Diagnosing Celiac Disease

There are several methods of diagnosing Celiac Disease.

The original and most authoritative method is by small intestine biopsy. This is how the disease was first identified and "cured" in a clinical sense. The intestines contain finger-like attachments called villae that absorb the particles of food and moisture as they pass through the system. When the body is attacking wheat protein here in the intestines, these villae shrink and eventually flatten - depending on the severity of the reaction, the patient's diet, and how long ago the condition was triggered.

Once a patient stops eating wheat, rye, and barley, (or anything with trace gluten contamination) the villae will typically heal quickly. Within a few weeks or months, an individual with Celiac intolerance will no longer qualify for the diagnosis because their intestines will look like a normal person's!

Blood tests show the same effect. If someone is currently consuming gluten and currently having a negative reaction, they are thousand times more likely to show antibodies in a blood test. Blood tests produce some false negatives, so they are not as likely to be seen as authoritative.

Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disorder and as such it affects the entirety of the patient's body.

It begins in the digestive system, where the wheat protein comes into contact with various anti-bodies that the immune system mistakingly creates in order to combat the wheat protein.

Why is the body attacking wheat protein? We don't know. Some people speculate that it closely resembles several digestive virii - maybe the immune defenses get a little bit confused and end up being too careful.

Whatever the reason, the antibodies are deadly to invaders and body tissue a like.

The symptoms are extremely varied, and each person will react differently.

Many will just have low energy or generally low output. Maybe they get sick often and have a hard time recovering. These are common effects of untreated Celiac disease, but they are not the only ones.

Gluten-free isn't always bad advice - I say get tested

For every real cure there are going to be unscrupulous people who are willing to sell it for untested purposes.

Unfortunately for Celiacs, the gluten-free diet has been negatively associated to medical quackery for this very reason. Its probably got something to do with the near universality of Celiac Disease symptoms - anything you can name is a potential sign of a gluten intolerance. So no matter what ailment its recommended for, its not too far stretched from the truth.

The thing is, we have science. We have testing.

Don't buy a book from someone who says gluten-free changed their life, go down to the doctor and have some tests first. Different labs offer different methods, and you can google the choices yourself and ask your MD about it. Once you see elevated antibodies or something like that, THEN you'll want to learn more about the diet and find more gluten-free resources. If you jump into the diet without being tested, the tests won't be effective once you're gluten-free! Go ahead and do the testing up front, you won't regret it.

Maybe its not even related to gluten - in which case you'll be glad the doctor saw you.

Prices Up: Any Ideas?

I wrote about food prices and my favorite gluten-free food staple, the potato, but I also wonder about other good fresh foods that are still reasonably priced.

I eat a lot of beef, cheese, and green leafy vegetables so I've been noticing the sharp price increases at the grocery store. I read somewhere that wheat prices have doubled, so I have a small glimmer of hope that wheat will be less attractive as an additive in every single product you can imagine. Unfortunately, I fear alternative additives have increased as well - so wheat is probably here to stay for a while.

Any word? Any news? Any cheap sources of calories and vitamins I should know about..?

Fettucini Alfredo

Yeah, the rice pasta isn't that cheap. A jar of alfredo, a box of pasta, a piece of chicken and a half-bag of brocolli will end up costing about $7 and be good for about 48 hours worth of eating. (Probably because I have brownies and walnuts and raisings to snack on).

The meals are great but its reminding me that I don't cook with fresh vegetables often enough.

French Onion Soup!

A couple of days ago I was at Wal-Mart and I picked up some Progresso French Onion Soup. French Onion Soup is one of my long-time favorites that I haven't had since I went gluten-free, so I was incredibly excited to see that there was a wheat-free version at the grocery store. I was a little skeptical of the modified corn starch (easily cross-contaminated) but its been a few days and I haven't noticed the slightest symptom. I'm cooking another can right now, which will be combined with some beef and some provolone cheese.

And times like this remind me that being gluten free doesn't necessarily mean giving up the foods we love!