Celiac Disease

Treatment

The goals of treatment for celiac disease are to prevent damage to the small intestine and avoid complications. Patients who have the disorder must follow a life-long diet that is completely free of gluten. This is the only treatment for celiac disease at this time.

Foods to Avoid

The most obvious foods to avoid include breads, breakfast cereals, pasta, crackers, cookies, cakes, and pies. Fortunately, many gluten-free products are now being produced as substitutes for these favorites.

Gluten is found in the following types of grains:

• Barley
• Einkorn
• Emmer
• Kamut
• Rye
• Spelt
• Triticale
• Wheat

Although oats do not contain gluten, they are often stored in the same facilities as wheat and other grains that do contain gluten. Because of this, some oats may contain traces of gluten. Oats that are free of gluten contamination are now available and are clearly labeled as such.

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Gluten may also be "hidden" in certain foods, including the following:

• Additives (e.g., modified food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein)
• Bouillon
• Brown rice syrup
• Candy
• Canned soups, gravies, and sauces
• Deli meats, sausages, hot dogs, seafood salads, and imitation crabmeat
• Farina
• French fries
• Graham crackers
• Matzo and communion wafers
• Rice mixes
• Seasoning mixes
• Self-basting turkeys
• Snack chips (including potato chips and seasoned tortilla chips)
• Soy sauce
• Vitamins and medicines

Processed foods that do not have gluten listed in the ingredients may contain enough gluten to cause an immune response if they were manufactured with equipment used to make other products that contain gluten.

In addition to reading ingredients lists, it is important to search for the term "gluten-free" on food labels. Gluten-free foods should be kept in a special area of the kitchen or pantry—even a small amount of dust from wheat flour settling on gluten-free foods could trigger an immune reaction.

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