It is a condition that affects the digestive system whose manifestations occur after an intake of food containing gluten, a protein that is found in wheat, rye or barley. This is a condition that is genetic in origin which means it is usually seen in families. It is both a problem of immune response and absorption of nutrients, which makes the condition a complicated one.

When people who suffer from this condition eat something that has gluten, the body sends an immune reaction to the area where the protein is present, specifically the linings of the gastrointestinal tract. The influx of an immune response results in the destruction of villi, which are the small, finger-like projections found in the small intestines that absorbs the nutrients in food to the bloodstream, causing malnutrition.

The malabsorption of nutrients becomes manifested in vomiting, abdominal discomfort, stomach upset, weight loss or changes in bowel movements and stool characteristics, and later, different changes in the bodily functions become apparent due to exhaustion and lack of the supply of vitamins and minerals. Some examples of these long term problems include changes in brain functioning, sensation and reaction to stimuli due to vitamin B deficiency; increased bleeding, presence of mouth sores, and predisposition to infection with depleted vitamin C supply; or anemia, joint pain, numbness and tingling sensation on the extremities, and seizures as a result of mineral deficiency.

Aside from the nutritional deficiencies, some of the complications of this condition would be intolerance to lactose, increased risk for developing some types of cancers, and changes in bone strength and density.

Because of the changes that celiac disease does to the gastrointestinal mucosa, it is also known by the names celiac sprue, gluten sensitive enteropathy or nontropical sprue. The presence of this condition may also be activated for the first time or aggravated during situations such as invasive or surgical procedure, pregnancy and birth, severe emotional stress or even heavy infection.

At present, there is no treatment discovered for this disease yet because what causes damage in the villi is also the same ones that protects us from being overwhelmed with infection. However, a dietary modification which is a gluten free diet, is needed to manage the condition effectively since staying free from gluten in a matter of two to three days is already enough to facilitate the healing of the wounded intestinal mucosa, but this has to be continued even after the absence of symptoms.

Another thing that must be remembered is that celiac disease is a lifelong condition, and it can reappear again when triggered by food and the aforementioned situations. Hence, aside from managing the physical condition of the individual suffering from the condition, it is also necessary to help the patients and the family as well to cope with the presence of the condition.

However, most people react negatively to such notion of staying away from eating gluten rich foods; and think about what they can eat since their favorite breads, pasta and pizzas are not good to be eaten anymore. But what these people do not know is that there is actually a large variety of gluten free foods to select from.

There is no problem in eating fruits and vegetables since all kinds of them do not contain the protein gluten, and this also applies for meats, fish and shellfish. However, meat products such as luncheon meats, hams and hotdogs are usually free of gluten, but their labels must still be checked for the additives in them.

In terms of fats and food dressings, people suffering from gluten sensitivity can still enjoy vegetable salads since dressings and mayonnaise do not have gluten. Most plant based oils such canola, olive and corn oil are also gluten free.

There are certain cultures such as Asians and Mexicans that have a flair for condiments and other spices to add flavoring – and most of them are also safe to be eaten by those suffering from sprue. These include vinegar, catsup, horseradish, mustard, olives, pickles and relish, honey, maple syrup, jams and jellies.

People suffering from untoward reaction to taking gluten containing foods may fear that they would not be able to enjoy eating desserts and sweets. But the good news is that most of the baking supplies like sugar, pepper and salt, butter and margarine, milk that is both evaporated and condensed; corn meal, baking soda and powder, tapioca, chocolate and cocoa products; and additional ingredients in desserts such as nuts of all kinds of peanuts, cashew nuts, hazelnut, cashew and almonds; and refrigerated ingredients such as whipping and sour creams, ice cream, sherbets, waffles, cheese whether aged, cottage or cream; yogurt, gelatin, pudding and tofu are free from gluten. Recently, flour that is made gluten free has also been released in most supermarkets.

One of the problems faced by people who need to maintain a gluten free diet would be their daily breakfast and snacks since most people prefer to eat cereals made from wheat, barley or rye; breads made from the same plant grains and others may even be used with pasta meals. However, not all grains have gluten such as corn and rice, and these ones can be substituted for your routine snacks.

Some of these examples would be rice cakes or rice crackers, cereal made from ream of rice, puffed rice or corn, popcorn, cooked chickpeas, sunflower seeds, quinoa, buckwheat and flax. Other gluten free snacks include potato chips, jellies, chocolates, dried fruits, candies and cheese puffs.

The presence of gluten free foods has made the lives of people suffering from gluten related disorders easier, but keeping on looking for new and innovative ways to spice up these meals can make subscribing to such diet more tolerable.