CELIAC DISEASE

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. It aims to help you better understand gut-related issues, but the causes and diagnoses of these conditions are often complex and overlapping, with potential for misdiagnosis. This is why it’s essential to consult a qualified healthcare provider, such as a gastroenterologist or your doctor, for proper evaluation and advice tailored to your needs.

CELIAC DISEASE

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune condition where eating gluten triggers immune attacks on the small intestine lining, leading to nutrient malabsorption and chronic inflammation. It was first described by Aretaeus of Cappadocia in ancient Greece (100 AD), but the modern link to gluten was discovered in the 1940s by a Dutch paediatrician.

The immune-mediated attack on the small intestine leads to villous atrophy and malabsorption. Villous atrophy means the tiny finger-like structures in your small intestine (called villi) become flattened or damaged, so they can’t absorb nutrients properly. Think of it like flattening a sponge, where the sponge then loses its ability to soak things up.

This is what distinguishes it from conditions like food intolerances, which do not involve an immune response.

SYMPTOMS OF CELIAC DISEASE INCLUDE:

  • Chronic digestive symptoms
  • Chronic diarrhoea or constipation
  • Weight loss and/or fatigue
  • Abdominal pain and bloating
  • Anaemia (iron deficiency)
  • Dermatitis herpetiformis (skin rash)

CAUSES:

A 2025 study in Gastroenterology Research and Practice found that celiac disease uniquely involves both genetic predisposition and environmental triggers, primarily gluten exposure.

Individuals with HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 genes are at higher risk, but gluten (a protein in wheat, barley, rye) ingestion is the primary environmental trigger, activating an abnormal immune response (auto-immune attack), destroying the villi in the small intestine.

Even tiny traces of gluten can cause damage in sensitive individual and only strict lifelong gluten avoidance can prevent damage. Untreated celiac can lead to osteoporosis and infertility.

COMPLICATIONS OF CELIAC DISEASE:

  • Severe malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies.
  • Osteoporosis
  • Infertility
  • Small intestine cancer

TREATMENT INDICATION FOR CELIAC DISEASE:

  • Strict lifelong gluten-free diet is unfortunately the only effective treatment, allowing the gut lining time to heal.
  • Nutritional supplementation (iron, B12, D, calcium) can corrects deficiencies caused by this condition.
  • Glutamine to support gut repair.
  • Digestive Enzymes to support gluten breakdown.
  • Probiotics and prebiotics to rebalance and heal the microbiome.

DIAGNOSIS OF CELIAC DISEASE:

  • Blood tests (tTG-IgA antibodies) are the first-line test and are highly accurate.
  • Small intestine biopsy, via endoscopy provides a definitive diagnosis if blood tests are positive.

SUPPLEMENTATION RECOMMENDATION

  1. REPOPULATING YOUR GUT MICROBIOME WITH THE RIGHT GOOD BACTERIA
    Repopulating your gut microbiome with the right good bacteria to improve its function and role within your health will start resolving your symptoms.
    Ensure you only take a probiotic that meets pharmaceutical grade standards to ensure efficacy and that dose delivery for symptom improvement, (uses gold-standard strains backed by clinical evidence for efficacy, with a minimum dose of 10 Billion CFU’s, protects it bacterial dose by ensuring shelf stability and full stomach acid protection with targeted delivery of the bacteria to your intestine, and meets all other quality metrics).The bacteria in your microbiome improves digestion and nutrient absorption, acts at the guts pharmacy – making vitamins, producing SCFA’s and other important metabolites, like serotonin. It is both the boss of and manager of our immune system. They Influence our brain and hormones, improve our mood + how our brain work. The microbiome also influence our Metabolic and Hormonal system/health.
  2. HEALING THE WHOLE GUT SYSTEM, IMPROVING THE STRUCTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND FUNCTION
    This condition can affect the gut structure, environment and function, leading to an overall decline in the performance of the whole gut system. This results in gut inflammation, increased oxidative levels altered colonic PH levels. It impairs; immune capabilities, cell function, barrier function, digestion and metabolic health. Which makes it harder for good bacteria to survive in your gut, and easier for pathogens to take over – leading to a negative-cyclical feedback loop that keeps you unhealthy, compromised and struggling with severe symptoms.

Probitec Fibre+ is a 3-in-1 formula of prebiotic fibre, glutamine and digestive enzymes, designed to enhance the composition and integrity of the whole gut system

Probitec Intrinsic Bowel Support (30 capsules) and Probitec Gastro (10 capsules), have 8-strains and 20 Billion CFU’s, housed in the worlds most advanced probiotics capsule.

The strains have over 120 studies confirming significant relief and improvement of the symptoms associated with the following:

  • Abdominal pain and discomfort
  • Diarrhoea, constipation
  • Bowel regularity and motility
  • Gas and bloating
  • Enhancing the gut-brain axis, reducing stress and improving mood
  • Improving Immunity and combatting pathogenic infections and overgrowth
  • Enhancing Intestinal Integrity
  • Reducing gut inflammation
  • Relieving GI distress or dysbiosis
  • Improving Quality of Life issues such as fatigue, brain fog and skin conditions.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. It aims to help you better understand gut-related issues, but the causes and diagnoses of these conditions are often complex and overlapping, with potential for misdiagnosis. This is why it’s essential to consult a qualified healthcare provider, such as a gastroenterologist or your doctor, for proper evaluation and advice tailored to your needs.