What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease or celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten, a complex of nitrogenous substances that is formed during mixing, with water, of the flour of some cereals, such as oats *, wheat, spelled, kamut, barley, rye, spelled and triticale.
In Italy it is recognized as a social disease, so much so that it is estimated to affect around 400 / 600, 000 Italians, that is one person per 100/150 inhabitants. Given that many subjects coexist for many years with this condition without experiencing particularly severe disorders, the number of diagnosed cases (about 160, 000 in 2012) is much lower than the actual incidence of the disease.
To combat celiac disease the only currently valid therapy is dietetic therapy. The celiac is therefore forced to eliminate from his table all those foods that also contain only small amounts of gluten (pasta, desserts, bread, beer, biscuits etc.).
It is no coincidence that celiac disease mainly affects Caucasian subjects in which the consumption of cereals containing gluten is higher than in other populations such as those in Africa or Asia. Celiac disease is also more frequent in women, so much so that the female sex is affected twice as much as men.
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Causes of origin
Celiac disease is a genetically predisposed disease. This term is used in the scientific field to indicate the genetic origin of a pathology that requires particular conditions to occur. In other words at the time of birth an individual already carries with him the genes related to celiac disease. However, this is a necessary but not sufficient condition, so being a carrier of the abnormal gene does not necessarily mean getting sick but only having a greater chance of doing so. On the other hand, the absence of these genes precludes the possibility of contracting celiac disease.
Another peculiarity of the disease is that of being autoimmune. According to this characteristic, the consumption of gluten causes an predisposed individual to have an excessive immune response that affects the small intestine cells responsible for absorbing nutrients. This stretch of intestine, more or less 5 meters long, is in fact rich in finger-shaped protrusions (intestinal villi) which serve to absorb nutritious materials. When the cells of these important microstructures are attacked they lose their absorption capacity and it is here that the first problems for the organism begin. In fact, this phenomenon deprives organs such as the brain and liver of essential nutrients for proper functioning. Unfortunately a late diagnosis determines the progressive deterioration of the intestinal villi further aggravating the pathology and predisposing the subject to diseases of other nature. The phenomenon is particularly serious in children, who need abundant nutrients for development and growth processes.
Recently, in an Italian study, a profound relationship between infection with a common virus called rotavirus and celiac disease was demonstrated. In particular, researchers have discovered that, unlike healthy individuals, celiacs have antibodies for a specific protein present in this virus. These antibodies capture its presence on the cells of the intestinal villi and attack it to neutralize it. The aggression to these structures causes the opening of small channels between one cell and another, opening the doors for the entry of gluten and for the consequent inflammation of the intestinal wall.
This discovery has opened new horizons in the prevention of celiac disease also thanks to the synthesis of a specific vaccine for the pediatric age currently in an experimental phase.
Gluten-free bread
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