Celiac Disease

How is celiac disease treated?

Celiac disease is one of the few disorders that is managed by diet alone. It is treated by a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet. Once gluten has been removed, healing and regeneration of the intestine begins and digestion and absorption of nutrients improves. Young children respond especially well to gluten-free diets, and usually have a totally recovered and healthy small intestine within one year on the diet. The healing and regeneration process appears to take longer in adults, and in some people, a low level of maldigestion and malabsorption may persist despite the gluten-free diet.