Celiac Disease is a genetic disorder affecting children and adults.  People with celiac disease are unable to eat foods that contain gluten, which is found in barley, oat, rye, wheat and other grains.  In people with Celiac Disease, gluten sets off an autoimmune reaction that causes the destruction of the villi in the small intestine.  Celiac sufferers produce antibodies that attack the intestine, causing damage and illness. Click here to see some of the published research.

    Symptoms of Celiac Disease include diarrhea, failure to thrive, abdominal pain, chronic fatigue, weakness, malnutrition, weight gain & bloating, and various gastrointestinal problems.  In children, the symptoms may include failure to thrive (an inability to grow and put on weight), irritability, an inability to concentrate, diarrhea and bloating.  Further, people affected by Celiac Disease may experience extra intestinal symptoms that involve many systems and organs including bones (osteoporosis, arthritis and joint pain), blood (anemia and bleeding), reproductive system (infertility and reoccurring abortion), nervous system (chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, dementia) and behavioral changes.

    According to a new study by the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research in Baltimore, nearly one out of every 150 Americans suffer from celiac disease.  The research indicates that Celiac Disease is twice as common as Crohn’s disease, ulceric colitis and cystic fibrosis combined.  Click here to see the prevalence of Celiac Disease around the world.

    At one time, a biopsy of the intestine (before beginning a gluten free diet) was the only way to determine if someone had Celiac Disease, but now a simple blood test known as the cdSCAN IgA/IgG/IgM Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) Autoantibody Rapid Test Kit, which DOES NOT require a blood sample to be sent to the laboratory, is available to screen for the presence of specific antibodies present in 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, weight gain & bloating, pancreatic disease, internal hemorrhaging, organ disorders (gall bladder, liver and spleen), diabetes, a failure to thrive and gynecological disorders.  Untreated Celiac Disease has also been linked an increased risk of certain types of cancer, especially intestinal lymphoma. 

    There are no drugs to treat Celiac Disease and there is no cure.  But Celiacs can lead normal, healthy lives by following a gluten-free diet.  This means avoiding all products derived from wheat, rye, barley, oats, and a few other lesser-known grains.  The first, and most important, thing to do is find out whether or not you have Celiac Disease.  If you are known to be gluten sensitivity or you experience any of the previously listed ill-health conditions, the  cdSCAN IgA/IgG/IgM Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) Autoantibody Rapid Test Kit can easily determine if you have Celiac Disease.