What do you call a gluten free joke?
Corny.
This post is not directly related to any assignments for the Product Design class; Creativity, Idea Generation, and Innovation, however I discuss Celiac Disease quite often in the posts that are assigned for the class so I’m taking the time to explain what it is.
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. When people with celiac disease eat gluten their body’s immune system attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small finger-like projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body. There is no cure for celiac disease and it is a chronic condition. Doctors are unsure of why people get Celiac, however it is known to be a genetic trait. People with a first-degree relative with celiac disease (parent, child, sibling) have a 1 in 10 risk of developing celiac disease. It occurs in 1 in 100 people around the world.
What is Gluten?
A protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Since gluten is a protien found in wheat, barley, and rye, it is incorrect to say something is “wheat free” if you are trying to imply that there is no gluten in the product.
Natalie
Natalie is my incredible little sister whom I adore and spoil like crazy. She was diagnosed with celiac disease December 5th, 2013, when she was 15 years old. I remember when she found out, Natalie spent the majority of the next few days balling as she realized she would never be able to eat anything with gluten in it. Some of you might be asking yourself “how bad could it really be?” You would think it could be as simple as not eating bread however, when you find out that even trivial things like toothpaste and envelopes have gluten in them, you realize how life changing this disease can be.
It has been almost two years since Natalie received her diagnosis and she is finally getting a hang of her disease. She is no longer constantly sick and in pain. In a way it is kind of fun to figure out how to make something gluten free and taste like the original! In recent years there have been more gluten free alternatives which only gives me hope that soon celiac disease won’t be some strange anomaly, but rather something everyone is aware of.
Health Effects Associated with Celiac Disease
Long Term Health Effects
Celiac disease can develop at any age after people start eating foods or medicines that contain gluten. Any of the following can be a result of having celiac disease and are more likely to occur if someone has celiac disease.
- Type I diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Short stature
- Anemia
- Osteoporosis
- Infertility and miscarriage
- Neurological conditions like epilepsy and migraines
- Intestinal cancers.
Long Term Effects if Undiagnosed or Untreated
If untreated, any of the following can happen to an individual.
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Early onset osteoporosis or osteopenia
- Infertility and miscarriage
- Lactose intolerance
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Central and peripheral nervous system disorders
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Intestinal lymphomas and other GI cancers (malignancies)
- Gall bladder malfunction
- Neurological manifestations, including ataxia, epileptic seizures, dementia, migraine, neuropathy, myopathy and multifocal leucoencephalopathy
