Coeliac Awareness Week 13-20 March

This week is Coeliac Awareness Week. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition which attacks the small intestine. Basically the body thinks gluten is an intruder and attacks, flattening the little finger like projections in the intestine, reducing the surface area available for absorption of food. Most people know that gluten is in bread and pasta (and I've heard some people say that it's in rice - which isn't true, rice is one of the great grains people with coeliac disease can safely eat). So what is gluten? Well gluten is a protein, which is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats, and generally this makes these things light and fluffy. This year Coeliac Australia is trying to promote awareness of the correct diagnostic pathway - which at this point in time is via a gluten 'challenge' followed by a biopsy. It's a lifelong condition so it's really important to get diagnosed. Also scientists are currently undergoing human testing for the vaccine (for people already with the condition, not for prevention of developing the condition) and you know that the people who are correctly diagnosed are the ones that will be receiving this treatment, if it's proven effective. www.coeliac.org.au has heaps of information about the condition and even lets you sign up for membership straight from the site (you need to be diagnosed first).

Felicity xx

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