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Fresh bread, pasta, pastries… These foods are part of everyday life for many people. However, for people with celiac disease, consuming gluten triggers an immune reaction that can damage the intestines. Much more than a simple food intolerance, this chronic disease requires appropriate management. But what is celiac disease, how can it be recognized, and how can people learn to live with it?
What Is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system reacts to gluten, a protein found in certain grains. In genetically predisposed individuals, consuming gluten triggers a reaction that damages the villi of the small intestine. These tiny, finger-like structures allow nutrients from food to be absorbed. When they are damaged, the absorption of certain nutrients can become inadequate.
The disease can develop at any age, in both children and adults. It affects approximately 1% of the population, but many people are unaware that they have it.
What Are the Symptoms and Complications?
Celiac disease does not present the same way in everyone. Some people experience digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or nausea. Others primarily experience persistent fatigue, develop anemia related to iron deficiency, lose weight, experience bone problems, or suffer from joint pain.
If left untreated, the disease can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, reduced bone density, fertility problems, and, in rare cases, certain cancers. This is why it is important to consult a healthcare professional if celiac disease is suspected.
How Is It Diagnosed?
Diagnosis generally begins with a blood test that looks for antibodies produced by the immune system in response to gluten, particularly IgA tissue transglutaminase antibodies. If the results are positive, a gastroscopy with biopsies of the small intestine is then performed to examine the intestinal lining and determine whether the villi have been damaged.
One essential point: you must continue consuming gluten before undergoing testing. When someone eliminates gluten from their diet, the tests may produce false-negative results.
Where Is Gluten Found?
Gluten is naturally present in the following grains: wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. It is therefore found in many foods, including bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, cookies, cakes, and various baked goods. It may also be present in certain processed foods, sauces, seasonings, and commercially prepared products.
Fortunately, many foods are naturally gluten-free, including fruits, vegetables, eggs, unprocessed meat and fish, legumes, nuts, rice, corn, quinoa, and potatoes, among others.
What Is the Treatment?
At present, the only recognized treatment for celiac disease is following a strict gluten-free diet for life. Even a small amount can sustain the immune reaction.
This means choosing the right foods, carefully reading labels, and preventing cross-contamination, for example, by avoiding bread crumbs in butter or wheat flour on food preparation surfaces. Once gluten is eliminated, most people with celiac disease see their health improve and may even experience a complete recovery.
How Can a Nutritionist Help?
Receiving a diagnosis of celiac disease can raise many questions: What should you eat every day? How should you grocery shop? What should you choose at a restaurant? How can you avoid cross-contamination without unnecessarily complicating meals?
A nutritionist supports individuals as they learn to navigate these challenges. They help identify sources of gluten, understand food labeling, and plan balanced meals. They can also suggest solutions tailored to each person’s budget, eating habits, social life, and preferences.
Finally, they help make a gluten-free diet simpler, more varied, and more enjoyable, while promoting a healthy relationship with food.
Need Advice Tailored to Your Needs?
Are you recovering from an injury, living with chronic pain, or looking to optimize your diet to better support your training?
The registered dietitians at Kinatex can help you adopt eating habits suited to your needs and goals.
A personalized approach, without miracle diets, grounded in science and, above all, practical for everyday life.
Book an appointment to discover how nutrition can become an ally in your health and recovery.
Written by: Christine Desjardins, Dt.P., M.Sc., nutritionist from the Tactic Nutrition Team
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