Celiac disease is a genetic auto immune disease that is currently incurable. As many as 1 in 133 Americans have been diagnosed with this disease. If you have an immediate family that has been diagnosed with celiac disease then the odds of you having it increase dramatically with a 1 in 22 chance. There are no known treatments or cures except for watching what types of food you eat, particularly those containing gluten. Therefore it is necessary to stick to a gluten free diet
Gluten can have a range of effects on those that have this condition. Essentially gluten causes the bodies immune system to attack the small intestine which blocks it from absorbing the nutrients from food, which can result in malnutrition or starvation. Other symptoms may come into play that have a wide rang of effects, such as abdominal pain, chronic. diarrhea, vomiting and constipation. To avoid these symptoms it is vital to stick to a gluten free diet.
Since gluten exists in wheat, rye and barley many foods such as breads, pasta, cereal and many processed foods must be avoided. If a person that has celiac disease eats any of these foods it can have severe consequences which can take a while to recover from. Since there are so many foods that contain wheat, rye or barley eating out can be very difficult and annoying and grocery shopping involves intensely scrutinizing every food label.
On the plus side there are many great foods that do not contain gluten like eggs, plain meat, fish, rice and fruit. These foods usually become the staple ingredients for anyone sticking to a gluten free diet. In addition, many foods that are normally made with wheat, rye or barley can be made with alternative, gluten free ingredients. So someone with celiac disease can still enjoy certain breads and pastas. This is great news for many bread lovers. There are even entire cookbooks dedicated to gluten free recipes.
Even though right now there is no cure there is still hope with continuing research in the fields of medicine and science. Even now as you read this there are new treatments and diagnostic techniques currently being researched and tested. Right now there are even strains of wheat, rye or barley that do not contain gluten and these strains are being studied and cloned to help produce gluten free foods. One thing is for sure: As medicine and science make new discoveries we will be getting closer and closer to a real cure.
In the mean time remember to enjoy your life and enjoy your food. We here at glutenfreebreadmachine.org LOVE bread and want to share this same passion with you. Browse around and learn more and feel free to make yourself at home. You can still enjoy everything life has to offer while sticking to a gluten free diet.




