Gut Health

Celiac Disease Derails Your Health and Your Quality of Life

If you’re suffering from celiac disease, you probably know that the only real treatment is a completely gluten-free diet – and that can be nearly impossible to achieve. 

You may avoid restaurants for fear of cross-contamination… shy away from dinner parties… and stick with clearly labeled gluten-free products (even if they’re not as satisfying as their gluten-filled counterparts).  Unfortunately, that may not be enough to make sure you’re not affected by gluten.

And while staying as gluten-free as possible may help you avoid new damage to your intestines – the hallmark of celiac disease – it usually won’t repair the existing damage to your GI (gastrointestinal) system. That can leave you vulnerable to all sorts of long-term health issues. 

That’s why your system needs special enzymes and gut support to help your body address gluten damage and neutralize any accidental gluten you come across.

Celiac Disease Causes Severe Nutrient Deficiencies

When you have celiac disease, gluten becomes your archenemy. Even small amounts of this grain-based protein trigger an autoimmune (where your immune system thinks your body is the enemy) response.

When your immune system detects gluten, it attacks the villi in your small intestine. Villi are tiny finger-like bumps that line your small intestine and help your body absorb more nutrients from food and deliver them into your bloodstream.

Over time, so much damage gets done that it leads to malabsorption issues, meaning your body can’t pull nutrients out of food and use them… You could end up malnourished even while eating a healthy diet. 

That’s why almost all celiac patients – at least 87% –  face a variety of nutrient deficiencies, most commonly: 

  • B vitamins (especially vitamin B12 and folic acid)
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin D
  • Zinc
  • Iron
  • Calcium 

Those types of deficiencies can bring on other diseases, such as anemia and osteoporosis, causing even more health problems for celiac sufferers.

But when your body gets the time and support it needs to repair itself, your villi will get back to work increasing and improving nutrient absorption so you can get back to healthy.

Celiac Disease May Be Causing More Symptoms Than You Realize

Because celiac disease damages the intestines and interferes with nutrient absorption it can cause more than 200 symptoms… and those symptoms can show up anywhere in the body.

Along with GI distress – which around 30% of adults with celiac disease suffer with – this condition causes a shockingly wide range of symptoms, including: 

  • Chronic fatigue
  • arthritis
  • bone loss (leading to osteoporosis)
  • liver disease
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • migraines
  • itchy rashes
  • numbness or tingling in your hands and feet
  • infertility
  • irregular or skipped menstrual periods
  • seizures

Luckily, many (if not all) of those symptoms can be eased or reversed. Going gluten-free is the most critical first step, as that prevents additional harm to the small intestine and may also bring much-needed symptom relief. 

But to do a complete repair job on all the damage done by gluten, your body needs some extra help.

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The Damage Repair and Prevention Squad

Restoring intestinal health takes a lot of work, and in most cases a gluten-free diet just won’t be enough to get that done, though it will help you avoid new damage.

In fact, studies show that even after follo