Coeliac disease (spelled celiac
disease in North America) is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that
occurs in genetically predisposed people of all
ages from middle infancy onward. Symptoms include chronic diarrhoea, failure to thrive (in children), and fatigue, but these may be absent, and
symptoms in other organ
systems have been described. A growing portion of diagnoses are being made
in asymptomatic persons as a
result of increased screening; the
condition is thought to affect between 1 in 1,750 and 1 in 105 people in the
United States. Coeliac
disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin, a prolamin (gluten protein) found in wheat, and similar proteins found in the crops of the tribe Triticeae (which includes other
common grains such as barley and rye).
See Wikipedia full entry.
Related Tags: gluten
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