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Celiac Disease is also known as "celiac sprue" or "coeliac disease". It is a genetically influenced condition that results from eating gluten. Researchers have known over fifty years that Celiac Disease causes the inside lining of the small intestine (intestinal mucosa) to become chronically damaged by gluten protein and its interaction with the immune system. There is no cure for Celiac Disease at this time but damage can be often be reversed by the elimination of gluten in the diet.
Without eating gluten-free, untreated Celiac Disease is believed to be the cause of many cancers, autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases, chronic pain syndromes, psychiatric and other brain disorders, and premature death. There has been linkage of Celiac Disease to osteoporosis, epilepsy, attention deficit disorder and other learning disorders, infertility, miscarriage, premature births, chronic liver disease, and short stature.
Because of the misconception that people with Celiac Disease are underweight, Celiac Disease is often undiagnosed in people who are overweight, or even normal weight. Researchers believe only 1 out of 40 Americans with Celiac Disease are currently diagnosed.