Do you know your coeliac disease facts from the fiction?
Coeliac disease affects roughly 1% of the UK’s population, yet only 30% of sufferers are diagnosed. Without the proper treatment, coeliac disease can lead to severe health problems including osteoporosis, miscarriages and bowel cancer.
It is vital that you have an understanding of the disease and its symptoms and, if you or a member of your family is diagnosed, you know just what to look out for when buying food and other products.
To help you and your family stay happy and healthy, we take a look below at the many myths surrounding the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of coeliac disease and what truths are really behind the fiction.
FACT 1: Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease. If you suffer from coeliac disease, your immune system reacts to gluten when you eat it, attacking your small intestine. This prevents your body from absorbing the nutrients from food that it needs.
FACT 2: There’s no cure for coeliac disease. However, if you go on and stay on a gluten free diet then your symptoms will improve and should disappear over time.
FACT 3: Coeliac disease can develop at any age and is in fact more prevalent in adults aged between 40 and 60 years old.
FACT 4: Any amount of gluten can cause the sufferer’s immune system to attack. Even if the symptoms are mild, damage to the small intestine is being done. There are gluten free food products available. You can find a range of these foods in your local supermarkets or on a gluten free prescription.
FACT 5: Gluten in shampoo and cosmetics is not harmful unless it’s a product that’s easily ingested; such as lipstick and hand cream.
FACT 6: People with coeliac disease have a genetic predisposition to it and so coeliac disease may affect other members of your family. Test every 2-3 years as coeliac disease can occur at any age.
FACT 7: While ales, lagers and stouts are certainly unsafe for those with coeliac disease, spirits are safe to drink as all traces of gluten will have been removed during the distilling process.
FACT 8: A product which is wheat free may not be gluten free, likewise a product that is gluten free may not be wheat free. Wheat is a gluten frain, along with rya, barley, spelt, kamut and triticale. If you need to avoid gluten, you also need to avoid these grains.
FACT 9: Rice doesn’t naturally contain gluten. White, brown and basmati rice varieties are gluten free as long as they have not been contaminated. Always check the ingredients label to make sure additional flavourings don’t contain gluten.
FACT 10: There are lots of chocolates that do not contain wheat, or gluten, but do check the ingredients list. You can find lots of gluten free dessert recipes available to bake yourself too.
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