Celiac Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Natural Approaches

Often undiagnosed, celiac disease can occur at any age and is a lifelong autoimmune condition marked by an inability to tolerate gluten.

Celiac disease occurs in people who are genetically predisposed to be intolerant to gluten. Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock

Celiac disease, also known as gluten enteropathy, affects about 1 percent to 2 percent of the global population. The prevalence in the United States increased fivefold in the United States between 1975 and 2000. Once considered a rare gastrointestinal disease only affecting children, we now know it is a lifelong autoimmune condition that can develop at any age.

This disease can produce a wide range of symptoms both inside and outside the intestines, but some people have no symptoms. This variability often leads to delayed recognition and diagnosis, with people waiting as long as 12 years for a diagnosis.