Grains were first introduced to the human diet about 10,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. In the second century AD, Aretaeus of Cappadocia described “koiliakos” a disease of the abdomen caused by nutrition. It wasn’t until 1888 in London that S.J. Gee fully described what we know as celiac disease today. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder marked by inflammation of the small intestine that affects genetically predisposed individuals across the world. The genetic predisposition occurs on HLA haplotypes DQ2 and DQ8, and is present on autosomal chromosome 6. Celiac disease is induced by the consumption of foods that contain the protein gluten, which affects the auto-antigen tissue transglutaminase. Gluten, a 33 amino acid peptide high
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Because this new diet may be extremely challenging, consultation with a skilled dietician is recommended to help figure out the safest eating options. The gluten free diet requires a lot of patience, planning and creativity. Patients with a diagnosed celiac disease have a clearly decreased quality of life compared to their healthy peers. This mainly pertains to the social aspects of life, and mostly to patients with adult-onset celiac disease. It is estimated that the percentage of patients strictly adhering to the gluten-free diet ranges between 42% and 91% and is lowest among ethnic minorities and patients with celiac disease diagnosed in childhood (Szaflarska-Popławska, 2015). Traveling, fast food and social situations like parties can be especially difficult and may lead to feelings of anxiety. This new lifestyle often leaves patients feeling overwhelmed however there are support groups that can help these individuals cope. Patients can be reminded that there are many positive aspects of eating a gluten free diet, which is primarily based around nutritious fresh unprocessed foods. While there are quite a few gluten free options available in the grocery aisles, the FDA has no definition for “gluten-free” so it’s extremely important to carefully read labels for hidden gluten when shopping. Dining out may be one of the greatest challenges a patient with celiac disease faces and even though more restaurants are offering gluten-free dishes, it is vital to ask servers about the ingredients used as well as to remember that cross contamination in any kitchen may occur. In addition to the elimination of gluten from the diet, it’s highly advised to supplement with vitamins and minerals because celiac patients often suffer from many nutritional deficiencies and gluten-free products are typically not enriched with
Because this new diet may be extremely challenging, consultation with a skilled dietician is recommended to help figure out the safest eating options. The gluten free diet requires a lot of patience, planning and creativity. Patients with a diagnosed celiac disease have a clearly decreased quality of life compared to their healthy peers. This mainly pertains to the social aspects of life, and mostly to patients with adult-onset celiac disease. It is estimated that the percentage of patients strictly adhering to the gluten-free diet ranges between 42% and 91% and is lowest among ethnic minorities and patients with celiac disease diagnosed in childhood (Szaflarska-Popławska, 2015). Traveling, fast food and social situations like parties can be especially difficult and may lead to feelings of anxiety. This new lifestyle often leaves patients feeling overwhelmed however there are support groups that can help these individuals cope. Patients can be reminded that there are many positive aspects of eating a gluten free diet, which is primarily based around nutritious fresh unprocessed foods. While there are quite a few gluten free options available in the grocery aisles, the FDA has no definition for “gluten-free” so it’s extremely important to carefully read labels for hidden gluten when shopping. Dining out may be one of the greatest challenges a patient with celiac disease faces and even though more restaurants are offering gluten-free dishes, it is vital to ask servers about the ingredients used as well as to remember that cross contamination in any kitchen may occur. In addition to the elimination of gluten from the diet, it’s highly advised to supplement with vitamins and minerals because celiac patients often suffer from many nutritional deficiencies and gluten-free products are typically not enriched with