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Is There A Celiac Disease Cure?Before You BeginIs there such a thing as a celiac disease cure? Not at this time. There is only control, by getting free of gluten and staying on a gluten free diet. You may have heard that there are vaccine trials underway. They have just begun recently, and we will have to see if they will be successful. Since celiac disease is inherited through genes, or at least the susceptibility is inherited, it is hard to predict how well the vaccine will stop the autoimmune reaction. The trials may take several more years. Until the results are in, we still need to use control by staying on the diet. A celiac disease cure is not available yet. There are however, preliminary results out and they will be moving on to the next set of clinical trials. The following site has some interesting information on boosting your immune system. If you find yourself getting colds or other illness frequently, you can take a look at:
ImmuneHealthScience.com
Mastering the Diet Basics
First I want to remind everyone that it is not a good idea to go on a gluten free diet before being tested for celiac disease. The blood test and also the intestinal biopsy will not be accurate unless the person
being tested is still consuming gluten regularly.
The gluten free diet is a challenging diet to master, and to stay on. A diagnosis will help you to remain on the diet, because then you will know if there is actual damage that needs to heal. You will also know if gluten truly is a problem for you. It will make it less likely you will cheat if you actually know whether it is a necessary diet lifestyle for you. While we all occasionally get some hidden gluten accidentally, it is very important to do the best you can to avoid it as much as possible. It doesn't take very much to damage the intestines and increase the healing time needed. The temptation to cheat can be overwhelming sometimes. Once your system has been clear of gluten for even a short time, however, the reaction will often be far stronger than you might expect. Not everyone will react to small amounts hidden in other foods, or cross contamination. The longer you have been free of gluten, the stronger the reaction will usually be. So be careful, if you do cheat (not recommended), do it with a very small amount to see how badly you react first. Spending days with diarrhea and stomach cramps just isn't worth it to me.
Staying Free of Gluten When Out
It's a good idea to have something you can bring
along wherever you go. Perhaps some raisins, trail mix,
or nuts. Energy bars can be helpful too. A little bag of
gluten free cereal can take the edge off your hunger until you are able to get something suitable.
How to Approach the Diet
The next several pages will give you some guidance on how to approach the diet. Depending on how much damage you have to your intestines, and how long you have had active disease, you may heal quickly or take quite some time. Either way, there are initial stages where you will want to limit foods that aggravate the damage in the intestine. While we don't yet have a celiac disease cure, we do have the diet to help us heal and absorb nutrients from our food. You may find that you feel better quickly. Some people find relief from pain and bloating in just a few days. For others, it can take weeks or months. Sometimes you may even feel worse for a little while.
The pages listed below will take you to the homepage or the next pages of this section. Please continue on as this is important information before beginning a gluten free diet.
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One problem that frequently comes up, especially in the beginning, is being put in a situation where nothing you know
for sure is safe is available. For example this can happen at an office party, a relative or friend's home, or while traveling. 