Coeliac disease, what is it?

Coeliac disease is not an allergy or food intolerance. It's a chronic intestinal malabsorption disorder caused by an intolerance to gluten and is also considered to be an autoimmune diseases as the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues when you eat gluten. This causes damage to the lining of the gut and means that the body can’t properly absorb nutrients from food.

The Symptoms range from mild to severe and can include bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, wind, constipation, tiredness, mouth ulcers, sudden or unexpected weight loss (but not in all cases), and anaemia.

Celiac disease can be detected by a blood test and can be requested by your GP

If the celiac disease is diagnosed, a strict gluten free diet needs to be followed.

This means stopping the following grains:

  • Rye

  • Barley

  • Wheat

  • Oats

Type of food that contain gluten and needs to be avoided:

  • Pasta

  • Bread

  • Cakes

  • Crackers

Nowadays, supermarkets offer gluten free alternatives of these products

Make sure to check all the ingredients before buying as you could find gluten in products such as beef, yogurt and any type of sauces.

Under the agreement, the Association of European Coeliac Societies adopted the Coeliac UK's 'cross-grain' symbol as the standard for gluten-free labelling across Europe

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