Celiac Disease - Do you know what it is? Do you have it?

I just got off the phone with my doctor's office. I called to inquire how long ago my physican ordered a celiac blood test for me. I was blown away. I was tested August 2007. That means I've lived gluten-free for 2-1/2 years!

Celiac Disease - The best resources I have found on line to learn about this disease is the Celiac Sprue Foundation, whic is dedicated to ongoing research, education and support to help those that suffer from celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis, and the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness' Celiac Central. The mission of NFCA is to not only help those who suffer from gluten sensitivity to gain a diagnosis, but seeks to help improve the health of those who have been diagnosed.

From the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA): "Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. What does this mean? Essentially the body is attacking itself every time a person with celiac consumes gluten.

Celiac disease is triggered by consumption of the protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the finger-like villi of the small intestine. When the villi become damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to malnourishment.

Left untreated, people with celiac disease can develop further complications such as other autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, and cancer." Learn more.

Once I learned about Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, it became clear that this was probably the hidden, underlying root to some of, if not most, of my health problems over the years. It is common that blood tests for Celiac Disease return negative, meaning no - you are not a Celiac according to test results. This happened to me. Because, I had so many gut and food sensitivities and allergies that are symptomatic of those with this disease, my physician suggested that I simply remove all foods containing gluten from my diet and see what would happen. I did, and I immediately began to feel relief - the absence of discomfort, and positive changes in my body, my digestive system and overall health, which made it an easy decision live a gluten-free lifestyle for the rest of my life.

There are more than 300 symptoms of Celiac Disease, which varies among sufferers, and can show up in early childhood or later in life in adults. Diagnosis has bee problematic, and according to NFCA 95% of Celiacs have either been undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as having other conditions. This would be me. Check out the list of symptoms and if you think you might have Celiac Disease, take this short survey by the NFCA, their celiac disease symptoms checklist.

For more information about Celiac Disease visit National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Are you a Celiac? Having a hard time finding gluten-free foods in your area? Check out Gluten Free Mall and Your Gluten Free Source.