In a disease that occurs in the intestine, characterized by a permanent intolerance to gluten. Normally, there is atrophy in the intestinal villi, with a slight inflammation in the small intestine. It is considered an autoimmune condition, because, when ingesting any protein from oats, wheat or barley, a production of antibodies is unleashed that can attack, in view of the apparent biological enemy, several important organs and systems. Previously, it was believed that it only affected children, whose incidence was low and originated only by action of the digestive system (without intervention of the Immune System).
The symptoms are different; Celiac disease has even been considered as "the disease of a thousand faces", since each person presents different signs according to their organism. However, studies have shown that weight loss, the appearance of malnutrition, diarrhea, constipation, obesity, and stunting can be seen quite often. The period in which the diagnosis is achieved is long, since the signs may take years to appear, and the disease is already developed. With the suffering of this condition, the risk of developing cancer is very high, although later it decreases due to the action of a gluten- free diet.
The medicine of several centuries ago, defended the belief that celiac disease was a chronic indigestion, which was not necessarily caused by the consumption of certain foods. Later, it was discovered that the patients' discomfort was due to the presence of wheat gliadin in their body. Epidemiologically speaking, around 2% of the world population has been diagnosed with celiac disease, the majority being people over 60 years of age, although it can appear at any age.
