Coeliac's Disease - A Brief Overview

Photos courtesy of www.coeliac.org.au

Coeliac’s Disease is the inability to breakdown and process the protein gluten, found in a variety of grains such as barley, rye, spelt and wheat. When gluten is ingested by a healthy person it travels along the digestive system like any other nutrient causing no problems. In a Coeliac, however, the body reacts abnormally attacking and inflaming the lining of the small intestine. Approximately 1 in 70 Australians live with Coeliac’s Disease but it is unknown how many more people live with the disease unknowingly.

Symptoms of Coeliac’s Disease include:

• ·         Nausea and/or Vomiting
• ·         Diarrhoea and/or Constipation
• ·         Abdominal Pain and/or Cramps
• ·         Bloating and/or Flatulence
• ·         Foul smelling stool
• ·         Fatigue, Weakness and/or Lethargy
• ·         Weight changes
• ·         Malnutrition

Whilst there is no cure for Coeliac’s Disease, it can be effectively managed by following a strict gluten free diet. A gluten free diet involves cutting out foods which contain gluten and substituting them with foods made from alternative products such as potatoes, maize and rice. Whilst many products such as meats, fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten free and do not need to be removed from a person’s diet, learning to read packaging and labels is crucial for a Coeliac as gluten is found in many processed foods. The gluten free diet will have to be adhered to for life and the re-introduction of gluten into a Coeliac’s system will result in the return of the disease’s symptoms.

More information on Coeliac's Disease can be found on-line but it is best to visit your GP for more information or for a personal valuation and assessment.

A.S.