On this page: - What is celiac disease? - What are the symptoms
of celiac disease? - Why are celiac disease symptoms so varied?
- What other health problems do people with celiac disease have?
- How common is celiac disease? - How is celiac disease
diagnosed? - How is celiac disease treated? - The Gluten-free
Diet: Some Examples - Points to Remember - Hope through Research
- For More Information What is celiac disease? Celiac disease is
a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and
interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who
have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat,
rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be
found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip
balms. When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products
containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging or
destroying villi—the tiny, fingerlike protrusions lining the
small intestine. Villi normally allow nutrients from food to be
absorbed through t