Celiac Disease vs. Gluten Intolerance

The gluten free jungle can be kind of confusing for most people. You hear Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance but they are not the same thing.

Celiac Disease: Is an autoimmune disease. Gluten is ingested and it damages the small intestine. This damage can lead to malabsorption of nutrients, thus making the person very ill inside and out. It is a disease that is both an autoimmune response and malabsorption.

Gluten Intolerance: Is when there is a reaction to gluten but does not cause damage in the intestinal tract. They are able to absorb the nutrients but have some GI problems as well.

There is a difference between the two, which can affect how that individual lives in terms of the gluten free diet.

More on that tomorrow...

- Jodie