What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. What does this mean?
Celiac disease is triggered by consumption of the protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye.
When people with Celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the fingerlike villi of the small intestine. When the villi become damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to malnourishment.
Celiac disease is also known as Celiac Sprue, Nontropical Sprue, and Gluten-Sensitive Enteropathy.
Researchers have determined that Celiac disease is a genetic condition, meaning that it is inherited. In some cases, Celiac becomes active or is triggered by events such as surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.
Roughly one out of about every 100 Americans has Celiac disease, but 97 per cent remain undiagnosed. This means that almost three million Americans have celiac disease and only about 100,000 have been diagnosed.
Left untreated, people with Celiac disease can develop further complications such as other autoimmune diseases, Osteoporosis, Thyroid disease, and Cancer.
Namaste Foods is actively involved in and routinely donates to groups and organizations such as CSA (Celiac Sprue Association), GIG (Gluten Intolerance Group), GIG Kid's Summer Camps, FAAN (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network), AFAA (Anaphylaxis & Food Allergy Association), FACES (Food Allergic Children Education & Support), R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Celiac Kids), NFCA (National Foundation for Celiac Awareness), TACA (Talk About Curing Autism), local support groups and many more. We appreciate the opportunity to be involved with these groups in raising awareness of disease and food allergy problems and helping those with food allergies and sensitivities to enjoy a healthy allergen-free lifestyle. If you know of an organization or local support group that has been helpful to you, please let us know about them at admin@namastefoods.com. There may be something we can do to help support that organization.
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