1.Celiac
disease is a chronic autoimmune disease, which means that you cannot “grow
out” of it.
2.1
in 100 people worldwide have celiac disease.
3.Celiac
disease affects an estimated three million Americans.
4.80%
of Americans with celiac disease are not diagnosed and are needlessly
suffering.
5.People
with a first degree relative with celiac disease have a 1 in 10 chance of
developing celiac disease themselves.
6.More
children have celiac disease than Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis, and Cystic
Fibrosis combined.
7.Celiac
disease can affect every organ in your body.
8.Lifelong
adherence to the gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease.
9.Approximately
20% of people with celiac disease do not respond to the gluten-free diet.
10.There
is an average delay of 6-10 years for an accurate celiac disease diagnosis.
11.Without
a timely diagnosis, celiac disease can lead to intestinal cancers, type 1
diabetes, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, multiple sclerosis, anemia,
infertility and miscarriage, epilepsy, and more.
12.There
are over 300 symptoms associated with celiac disease.
13.Approximately
20% of people with celiac disease are asymptomatic, meaning they don’t
experience any external symptoms at all. However, everyone with celiac disease
is still at risk for long-term complications.
14.Celiac
disease can develop at any age after people start eating foods or medications
that contain gluten.
15.The
later the age of celiac disease diagnosis, the greater the chance of developing
another autoimmune disorder.
16.There
are two steps to being diagnosed with celiac disease: the blood test and the
endoscopy.
17.People
with celiac disease have an increased incidence of microscopic colitis and
inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis).
18.People
with celiac disease may have lactose and/or fructose intolerance, both of which
can be diagnosed by a hydrogen breadth test.
19. People
recently diagnosed with celiac disease are commonly deficient in fiber, iron,
calcium, magnesium, zinc, folate, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and vitamin
D.
20.Any
food product that is labeled “gluten-free” cannot contain more than 20 parts
per million of gluten, which is the safe threshold of gluten consumption for
people with celiac disease.
