Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Unraveling Celiac Disease Symptoms, Diet Adherence, and Quality of Life

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    A new study looks at celiac disease symptom profiles and their relationship to gluten-free diet adherence, mental health, and quality of life.

    Unraveling Celiac Disease Symptoms, Diet Adherence, and Quality of Life - Road meditation by Kashirin Nickolai is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
    Caption:

    Celiac.com 02/08/2024 - Living with celiac disease often means navigating a complex landscape of symptoms, dietary restrictions, and the quest for an optimal quality of life. 

    Understanding Patterns Behind Persistent Celiac Symptoms

    Celiac disease is not a one-size-fits-all condition. A subgroup of adults experiences persistent symptoms, both gastrointestinal and extraintestinal, the origins of which are often elusive. A team of researchers recently conducted an observational study to uncover patterns within this diverse symptom landscape and explore their connections to gluten-free diet adherence, mental health, and quality of life.

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    The research team included Cara Dochat, Niloofar Afari, Rose-Marie Satherley, Shayna Coburn & Julia F. McBeth. They are variously affiliated with San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA; the VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA; the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; the Department of Psychological Interventions, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK; the Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC, USA; the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA; and the Celiac Disease Foundation, Woodland Hills, CA, USA.

    The Study in Focus

    Their study included 523 U.S. adults with self-reported, biopsy-confirmed celiac disease. Participants voluntarily completed a set of questionnaires addressing various aspects of their condition:

    • Celiac Symptoms Index (CSI): Capturing physical symptoms and subjective health.
    • Celiac Dietary Adherence Test: Assessing adherence to a gluten-free diet.
    • PROMIS-29, SF-36, and Celiac Disease Quality of Life Survey: Exploring psychiatric symptoms and quality of life.

    Latent profile analysis identified four distinct symptom profiles:

    • Little to No Symptoms (37%): Individuals in this profile reported excellent subjective health and minimal symptoms.
    • Infrequent Symptoms (33%): Experience relatively moderate symptoms with a focus on extraintestinal symptoms.
    • Occasional Symptoms (24%): Moderate symptoms, particularly gastrointestinal, physical pain, and fair to poor subjective health.
    • Frequent to Constant Symptoms (6%): Enduring significant symptoms and fair to poor subjective health.

    Beyond Symptoms: The Mental Health and Quality of Life Equation

    Interestingly, profiles did not significantly differ in terms of clinical characteristics, gluten-free diet adherence, or overall quality of life. However, distinctions emerged in mental health dimensions.

    Profiles 2 and 3 reported moderate symptomology, with Profile 2 leaning toward more extraintestinal symptoms and Profile 3 showing a dominance of gastrointestinal symptoms, physical pain, and lower subjective health.

    Profile 3, despite its moderate symptom burden, surprisingly reported the lowest psychiatric symptoms and the highest quality of life on standardized measures.

    Implications and Future Directions

    The study’s findings underscore the complexity of celiac disease, emphasizing that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective. Notably, even lower symptom burden did not always correlate with better mental health and quality of life, suggesting a need for nuanced behavioral interventions.

    The lack of profile differences in gluten-free diet adherence implies the necessity for additional dietary or medical assessments and interventions. As we navigate the intricate terrain of celiac disease, personalized and comprehensive care emerges as a key consideration, addressing not only symptoms but also the broader aspects of mental health and overall well-being.

    Read more in BMC Gastroenterology volume 24, Article number: 9 (2024)



    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



    Leann horne

    When will the gluten in all grains be recognized as problematic? I’ve been struggling for 10 years only to learn all grains have gluten, and cause me pain. Grain free since September & my life has changed for the better, dramatically. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    trents
    8 hours ago, Leann horne said:

    When will the gluten in all grains be recognized as problematic? I’ve been struggling for 10 years only to learn all grains have gluten, and cause me pain. Grain free since September & my life has changed for the better, dramatically. 

    Please don't project your own anecdotal experience on everyone else. The term "gluten" is sometimes loosely applied to proteins found in grains other than wheat, barley and rye but for the celiac/NCGS community the term "gluten" has a more specific reference. While it is probably true that we rely too heavily on grains in our diet, it is also true that they can be an excellent source of nutrition when used in moderation.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Scott Adams

    I agree, and while there is a small minority of people with celiac disease who only recover after excluding all grains, most people with celiac disease can include corn, sorghum, quinoa, rice, millet, etc, without issues. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Leann horne

    My apologies for any provocation. I only intended to ask a question. Thus the question make. I get the benefit of the nutrients found in grains. My question is still unanswered. Why would I be caution about dairy & not about other obvious glutens? My younger brother died recently. With an awful cancer in his tummy. Only trying to stay alive. I did have a biopsy at my last endoscopy. Thanks in advance. No offense instead. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Leann horne

    FYI I was devastated to learn even rice was off the table for me. I’m very sick even one speck. My blood sugar drops & I faint!

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Leann horne

    The gluten content in corn is nearly as high as rye. I’m sorry for any offense. I will keep asking this until I get an answer.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    trents

    Leann horne, apparently your are cross reacting to proteins found in these other grains that resemble the gluten found in wheat, barley and rye. But if when you eat rice your blood sugar drops and you faint, that does not sound like a celiac reaction. It sounds like some kind of allergic reaction.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Wheatwacked

    I am sorry for your loss.  I think the problem in your question is "the gluten in all grains be recognized as problematic"

    This may explain it better, from Johns Hopkins: 

    Quote

     

    Rethink your grains:

    Avoid all products with barley, rye, triticale (a cross between wheat and rye), farina, graham flour, semolina, and any other kind of flour, including self-rising and durum, not labeled gluten-free.

    Be careful of corn and rice products. These don’t contain gluten, but they can sometimes be contaminated with wheat gluten if they're produced in factories that also manufacture wheat products. Look for such a warning on the package label.

     

     

    53 minutes ago, trents said:

    when you eat rice your blood sugar drops and you faint, that does not sound like a celiac reaction.

    Your blood sugar drop from eating rice sounds like a deficiency in Thiamine.  Celiac Disease causes malabsorption of some 20 vitamins and minerals that should be absorbed in the small intestine but due to villi damage caused by gluten sensitivity are not.  To that add the fact that many of the vitamin and minerals that are fortified in gluten products are not fortified in gluten free processed foods. Our Mad American Diet is inherently deficient, and refined grains are a large part of that deficiency.

    Then add our MAD diet typically has omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of between 14:1 and 20:1, highly inflammatory.   Benificial bacteria don't do well in that environment. Optimum is less than 3:1.  Sweet potatoes are 17:1.  

    Around 40% of us don't get enough vitamin D, 90% not enough Choline, Iodine intake is one half what we ate in 1970. The recommended Dietary Value for potassium is 4700 mg a day, most Americans eat 2300 mg.  Low potassium intake is a world wide concern, especially for heart health.

    Vegetables: Contents of Omega – 3 and Omega – 6

     

     

     

    '

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Scott Adams
    7 hours ago, Leann horne said:

    My apologies for any provocation. I only intended to ask a question. Thus the question make. I get the benefit of the nutrients found in grains. My question is still unanswered. Why would I be caution about dairy & not about other obvious glutens? My younger brother died recently. With an awful cancer in his tummy. Only trying to stay alive. I did have a biopsy at my last endoscopy. Thanks in advance. No offense instead. 

    This article may be helpful, but in the end you might need to eliminate all grains to be healthy. 

     

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    knitty kitty

    @Leann horne,

    Welcome to the forum.  

    I agree with @Wheatwacked.  Your fainting after rice sounds like a deficiency in Thiamine.  

    Thiamine is needed to turn carbohydrates into energy for our bodies.  A sudden influx of simple carbohydrates like rice can cause a big demand for Thiamine.  If we don't have sufficient Thiamine, the body starts shutting down different functions in order to conserve what little Thiamine there is.  With a greater demand for Thiamine in the digestive system, other "operating systems" (like consciousness) get turned off temporarily, hence fainting.

    Keep in mind that while gluten containing products are required to be enriched with vitamins like thiamine, gluten free products, like alternative grains, aren't required to be enriched.  So the gluten free diet for Celiac Disease can be deficient in essential nutrients.  

    Adding to the fact that the gluten free diet can be low in essential nutrients, malabsorption due to the inflammation and damage caused by Celiac Disease compounds the problem of nutritional deficiencies.  

    A subclinical Thiamine insufficiency can drag on for years.  Symptoms may mysteriously wax and wane. A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine results in an eighty percent increase in brain function, which results in an improvement of symptoms.  

    Continued Thiamine insufficiency can result in Gastrointestinal Beriberi, with symptoms that resemble "being glutened".  

    High doses of Thiamine (500 mg - 1500 mg per day) are needed to correct the insufficiency.  Benfotiamine is a form of Thiamine that is beneficial in healing the digestive system.  Thiamine needs all the rest of the B vitamins and magnesium to work properly, so a B Complex, Benfotiamine and Magnesium Glycinate should be taken together.  Vitamin D and zinc also helps regulate and calm the immune system.  It's very important to supplement essential nutrients in order to boost our ability to absorb them and heal.  

    Dr. Derrick Lonsdale and Dr. Chandler Marrs have studied how Thiamine deficiency is frequently overlooked.  Here's an article from their site.  

    https://www.hormonesmatter.com/tag/syncope-thiamine/

    Thiamine deficiency has been shown to be a factor in the development of cancer.  Sorry for your loss.  I've lost family members to cancer, too.  

    Do talk to a nutritionist and your doctor about supplementing with vitamins and minerals.  Although blood tests are not accurate measurements of vitamin deficiencies, taking B vitamins are beneficial.  

    Hope this helps you find peace.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Leann horne

    All my levels are good. The gluten prevents me from absorbing any nutrients. Zein is the name of the gluten protein found in corn. Thanks you

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Leann horne
    2 hours ago, knitty kitty said:

    @Leann horne,

    Welcome to the forum.  

    I agree with @Wheatwacked.  Your fainting after rice sounds like a deficiency in Thiamine.  

    Thiamine is needed to turn carbohydrates into energy for our bodies.  A sudden influx of simple carbohydrates like rice can cause a big demand for Thiamine.  If we don't have sufficient Thiamine, the body starts shutting down different functions in order to conserve what little Thiamine there is.  With a greater demand for Thiamine in the digestive system, other "operating systems" (like consciousness) get turned off temporarily, hence fainting.

    Keep in mind that while gluten containing products are required to be enriched with vitamins like thiamine, gluten free products, like alternative grains, aren't required to be enriched.  So the gluten free diet for Celiac Disease can be deficient in essential nutrients.  

    Adding to the fact that the gluten free diet can be low in essential nutrients, malabsorption due to the inflammation and damage caused by Celiac Disease compounds the problem of nutritional deficiencies.  

    A subclinical Thiamine insufficiency can drag on for years.  Symptoms may mysteriously wax and wane. A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine results in an eighty percent increase in brain function, which results in an improvement of symptoms.  

    Continued Thiamine insufficiency can result in Gastrointestinal Beriberi, with symptoms that resemble "being glutened".  

    High doses of Thiamine (500 mg - 1500 mg per day) are needed to correct the insufficiency.  Benfotiamine is a form of Thiamine that is beneficial in healing the digestive system.  Thiamine needs all the rest of the B vitamins and magnesium to work properly, so a B Complex, Benfotiamine and Magnesium Glycinate should be taken together.  Vitamin D and zinc also helps regulate and calm the immune system.  It's very important to supplement essential nutrients in order to boost our ability to absorb them and heal.  

    Dr. Derrick Lonsdale and Dr. Chandler Marrs have studied how Thiamine deficiency is frequently overlooked.  Here's an article from their site.  

    https://www.hormonesmatter.com/tag/syncope-thiamine/

    Thiamine deficiency has been shown to be a factor in the development of cancer.  Sorry for your loss.  I've lost family members to cancer, too.  

    Do talk to a nutritionist and your doctor about supplementing with vitamins and minerals.  Although blood tests are not accurate measurements of vitamin deficiencies, taking B vitamins are beneficial.  

    Hope this helps you find peace.

    Oryzenin is rice gluten. It has the lease amount of all grains. The gluten prevents any nutrient absorption. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Related Articles

    Jefferson Adams
    What Factors Influence Gluten-free Diet Adherence in Young Adult Men with Celiac Disease?
    Celiac.com 03/03/2017 - Previous studies have shown us that men are generally less troubled living with celiac disease than are women, but most studies of men with celiac disease have been mostly quantitative, and have a bio-medical emphasis.
    A team of researchers recently set out to explore the social experience of young men with screening-detected celiac disease and to highlight daily life situations five years after diagnosis. The research team included Ethel Kautto, Cecilia Olsson, Anneli Ivarsson, Phil Lyon, Agneta Hörnell, and Lena Alex. They are variously affiliated with the Department of Food and Nutrition and Umeå Center for Gender Studies, Umeå University, Sweden, the Department of Food and Nutrition, Umeå University, Sweden, the Department of Public Health and Clinical Med...


    Scott Adams
    Celiac Disease Causes Social and Dating Anxiety, Lowers Quality of Life
    Celiac.com 06/07/2021 - Numerous adults with celiac disease experience social anxiety, which detracts from their quality of life, eating patterns and ability to socialize and date.
    In a recent survey, most people with celiac disease said that it had a major or moderate negative impact on their dating life. The survey included questions on celiac disease-specific dating attitudes, behaviors and preferences, a social anxiety questionnaire, a celiac disease-specific quality of life instrument and a celiac disease food attitudes and behaviors scale.
    Anne R. Lee, EdD, RDN, LD, Jessica Lebovitz, RD, CDN, CNSC, both from the celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, led a team that send an email survey to nearly 14,000 affiliates of the institution. They...


    Scott Adams
    Better Quality of Life Associated with Compliance with Gluten-Free Diet in Celiac Disease
    Celiac.com 01/21/2023 - Celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune disorder that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals, causing damage to the small intestine when gluten is consumed. The only treatment option currently available is a strict, long-term gluten-free diet, which can be restrictive, socially limiting, and costly. In a recent study, researchers aimed to identify the factors associated with a better quality of life in a large group of French celiac disease patients.
    The study, conducted between January and March 2016, surveyed celiac disease patients who were 15 years or older and self-reported as having an official diagnosis of celiac disease. Information about the study along with a link to an online questionnaire were sent via email to the members of the French Association...


    Jefferson Adams
    Julie Roberts Sings the Praises of a Gluten-Free Diet After Celiac Diagnosis
    Celiac.com 09/06/2023 - Country singer and songwriter Julie Roberts recently opened up about her harrowing battle with celiac disease. Talking with PEOPLE Magazine, she revealed the challenges she faced in a candid interview with PEOPLE magazine. Roberts, a hit singer known for songs like "Break Down Here," recounted her journey from the onset of symptoms to her eventual diagnosis and treatment.
    Roberts first noticed something was amiss when she began experiencing severe nausea and vomiting after eating. Her condition deteriorated to the point where she had to call her mother in the middle of the night to rush her to the emergency room. Weighing just 99 pounds at the time, Roberts underwent a battery of tests.  Eventually she was diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder ...


  • Recent Activity

    1. - sh00148 replied to sh00148's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Poo changes after 2 weeks

    2. - Yaya replied to CeliacChica's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      31

      Muscle Twitching

    3. - trents replied to Jtestani's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Help with results please. As I have a appt after the New Year.

    4. - trents replied to John.B's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Allergy Meds

    5. - trents replied to More2Learn's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Celiac Maybe a Possibility?


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,138
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    kfkynett
    Newest Member
    kfkynett
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.2k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Popular Now

    • Vozzyv
      5
    • Kathleen JJ
  • Popular Articles

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
  • Upcoming Events

×
×
  • Create New...