Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where the ingestion of gluten causes serious harm to the small intestine. A huge issue with having celiac disease is the misconception of what gluten actually is. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, and when someone with celiac digests this, their body begins to attack the small intestine. The body then destroys the villi which line the small intestine and prevents nutrient absorption. People living with celiac not only become very sick when eating gluten, but there are detrimental long-term side effects from eating gluten as well. The long-term effects can consist of anemia, osteoporosis, fertility loss, and even cancers such as intestinal lymphoma and small bowel cancer. Right now, the only treatment for those with celiac is living a strict gluten-free diet with no cross-contamination. Cross-contamination or cross-contact is really important to avoid, and can be as simple as cooking gluten-free food in a pan that wasn’t washed properly!
As a 20-year-old who was diagnosed with celiac at 18, it has been a hard adjustment to cut gluten out of my life when it was such a huge piece of my diet. Learning that gluten can even be in makeup products (like lipstick, which is easily digestible) and toothpaste was a huge life change for me. This diagnosis led me down a spiral and worsened my anxiety because I was terrified of ever being so sick again. In addition to worsened health anxiety, I also realized I struggled a lot more with social anxiety, which is something I never really dealt with. People usually don’t consider that food choices can also impact your social life as well, which is something I had never really thought about until it happened to me.
Living with celiac doesn’t have to feel so isolating though. Right after my diagnosis, I remember crying and wondering how I would ever eat my favorite foods again. Looking back, this was a completely warranted reaction, but I wish I could tell myself that it would all be okay. Finding celiac-safe foods may be difficult, but it is not impossible! The gluten-free food industry has grown rapidly over the past decade, and awareness about celiac disease and gluten intolerance has also increased within the last few years. Additionally, I am glad to live in an area that has a variety of accommodating restaurants and many different grocery store options as well. Grocery stores like whole foods, trader joes and even just Stop and Shop have been a staple in my life post-celiac diagnosis. However, one thing that I have noticed is the huge upcharge that gluten-free replacement foods have such as breads, pastas, and even just ice cream labeled as gluten-free. While this price difference is sometimes due to the fact that gluten-free products and ingredients are more costly, the price difference is simply absurd. This price difference is also partially due to the fact that companies have to pay more money to make sure facilities are properly cleaned on a regular basis to prevent cross-contamination. However, this shouldn’t be as big as an issue for the consumer. In some European countries, such as Italy, people with celiac disease can receive a voucher to buy these specific gluten-free foods. The voucher they receive can be up to 140 euros a month. In America, the government allegedly tries to help the food costs for celiac disease by offering a tax deduction for those impacted by this unfair increase in essential foods, just because of a health condition. However, the tax deductions are very difficult to do and requires a strenuous amount of effort to have any benefit. The Celiac Disease Foundation states, “You may deduct the cost of gluten-free (GF) food that is in excess of the cost of the gluten-containing food that you are replacing. For example, if a loaf of gluten-free bread costs $5.00 and a comparable loaf of gluten-containing bread costs $2.50, you may include in your medical expenses the excess cost of $2.50 for each loaf of bread you purchase.” Therefore, it can be very difficult to keep up with, and often not saving all of your receipts can become a major issue for those trying to pursue a tax deduction.
Overall, living with celiac disease is not an easy adjustment. I’ve had many days where I’m missing out on the convenience of fast-food, and other days where I’m angry about not being able to go to a certain restaurant with my friends. However, this does not mean that living with celiac is solely negative. After my diagnosis, I can say that I feel significantly better than I did a few summers ago both mentally and physically. I hope this celiac awareness month that everyone with celiac is able to eat some delicious gluten-free food, and those without celiac take some time to educate themselves on the importance of a gluten-free diet. Gluten-free living isn’t just a diet fad, and it’s important to spread awareness of celiac disease to break down this harmful stereotype.
Happy Celiac Awareness Month!!!