Celiac Disease An autoimmune disease causing small intestine damage when gluten is ingested.
Anatomical structure damaged in Celiac Disease Villi (finger-like projections in the small intestine).
Physiological consequence of villi destruction Interference with proper nutrient absorption (fats, vitamins, minerals).
First-line screening for Celiac Disease Blood work demonstrating antibodies against transglutaminase and gliadin.
Definitive diagnosis method for Celiac Disease Endoscopy with small intestine biopsies showing villi destruction.
Pediatric presentation of Celiac Disease Often presents only as lack of weight gain and proper growth.
Conditions associated with Celiac Disease Thyroid disease, rheumatic disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, and Type 1 Diabetes.
Only treatment for Celiac Disease A completely gluten-free diet.
Gluten composition A prolamin glycoprotein made of glutenin and gliadin.
Specific prolamins in wheat, rye, and barley Gluten in wheat, secalin in rye, and hordein in barley.
Triticum A category of grasses that includes all species of wheat.
Gluten status of oats Naturally gluten-free, but highly prone to cross-contamination during harvesting.
Pseudo-cereals Plants that resemble grains culinarily but belong to ditterent botanical families.
Amaranth An ancient pseudo-cereal containing all 9 essential amino acids.
Buckwheat culinary uses Used to make Russian blini, Japanese soba noodles, and French crepes.
Tett A tiny Ethiopian millet used to make fermented injera flatbread.
Quinoa preparation keys Wash thoroughly to remove bitter tannins; light toasting before cooking.
Arsenic risk in rice Rice absorbs inorganic arsenic; brown rice has higher levels than white.
Pasta method for cooking rice Boiling in 6-10 parts water to 1 part rice to reduce arsenic by 50-70%.
Gluten-free starch thickeners Arrowroot, cornstarch, cassava, potato, and tapioca.
Daily gluten threshold for Celiac damage No consistent safe threshold, but less than 10 mg is unlikely to cause problems.
10 mg gluten equivalent Approximately 1/8 teaspoon of wheat flour.
Gluten in blue cheese No detectable gluten, despite mold spores being cultured on wheat/rye media.
Soy sauce recommendation for Celiacs Avoid traditional wheat-fermented soy sauce; choose wheat-free tamari instead.
Heme vs. non-heme iron absorption Heme iron (from meat) is absorbed significantly better than non-heme iron.
Transient lactose intolerance in Celiac Villi damage temporarily destroys disaccharidase, resolving once the lining heals.
Prevalence of Celiac Disease Attects about 1 in 100 people worldwide (approx. 2.5 million Americans).
Intestinal blunting (malabsorption) and inflammatory markers that increase lymphoma risk.
Risk of symptom-free gluten exposure in Celiac
First-year supplements for newly diagnosed Celiac patients Iron, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D should be considered.
Gluten content in a normal slice of bread vs. gluten-free bread Normal slice has ~1800 mg; gluten-free slice has ~0.57 mg.
Sorghum A top 5 global crop used for flatbreads (Jowar Roti) and flour replacement.
Chickpea flour (garam or besan) Staple ingredient used for batters, breads, egg substitution, or roux thickening.
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Anatomical structure damaged in Celiac Disease Villi (finger-like projections in the small intestine).
Physiological consequence of villi destruction Interference with proper nutrient absorption (fats, vitamins, minerals).
First-line screening for Celiac Disease Blood work demonstrating antibodies against transglutaminase and gliadin.
Definitive diagnosis method for Celiac Disease Endoscopy with small intestine biopsies showing villi destruction.
Pediatric presentation of Celiac Disease Often presents only as lack of weight gain and proper growth.
Conditions associated with Celiac Disease Thyroid disease, rheumatic disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, and Type 1 Diabetes.
Only treatment for Celiac Disease A completely gluten-free diet.
Gluten composition A prolamin glycoprotein made of glutenin and gliadin.
Specific prolamins in wheat, rye, and barley Gluten in wheat, secalin in rye, and hordein in barley.
Triticum A category of grasses that includes all species of wheat.
Gluten status of oats Naturally gluten-free, but highly prone to cross-contamination during harvesting.
Pseudo-cereals Plants that resemble grains culinarily but belong to ditterent botanical families.
Amaranth An ancient pseudo-cereal containing all 9 essential amino acids.
Buckwheat culinary uses Used to make Russian blini, Japanese soba noodles, and French crepes.
Tett A tiny Ethiopian millet used to make fermented injera flatbread.
Quinoa preparation keys Wash thoroughly to remove bitter tannins; light toasting before cooking.
Arsenic risk in rice Rice absorbs inorganic arsenic; brown rice has higher levels than white.
Pasta method for cooking rice Boiling in 6-10 parts water to 1 part rice to reduce arsenic by 50-70%.
Gluten-free starch thickeners Arrowroot, cornstarch, cassava, potato, and tapioca.
Daily gluten threshold for Celiac damage No consistent safe threshold, but less than 10 mg is unlikely to cause problems.
10 mg gluten equivalent Approximately 1/8 teaspoon of wheat flour.
Gluten in blue cheese No detectable gluten, despite mold spores being cultured on wheat/rye media.
Soy sauce recommendation for Celiacs Avoid traditional wheat-fermented soy sauce; choose wheat-free tamari instead.
Heme vs. non-heme iron absorption Heme iron (from meat) is absorbed significantly better than non-heme iron.
Transient lactose intolerance in Celiac Villi damage temporarily destroys disaccharidase, resolving once the lining heals.
Prevalence of Celiac Disease Attects about 1 in 100 people worldwide (approx. 2.5 million Americans).
Intestinal blunting (malabsorption) and inflammatory markers that increase lymphoma risk.
Risk of symptom-free gluten exposure in Celiac
First-year supplements for newly diagnosed Celiac patients Iron, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D should be considered.
Gluten content in a normal slice of bread vs. gluten-free bread Normal slice has ~1800 mg; gluten-free slice has ~0.57 mg.
Sorghum A top 5 global crop used for flatbreads (Jowar Roti) and flour replacement.
Chickpea flour (garam or besan) Staple ingredient used for batters, breads, egg substitution, or roux thickening.
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