What Is The Cause Of Celiac Disease?

What is the cause of Celiac disease became a concern when one of our sons was diagnosed with it.

Another reason this topic is important to us is that we also have a type 1 diabetic grandson.

What does that have to do with it?

It seems that people with one auto-immune disease such as type 1 diabetes (T1D) have a higher chance of developing a second one…

… and…

… celiac is a common one.

Having a family member diagnosed with each of these has created some unique challenges when cooking family dinners.

So for those reasons let’s learn about celiac disease.

What causes it?

Is there a cure?

What are the treatments?

How is it linked to diabetes?

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac is a serious long-term auto-immune disease where the ingestion of gluten causes damage within the small intestine.

Celiac disease affects approximately 1 in 100 people worldwide.

An estimated 2 1/2 million Americans are undiagnosed and at risk for long-term health complications.

When people who have celiac disease eat gluten, their body attacks the small intestine. When this damage occurs it affects the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.

Celiac disease is hereditary, meaning that it can be passed down through a first-degree relative (parent, child, sibling).

We are a blended family, and our son inherited the celiac disease from his bio father, in fact, most of that side of the family has it.

With that kind of family medical history, it was no great surprise when he was diagnosed with it.

What causes celiac disease?

Most of us are well aware that our immune system is designed to protect our bodies from foreign invaders such as bacteria or viruses.

When people who have celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune systems attack the lining of the small intestine.

This causes inflammation and swelling in the intestines which damages the villi. Villi are small finger-like projections that line the small intestine and it is their job to absorb the nutrients from food.

When the villi are damaged, a person can’t effectively absorb nutrients and has a high probability of becoming malnourished, regardless of how much they eat.

Celiac disease can develop at any age although most are diagnosed between the ages of 40 -60.

Our son was only 30 when he was diagnosed just a couple of years ago.

Symptoms of celiac disease

The symptoms of celiac disease can vary among sufferers and may include:

• No symptoms (can be the case with some family members of celiac patients)
• Digestive issues (abdominal bloating, gas, pain, constipation, diarrhea, pale stools and weight loss)
• Dermatitis herpetiformis (severe blistering skin rash) and mouth sores (aphthous ulcers)
• Unexplained anemia (low blood count) or hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
• Musculoskeletal problems (muscle cramps, joint and bone pain) and damage to dental enamel
• Failure to thrive in children (due to malnutrition)
• Tingling in legs (due to nerve damage and low calcium)
• Depression

Diagnosis

Doctors can frequently make a diagnosis after considering family history, as well as ordering blood tests, genetic tests and biopsies.

They will check for the presence of certain antibodies common in people who have celiac disease.

If some tests indicate celiac disease, the doctor may perform an intestinal biopsy.

They would perform several of these to increase the accuracy of the findings.

It is important for doctors to confirm the diagnosis because celiac disease often shares symptoms with other conditions such as:

• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Crohn’s disease of the small intestine
• lactose intolerance
• gluten intolerance
• small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
• pancreatic insufficiency

Celiac disease is chronic, there is no cure and requires continuous, regular follow-up with your primary care physician.

Other conditions that can accompany celiac disease

People with celiac disease often  develop other health problems which can include:

• Malnutrition
• Osteoporosis ( a skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass and bone fragility)
• Infertility
• Cancer of the intestine (very rare)

While Celiac does not cause them, there is also an increased risk of developing other auto-immune diseases including:

• Thyroid disease or liver disease
• Type 1 diabetes
• Lupus
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sjogren’s syndrome (affects the body’s moisture-producing glands)
• auto-immune liver disorders
• no symptoms

Dietary Changes

Once diagnosed, celiac patients are recommended to follow a strict gluten-free diet for life.

A gluten-free diet can be challenging and your doctor will likely refer you to a dietician for help identifying all sources of gluten.

Many products can contain hidden gluten such as toothpaste and many other processed products.

So now that we know we have to eliminate gluten we need to understand…

What is gluten?

Gluten is a general term used to describe the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and some other grains.

Gluten helps foods maintain their shape acting as a glue.

It can be found in many types of foods even ones you would never suspect, this makes it imperative to always check labels before purchasing and consuming food.

What should celiac patients eat?

There are plenty of food choices that do not contain gluten such as:

• meat and fish
• fruits and vegetables
• some grains such as rice, amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat
• cereals such as corn, millet, sorghum, and heff
• pasta, bread, baked goods and other products that are labelled gluten-free

According to Beyond Celiac, some varieties of cheese that are usually gluten-free include:

• brie
• Cheddar
• Swiss
• Parmesan
• provolone
• feta
• goat
• ricotta

Always read labels for making a purchase.

You can eliminate gluten in many favourite family recipes by substituting ingredients and altering cooking times and sometimes temperatures.

Gluten-free recipes

I sent my son gluten-free peanut butter cookies at Christmas time and he loved them.

In fact, when I baked them, my husband smelled the baking and ate a couple of cookies. He had no idea they were gluten-free and was quite surprised when I told him.

I am a big fan of foil-wrapped dinners, in winter I pop them in the oven and throughout the summer I cook them on the grill, especially when we are out on the boat.

I will share some of our favourite recipes to help you get started.

TIP:

• When I make the foil packs I make 1 per person and usually serve it with a fresh garden salad.
• Sometimes I bake the cookies with white and brown Stevia sugar replacement when I want a low carb, zero sugar snack for my type 1 diabetic grandson. I use a 1 to 1 replacement and it works out well.

Fajita Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast                                  3 Tbsp salsa

1/2 red pepper, sliced                          1 Tbsp Mexican cheese blend

1/2 yellow pepper, sliced                     1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 red onion, sliced                            salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Fold foil in half then open up
3. Thinly slice peppers and onion and lay them on one half of the foil
4. Drizzle on oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper
5. Lay chicken on peppers, season with salt & pepper and spoon on salsa, then top with cheese
6. Fold foil over and seal
7. Bake 25 – 30 minutes

Make 1 foil pack per person.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast                           2 Tbsp butter

1/2 zucchini, sliced                       2 Tbsp parmesan

1 clove garlic, minced                   salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Fold foil in half then open up
3. Slice zucchini into rounds and lay on one half of the foil
4. Mix garlic and butter, spoon half over zucchini
5. Sprinkle with salt & pepper
6. Lay chicken on zucchini, season with salt & pepper. Spoon rest of garlic and butter over chicken and top with parmesan
7. Seal and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
   
   

Gluten-free peanut butter cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour blend                     1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 tsp baking powder                                     1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda                                         1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 tsp salt                                                       1 egg, well-beaten

1/2 cup butter, softened

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and place rack in center of oven.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar gradually creaming after each addition until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
5. Add the flour mixture gradually beating after each addition until smooth.
6. Drop mixture 1 tsp at a time 2″ apart onto greased cookie sheet. Dip fork in gluten-free flour and press cookies criss-cross,
7. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until cookies are just set and the edges are just barely beginning to brown. Don’t overtake or they won’t be chewy.

 

Final thoughts

Thanks to my son Jon, I now have a better understanding of what is the cause of celiac disease.

We have learned that it is an auto-immune disease.

Celiac disease has no cure and is chronic requiring continuous follow-up care with your physician.

You will need to work with a dietician to learn how to follow a strict gluten-free diet for life.

There are still plenty of flavourful recipes you can enjoy and even baked treats made with some alterations.

Always read labels as a lot of products contain hidden gluten, even toothpaste.

Having celiac disease means you are at a higher risk of developing other auto-immune disorders.

I have shared some of our favourite recipes that we all enjoy.

Do you know anyone living with celiac disease?

Do you have favourite food tips you would like to share?

Leave your suggestions in the comment section below.

I am not in any way a medical practitioner, please do not rely on the information on our website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or another healthcare provider. We only share our experiences. We are affiliates, this means that if you purchase something from a link or ad on this site we may receive a small commission. This in no way affects the price you pay.