Frequently Asked Questions About Celiac Disease

How much gluten is safe for a person with celiac disease? Researchers say up to 10 mg/day might be safe, but how much is that?

Celiac sprue is the old-fashioned name for celiac disease. Non-tropical sprue is another term that was commonly used to mean celiac disease.

For the United States population, the number that's most often quoted is that nearly 1 out of every 133 people has celiac disease.

Gluten is found in all grains. The gluten in rice and corn is safe for celiac patients, the gluten in wheat, barley, and rye are not.

Although most experts advise that gluten grain-based alcohol is gluten-free, many people still report reactions.

The amount of time it takes to feel better after going gluten-free is different for every person. Some people feel the results right away, but others need weeks or months to feel results.

If you take digestive enzymes, can that substitute for a gluten-free diet? Can digestive enzymes prevent gluten symptoms if you eat a food that's cross-contaminated with gluten?

You can't "outgrow" celiac disease - even though doctors once thought you could.

Once someone in your family has been diagnosed with celiac disease, all family members are more likely to have the condition. Find out who should be tested and when.

If you have a family member with celiac disease, you may want to have genetic tests to see if you have the celiac disease genes. If you are a first-degree relative, you have a 1 in 22 chance of developing the disease in your lifetime. If you are a second-degree relative, your risk is 1 in 39.

Once it was thought that patients with celiac disease were always very thin. Now doctors are realizing that patients with celiac disease are not necessarily underweight. Even overweight people can have celiac disease.

Attention celiacs, even if the Thanksgiving turkey is gluten-free, if the stuffing contains gluten, you can't eat it.

If you kiss someone who just ate gluten, drank a beer, used toothpaste or mouthwash with gluten, or wears lipstick with gluten, then YOU are going to end up with some of that gluten, too.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, not an allergy. There are several differences between autoimmune disorders and allergies.

If you are concerned about gluten absorption through skin, here's something to ease your mind: Gluten molecules are too large to be absorbed through the skin. Read on to learn more about gluten absorption and your skin.

Celiac disease is triggered by eating gluten, so skin-care products and cosmetics that contain gluten aren't a problem unless you swallow them. Learn more about gluten-free cosmetics and what type of cosmetics you should avoid if you have Celiac disease.

Spelt is not gluten-free. It is a species of wheat and is not safe for people with celiac disease or anyone else on a gluten-free diet.

Whether maltodextrin and dextrin are gluten free depends on what kind of starch they came from. In the U.S., maltodextrin is usually made from corn. In Europe it is usually made from wheat.

Can gluten-free patients with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis eat oats? Most large celiac organizations and medical centers are advising that limited amounts of oats are probably safe.

Can there be gluten in semen? Probably not, says a Harvard researcher. So far, however, there have not been any scientific studies to find out whether a man who eats gluten will have gluten in his semen.

What options are available for Christians who cannot consume gluten?

Refined grains have been processed to remove bran and germ. This processing removes fiber, iron, and vitamins. In other words, refined grains have less fiber and are less nutritious than whole grains. Whole grains are a recommended part of a healthy, balanced diet.

People diagnosed with the autoimmune skin condition dermatitis herpetiformis have celiac disease if their blood tests for celiac antibodies come back positive. If those blood tests are negative, they may require more testing. In either case, treatment involves following the gluten-free diet.

My doctor told me I have latent celiac disease. Do I need to stop eating gluten?

My doctor tells me I have celiac disease, but I don't get any symptoms if I eat gluten by mistake. Is cheating on the gluten-free diet okay for me?

Can dermatitis herpetiformis sufferers go into remission? Do dermatitis herpetiformis patients need to follow the gluten-free diet for life, or can they begin eating gluten again?

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Gluten Symptoms - Why You Can Eat Gluten-Free And Still Get Gluten Symptoms

Can celiac disease cause reflux symptoms? Learn the connection between celiac disease and reflux symptoms.

Is quinoa gluten-free? Yes, pure quinoa is safe on the gluten-free diet, but not all products that contain quinoa are gluten-free. Here's what you need to know.

Although diarrhea is probably the best-recognized symptom of celiac disease, the condition actually has more than 100 potential symptoms, most of them not digestive-related.