What is celiac disease? Celiac disease is a
genetic, autoimmune disease in which eating certain types of proteins,
collectively called “gluten,” causes the immune system to attack the lining of
the small intestine. This causes the small intestine to lose its ability to
absorb nutrients and leads to malnutrition and a variety of other
complications. Sensitivity to gluten can be present even if tests for celiac
disease are negative. This condition is called “non-celiac gluten sensitivity”
or simply “gluten sensitivity” or “gluten intolerance.” Medical doctors do not
have a test for non-celiac gluten sensitivity and many are not well informed
about the condition. Entero Lab (www.enterolab.com, 972-686-6869) will test for
antibodies to gluten in the intestinal tract and considers its stool tests to
be more accurate for diagnosing an immune response to gluten than blood tests
or biopsies. If your doctor cannot help you, check out Entero Lab or check with
your chiropractor, many are diagnosing and treating gluten sensitivity. There
are at least 300 recognized symptoms of celiac disease and non-celiac gluten
sensitivity. These include gastrointestinal complaints, joint and muscle pain,
fatigue, skin disorders, neurological complaints, mental illness, infertility,
migraine headaches, learning and concentration problems, stunted growth, and
many more. There is no cure. The only treatment is a lifelong adherence to a
gluten free diet.
