Celiac is an autoimmune disease in which the small intestine lining is damaged. Gluten - a type of protein found in some cereals such as wheat, barley, and rye, and we usually eat them in the diet plan - stimulates the body's immune cells. Resulting in immune cells attacking gluten for destruction; it also damages the surrounding tissues, including the small intestine. (1)
There is currently no cure for celiac. One must limit the dietary intake and eliminate gluten from the celiac diet plan. (2) Even minimal amounts of gluten in the celiac disease diet can have a detrimental effect on intestinal tissue, even if you do not see apparent signs, but it can have side effects.
celiac disease diet is a relatively hard diet. Still, we are here to help you change your diet and get rid of celiac problems.
Celiac will have fewer side effects if diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. (3)
Celiac is an autoimmune disease, and people with celiac should avoid gluten and gluten containing foods in their diet plan. The only cure for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet.
Symptoms of celiac disease may vary from person to person, but the most common symptoms that a celiac patient experiences when consuming gluten in their diet include (3):
♦ diarrhea
♦ vomiting
♦ bloating and gastritis
♦ constipation
♦ feeling exhausted
♦ anemia
♦ weight loss
♦ mouth ulcers
If a patient does not follow a celiac disease diet, that causes more severe problems, such as being away from communities and depression, infertility, malnutrition, etc. (4)
If you eat gluten containing foods, some symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, constipation, weight loss, anemia, etc., may appear in you. So you need to remove some foods from the celiac diet plan to prevent symptoms.
The best treatment for celiac is to have a diet plan for celiac. Since no definitive cure for celiac has yet been found, the best way to control it is to use a gluten free diet for celiac disease, which is named the celiac disease diet plan. (5)
How long you recover from eliminating gluten from your diet plan varies from person to person; some people recover immediately after removing gluten from their diet. In contrast, others may be sick for weeks. Your recovery time depends on the small intestinal tissues repair speed.
If you still have symptoms of celiac after using a gluten free diet, you should see your doctor for further examination about other gastrointestinal disorders like IBS, lactose intolerance, etc.
Therefore, eliminating gluten from the celiac disease diet can prevent the immune system from attacking gluten in the intestines.
The best and only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten free diet for celiac disease. After avoiding gluten in your diet, it takes time a few days to several weeks to recover and heal.
The best diet for celiac disease is a gluten free diet. To control the side effects of celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you should avoid gluten containing foods in the celiac disease diet. Below is a list of gluten containing foods to avoid them:
♦ wheat and all foods made from wheat and wheat flour.
♦ barley
♦ triticale
♦ malt and its compounds
♦ brewer's yeast
Of course, you should be aware that these compounds may be used in many other foods, so you should avoid foods with the above ingredients, like the below list:
♦ beer
♦ wheat bread
♦ pasta
♦ cookies, biscuits, cakes
♦ breakfast cereal
♦ sausages and hot dogs
♦ some sauces like ketchup
♦ chocolate milk
In some cases, even a minimal amount of gluten, like the gluten in the toothpaste, lipstick, medications, supplements, etc. can trigger the immune system. So when buying food, be sure to read the label and its contents to be sure it is gluten free. (6, 7)
All forms of rice are gluten free, making them an excellent option for people sensitive to or allergic to gluten.
It's possible that some rice dishes contain gluten if they're made with gluten containing ingredients.
Rice can be cross-contaminated with gluten if grown, harvested, or processed near wheat, barley, or rye. Cross-contact with gluten containing grains can easily occur in the bulk bins when shoppers use the same scoop to scoop both rice and gluten containing grains. The problem may also occur with other gluten free grains.
In the celiac diet plan, you should avoid wheat, barley, triticale, malt, brewer's yeast, and all foods and compounds which contain these ingredients. Also, care about hidden gluten in toothpaste, lipstick, etc.
Even small amounts of gluten in the celiac disease diet plan can trigger the symptoms of the disease. So these patients should be cautious about their food and anything they eat.
If you want to buy gluten-free foods from restaurants or eating out gluten free, be sure to tell them to fry or cook your food in separate oil; cooking with other foods can combine gluten with your food and make your symptoms worse.
Also, when you are buying food from a restaurant, the food ingredients are very important. Be sure to tell them about your condition and that you follow a celiac disease diet, and do not include gluten-containing foods in your plate.
In addition, some restaurants cook food for celiac patients; you can enjoy your food from these restaurants without worry.
If you want to eat out gluten free package foods, just read the label to ensure that it is suitable for you.
When you go to a restaurant, be sure to tell them about your condition and tell them do not to include gluten in your plate.
Gluten is a major ingredient in the pharmaceutical industry that causes drug compounds to stick together. Therefore, many medications may contain gluten. (8)
So people with celiac disease may also have problems with taking medications and supplements.
Because some medications' ingredients are unknown and do not have a gluten-free label, if you are experiencing celiac symptoms while taking certain medications, call your doctor and ask whether to take them or not.
Before taking any kind of medicine, talk with the pharmacist to be sure that is gluten-free.
One of the most common complications of celiac is a lack of nutrients in their diet plan. The severity of the disease and how much of the intestine is affected by celiac affect the absorption of nutrients.
People with celiac are often deficient in specific vitamins and minerals. Vitamin B12, iron, vitamin D, and calcium are among the most common nutritional deficiencies in celiac patients. Zinc and folic acid deficiency are also seen in some patients. So we should add vitamins and minerals sources to the celiac disease diet. (9)
One of the symptoms of celiac disease is mild iron deficiency. Iron malabsorption in celiac patients leads to iron deficiency anemia in these people. In this case, adding iron sources like red meat, turkey, liver, fortified foods, beans, lentils, etc., to the diet plan can help prevent anemia. (10)
In severe cases of celiac disease, the patient may also have difficulty absorbing macronutrients. One of the digestive problems in severe celiac disease cases is fat malabsorption, which causes fatty diarrhea. In these cases, the person loses weight due to reduced calorie intake and subsequently becomes malnourished. These patients should add MCTs to their diet plan.
If you have severe malnutrition, you have to take supplements to prevent nutrition deficiency.
People with celiac disease are often deficient in specific vitamins and minerals include vitamin B12, iron, vitamin D and calcium. It's better to talk with your physician or dietitian to prescribe a suitable supplement for you.
Since many foods contain gluten, you may be wondering what foods you can eat in the celiac disease diet?
You can use the below gluten free foods for celiac disease without worrying about gluten.
♦ fruits and vegetable
♦ beans and lentils
♦ dairy products (read the label on it so that no gluten is added to it)
♦ nuts and seeds
♦ eggs
♦ red meat and fish
♦ poultry
♦ black wheat
♦ corn
♦ rice
♦ millet
♦ potato flour
♦ quinoa
♦ flaxseed
♦ soy
As you see, there are many celiac disease foods to eat.
To help prevent nutritional deficiencies, dietitians recommend using micronutrient-rich sources in the celiac diet plan.
Here are the sources of vitamins and minerals that are usually deficient in celiac patients:
♦ Iron: red meat (do not use processed red meats such as sausages or hot dogs), turkey, spinach, white beans, lentils, tofu, peas and cashews.
♦ Vitamin D: juices and dairy products fortified with vitamin D, sardines, salmon and eggs.
♦ Calcium: low-fat dairy, salmon, sardines, cabbage, tofu, calcium-fortified orange juice and figs.
♦ B vitamins: sunflower seeds, beans, lentils, spinach, mushrooms, chicken, broccoli and asparagus.
♦ Zink: red meat, poultry and cashews.
If you have celiac, you should consider food sources of iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, and B-complex vitamins in your diet plan.
As a ketogenic diet restricts all grains, it may be a natural transition for someone who has been eating gluten-free.
As a result of ketosis, you may lose weight, have more energy, and have fewer cravings. The keto diet may also help treat chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.
However, the keto diet is not necessarily gluten-free. Having a nibble of cereal won't cause you to exit ketosis. Unfortunately, that bite contains enough gluten to cause problems for those with celiac disease, wheat allergies, and gluten sensitivities.
There is still the possibility of gluten being present in Keto-friendly soups, sauces, stocks, processed meats, alcohol, and dressings. Therefore, you have to keep an eye out for them as well.
If you want to start a gluten-free keto diet, you must follow the rules of keto and avoid gluten like telemarketers. Avoid gluten containing grains and read food labels.
♦ Celiac disease's primary treatment is a gluten free diet for celiac disease, and currently, there is no medication to 100% treat this disease.
♦ Medication in a celiac patient is prescribed only for patients with severe conditions to reduce the disease's symptoms, and it is a temporary treatment.
♦ The recovery period for celiac with a gluten-free diet can last from a few weeks to several months.
♦ If celiac is left untreated, it could lead to severe illnesses such as bowel cancer.
♦ Instead of wheat flour, use rice flour, corn flour, and potato flour.
♦ There is nothing wrong with eating beans in the celiac disease diet, and you can eat them safely.
♦ Eat dairy products, especially prebiotic dairy products, in your celiac diet plan. But make sure they do not contain additives.
♦ If a patient with celiac disease has diarrhea, stop consuming milk in the diet and use alternatives.
♦ Fruits and vegetables are free to eat in the celiac disease diet. You can use them in sufficient quantities according to a dietitian's advice.
♦ Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation and improve the symptoms of celiac disease. You can use omega-3 sources such as olives, avocados, walnuts, and fatty fish in the celiac disease diet.
♦ Note that some drugs also contain gluten in their composition, so you should not take any drug without your doctor's consultation.
♦ Due to the disease, you may suffer from some nutrient deficiencies and need to take supplements such as vitamin D, calcium, folic acid, iron, etc. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about whether or not to take these supplements.
♦ Do not forget that the best treatment for celiac disease is a gluten free diet.
There is a celiac meal plan and foods that you can eat in your celiac diet plan:
• Oatmeal + raspberry + brown sugar + low-fat milk
• Spinach + tomato omelet + olive
• Banana pancake + maple syrup or honey + raspberry
• Hard boil egg + baked potato + olive
• Greek yogurt + blueberry + chopped walnut
• Peanut butter + apple sliced
• Gluten-free toast + homemade sausage + tomato + lettuce
• Scrambled egg + gluten-free toast + sesame seed
• Berries + hot rice + low-fat yogurt
• Gluten-free waffle + fruit juice
• Peanut butter + overnight oats
• Taco salad / Tuna salad
• Rice + roasted chicken + lettuce salad
• Baked beans + mushrooms + olive
• Gluten-free pasta + tomato + minced beef + onion
• Grilled salmon + boiled cauliflower
• Chickpea salad + olive oil + hard boil egg
• Falafel + tomato + pickle cucumber + lettuce
• Steak + rice + oven tomato
• Turkey sandwich + gluten-free bread
• Gluten-free chicken pizza
• Gluten-free vegetable spaghetti + olive + minced beef
• Glazed or barbequed salmon + olive
• Grilled beef + tomato + lime juice
• Cheesy spinach + artichoke + spaghetti squash
• Barbecue chicken + baked potatoes + olives
• Gluten-free eggplant parmesan + spinach + avocado
• Oven potato fries + barbeque chicken + olive oil
• Steamed fresh green beans + glazed chicken + mushroom
• Rice + shrimp + lettuce salad
• Butter chicken + rice + Israel salad
• Chicken soup + Greek yogurt
• Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers + oven potato fries
• 100% fruit juice + gluten-free cracker
• Date + low-fat milk
• Dried apricot + almond
• Gluten-free ice cream
• Popcorn + vegetable smoothie
• Raisin + roasted chickpeas
• Frozen grapes + pineapple slice
• Flavored yogurt
• Steamed broccoli
• Soy milk + rice cake
• Trail mix
I am wishing to find out more about Celiac Disease.
All of the symptoms seem to stem in one way or another from malabsorption due to villous atrophy.
Would it be right to state that this is the underlying cause of all the symptoms?
How can celiac disease be connected with the microbiota?
How can the avoidance of childhood exposure to gluten lower the risk of celiac disease?
1) Yes, almost most of the celiac symptoms are because of villous atrophy, but some rare symptoms like bone and joint pain, depression, dermatitis, etc., have nothing to do with villous. Actually, the main cause of celiac symptoms is triggering and stimulating immune cells and attacking intestinal and other cells.
2) Changes in gut microbiota may lead to celiac symptoms, when the proportion of pathogenic microbiota gets higher than that of beneficial microbiota in the gut, pathogenic microbiota can stimulate the immune system and attack the intestinal villous. Some studies show that the use of probiotics seems to reduce the inflammatory response.
3) There are conflicting conclusions about exposure to gluten in early life. Some studies suggest that exposure to gluten after the 4th month of birth reduces the risk of developing celiac disease, and some say it increases it.
Therefore, we should rely on the previous document, which says breastfed until the 4th month of birth and then add gluten to the baby's diet.
When should gluten be introduced into the diet of an infant?
Recent studies say that we can add gluten and foods that contain gluten after the 4th month of birth in the infant diet.
Can I eat chips on gluten free diet?
Hi Muhammad,
Chips are more than just fried potatoes! Even potatoes are gluten free; you should take a close look at any additional ingredients on the packet.
Can I eat food containing gluten in small amount?
Hi Zack,
Definitely not! Even if your body sometimes reacts normal to gluten and you feel well, your immune system is still being adversely affected and your intestinal villi may become inflamed.
Hi Oxfordiet team.
Am I at risk of nutritional deficiencies when I switch to gluten free diet?
Ho Lobanov,
Actually NO, if you follow a balanced gluten free diet, you won't miss out on essential nutrients and won't be at risk of nutritional deficiencies. It would be a good idea to have a blood test after a diagnosis such as celiac disease so that any possible nutritional deficiencies can be discussed with the help of a dietitian.