Celiac disease (CD) is not an allergy. It is an autoimmune disease that causes an immune reaction to ingesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.

Over time, the immune reaction to eating gluten creates inflammation that damages the small intestine’s lining. You may hear the phrase damaged, or blunt, villi which are tiny projections in the small intestine whose function is to absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from the food you eat. If you have celiac disease, there will be malabsorption of some nutrients, which leads to health complications.

Another common ailment is Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS), or intestinal permeability. LGS creates gaps in the intestinal walls that allow harmful bacteria and toxic substances to escape into the bloodstream. This also causes similar symptoms to CD, and can make you feel very sick. To improve Leaky Gut, the first step is to heal your gut by avoiding inflammatory foods, like gluten. Getting a food allergy and/ or food intolerance test will help you know what other foods to avoid.

It is so important to be properly diagnosed with celiac disease as the damage can be detrimental to your health. It is a simple blood test to identify celiac markers. Please ask your physician for a test if you have any symptoms!