nutrient absorption can occur if left untreated. Even the smallest trace of gluten can start this immune response.
Children like Gluten Free Freddie must be careful with cross-contamination. Even one small crumb that comes into contact with their food is a problem and is no longer safe for Gluten Free Freddie or fellow coeliacs to eat.
SOLUTIONS
Food preparation must be done away from gluten, including using separate kitchen items such as chopping boards, utensils, baking trays, pans, and of course, fingers with gluten on them.
Current estimations are that 1 in 100 people worldwide have Coeliac Disease, but only 20% have been diagnosed.
That means that 80% of people are not aware they have it.
Doctors still don’t know very much about Coeliac Disease. There is currently no cure, so people with Coeliac Disease must follow a strictly gluten-free diet to avoid symptoms and ill health.
