Gluten-sensitive enteropathy, another name for celiac disease, is familiar yet commonly ignored. Gluten causes intestine damage in persons genetically prone to this autoimmune disease. Abnormal blood tests, a diagnosis of classic Celiac disease based on an abnormal intestine biopsy, and symptoms that improve with gluten avoidance.
For Celiac disease, several blood tests are available. They are accurate to vary degrees. Some tests are non-specific, which means a positive result may not always indicate Celiac disease. Still, they are more sensitive, meaning they will be positive in milder cases of the illness. Others are thought to be quite specific, which means that if you test positive for them, you nearly certainly have the condition.
Endomysial antibodies (EMA) and tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) testing for celiac disease symptoms is the most precise assays. These two tests, which rely on immunoglobin A (IgA), may come back negative if you have an IgA deficiency, which affects 10–20 percent of celiac patients. When EMA or tTG is positive, Celiac disease is quite likely, and an intestinal biopsy typically reveals this. Recent research suggests that when minor degrees of intestinal damage is observed on biopsy, the tTG may only be positive in 40% of actual Celiacs. Up to 20% of Celiacs may have seronegative Celiac, in which the blood tests are negative, but the biopsy is positive.
For those with milder gluten sensitivity who have average or borderline blood tests and biopsies but benefit from a gluten-free diet, the most problematic issue is either not being taken seriously or not knowing if they are gluten sensitive. Stool antibody testing for antigliadin and tTG has proved beneficial for these people. Such stool testing has been carried out in research laboratories and documented in a few papers, but Enterolab, a commercial lab, has just recently made it available. The celiac disease test was established by Dr. Ken Fine, a former gastroenterologist at Baylor Research Center, and is accessible online without a prescription. However, they are often not covered by insurance.
Diet for celiac disease: permissible and prohibited beverages
Fortunately, a person with celiac disease can continue consuming many of their favorite drinks as before (before the diagnosis of the disease). Beer is a notable exception. Since malted barley or wheat is used to make almost all beers, they always contain gluten. There could be gluten-free beer available right now.
Gluten is not present in alcoholic beverages prepared without using grains, including brandy, wine, mead, cider, sherry, port, rum, tequila, and vermouth. Although corn, wheat, rye, or barley are used to make pure Bourbon, distillation removes the gluten from these grains.
