OUR EVER-increasing interest in the part nutrition has to play in health means that more people than ever before are aware that coeliac disease is a painful disorder affecting the gut.
But the illness, which is caused by an intolerance to gluten, can also lead to osteoporosis and infertility, especially if it is left undiagnosed.
However, coeliac is notoriously under-diagnosed. An estimated 750,000 people in the UK have the con
dition, but it is believed that one in 100 people are suffering from it unawares - putting their long-term health at risk.
WHAT IS COELIAC DISEASE?
Sufferers are allergic to gluten, found in wheat, barley and rye. When coeliacs consume gluten their body produces antibodies which attack and destroy large areas of the lining of the intestine, greatly reducing the gut’s ability to absorb nutrients from food - hence osteoporosis due to reduced absorption of calcium.
Most immediately, this can lead to weight loss, vomiting and diarrhoea. But, according to Norma McGough, who works for Coeliac UK, the resultant lack of nutrients prevents the body from protecting itself in other ways: "The damage to the gut can lead to gut cancer and because the immune system is also affected, the disease can cause problems such as diabetes. Also, as the hormonal system is upset, it can lead to infertility in men and women."
She is keen to point out that coeliac disease is more than just an allergy. "It’s a disease, it’s lifelong and it affects the whole body," she says.
WHY ARE SO FEW COELIACS DIAGNOSED?
Many sufferers treat the symptoms rather than the disease, meaning only an estimated one in three is correctly diagnosed. Some coeliacs are misdiagnosed with anaemia, depression or a simple food allergy, meaning the damage to their health goes on. People who suffer from the skin condition dermatitis herpetiformis, which causes itchy blistering of the skin around the knees, elbows, buttocks and back, almost always show evidence of gluten sensitivity on intestinal biopsy.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I’M WORRIED?
Ironically the disease is remarkably easy to diagnose. Firstly, three simple blood tests carried out by a GP can show whether gluten-produced antibodies are present. If they are then an endoscopy, a process in which a tube is passed through the mouth into the gut, can give a clear diagnosis. Once a sufferer has been diagnosed, a strict gluten-free diet is the only treatment. The gut damage is unlikely to heal completely, but significant improvements occur over the first two years or so of following a special diet.
SHOULD I JUST CHANGE MY DIET?
"Never change your diet until you have a clear diagnosis," urges McGough. "If non- diagnosed coeliacs stop eating gluten they will feel better but you then can’t diagnose it. This means that the problems which may have already been caused by the gluten, such as osteoporosis and anaemia, will not be dealt with."
HOW EASY IS A GLUTEN-FREE DIET?
Many supermarkets now stock their own range of gluten-free breads, biscuits, sauces.
For more information contact the Coeliac UK helpline on 0870 444 8804 or visit www.coeliac.co.uk
