Celiac Disease (CD) is a lifelong digestive disorder, found in individuals who are genetically susceptible, that results in damage to the small intestine by interfering with the absorption of nutrients. Celiac Disease is unique in that a specific food component, gluten, has been identified as the culprit. Gluten is the common name for the offending proteins in specific cereal grains that are harmful to persons with CD.

A. No. These patients are usually instructed not ingest wheat or gluten. There is no wheat, or gluten in this product. Furthermore, this product is lactose-free. There is no reason to believe that that this product would be detrimental in patients with Celiac Sprue.

A. No. These patients are usually instructed not ingest wheat or gluten. There is no wheat, or gluten found naturally in bioactive whey protein. Furthermore, at least one brand of bioactive whey protein (from a Canadian manufacturer) is lactose-free. There is no reason to believe that that bioactive whey protein would be detrimental in patients with Celiac Sprue.

Originally considered a rare disease of childhood, celiac disease is now recognized as a common condition that may be diagnosed at any age. Recent studies have revealed an estimated average worldwide prevalence of 1 in 266 and a prevalence of 1 in 133 in the United States. This establishes celiac disease as one of the most common genetically based diseases that physicians will encounter. Because of lack of awareness, celiac disease is still vastly under diagnosed in the U.S.

The vast majority of individuals with celiac disease have little in the way of gastrointestinal symptoms or have symptoms that may receive a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome. While the classical symptoms include diarrhea, weight loss and edema, other patients may present with constipation, anemia, bone pain or bone loss, chronic fatigue, skin problems, abnormal liver chemistries, dental enamel defects and neurological symptoms such as peripheral neuropathy, ataxia or seizures.

The gold standard for diagnosis is the small intestinal biopsy, done during a procedure called endoscopy. The diagnosis is based on finding a series of abnormalities in an intestinal biopsy (increased inflammation and villous atrophy) that return toward normal on a gluten-free diet. As a follow up biopsy is not always necessary or performed, the combination of an abnormal biopsy and improvement of symptoms after gluten is eliminated from the diet is enough to establish the diagnosis.

There is currently no treatment for celiac disease apart from a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet. A number of studies are underway at Columbia University and other research centers examining the mechanisms by which gluten causes damage to the intestine. It is only through research into the way that the immune system causes the intestinal damage that innovative therapies, apart from a gluten-free diet, will be devised.

Celiac support groups can provide essential information and support for individuals as they learn how to navigate the maze of eating, shopping for and living gluten-free while trying to maintain a normal lifestyle. Locate a support group in your area by contacting national celiac disease organizations or checking listings on the internet. There are also internet discussion groups, mailing lists, and forums that focus on celiac disease.

Untreated celiac disease can be life-threatening. Celiacs are more likely to be afflicted with problems relating to malabsorption, including osteoporosis, tooth enamel defects, central and peripheral nervous system disease, pancreatic disease, internal hemorrhaging, organ disorders (gall bladder, liver, and spleen), and gynecological disorders (like amenorrhea and spontaneous abortions). Fertility may also be affected.

There is no prescriptive drug celiacs can take to effect a cure. In fact, there is no cure, though there is every opportunity for celiacs to lead normal, healthy lives by following a diet that contains no gluten. This means avoiding all products derived from wheat, rye, barley, oats, and a few other lesser-known grains.

Of the many immune related disorders linked with the celiac condition, the best established connection is with Type I diabetes (mellitus). Type I diabetes occurs at a rate of about 0.5% in the general population, but at a rate estimated at 5-10% among celiacs. Normally the diabetes is diagnosed first, both because this form of diabetes tends to strike early in life and its diagnosis is certain.

Gluten sensitivity implies that a person's immune system is intolerant of gluten in the diet and is forming antibodies or displaying some other evidence of an inflammatory reaction. When these reactions cause small intestinal damage visible on a biopsy, the syndrome has been called celiac sprue, celiac disease, or gluten sensitive enteropathy. (Nontropical sprue and idiopathic steatorrhea are other terms that have been used for this disorder in the past.

The immune reaction to gluten is gluten sensitivity. Testing for the presence of an antibody produced against gluten is the diagnostic hallmark of gluten sensitivity (for years in the blood, and now more sensitively detected in stool with our testing). Although the immune reaction to gluten, i.e.

Gene tests for gluten sensitivity, and other immune reactions are HLA (human leukocyte antigen), specifically HLA-DQ, and even more specifically, HLA-DQB1. The nomenclature for reporting HLA gene results has evolved over the last two decades as technology has advanced.

People with celiac disease experience marked intestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and gas upon the consumption of foods that contain gluten, such as products made from wheat, oats, rye, and barley. Upon the elimination of gluten-containing foods, the symptoms disappear. Some people with IBS may experience an aggravation of symptoms with the consumption of similar wheat-related products and eliminating these products can help alleviate symptoms.