Gluten-Free Recipes

Gluten-Free Recipes by Category. Please submit your favorite gluten free recipe here by registering as an author on our site. Your recipes will appear here and help thousands of other people with celiac disease.

Note: You can buy many types of prepared gluten-free foods and the ingredients used in these recipes at Gluten-Free Mall

• Gluten-Free Bread Recipes
• Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes: Pastries, Cakes, Cookies, etc.
• Gluten-Free Flour Mixes
• Gluten-Free Kids Recipes
• Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes
• Gluten-Free Pancake Recipes
• Gluten-Free Recipes: American & International Foods

Celiac Disease Symptoms

How do symptoms of celiac disease differ with age of onset? continued...

Adults with celiac disease may have symptoms of diarrhea, steatorrhea, weight loss and flatulence; however, many adults do not have diarrhea or steatorrhea. They have either no symptoms or only vague abdominal discomfort such as bloating, abdominal distension and excess gas. They also may have only one, or only a few signs of malnutrition such as iron deficiency anemia, abnormal bleeding, or bone fractures. Some patients with celiac disease and gastrointestinal symptoms are mistakenly diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. For more information, please see the Irritable Bowel Syndrome article.

There have been changes during the past 20 years in the way in which celiac disease is diagnosed. The average age at which celiac disease is diagnosed has increased, probably because of the increased awareness that the disease can first cause symptoms or signs in adults. Whereas diarrhea was the initial symptom in 80% of patients, it now is the initial symptom in only 40%. A small proportion of patients-about 15%--are now diagnosed with blood antibody tests because they have a close relative with celiac disease and they are being screened to see if they also have the disease.

Celiac Disease Symptoms

2. Signs and symptoms of malnutrition and vitamin or mineral deficiencies

Symptoms of malnutrition and vitamin or mineral deficiencies include: weight loss, fluid retention, anemia, osteoporosis, bruising easily, peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage), infertility, and muscle weakness.

• Weight loss and fluid retention: Weight loss is the direct result of inadequate absorption of carbohydrates, proteins and fat. However, weight loss may not always occur because patients with celiac disease often have enormous appetites that compensate for the reduced absorption of nutrients. Moreover, weight loss can be masked by fluid retention. Fluid retention occurs in advanced malnutrition because the reduced absorption of protein results in low protein levels in the blood. High protein levels in the blood are necessary to keep fluid from leaking out of blood vessels and into the body's tissues. When blood protein levels fall as in celiac disease, fluid leaks into many tissues (edema) but particularly the ankles and feet, which swell due to the edema.
• Anemia: Lack of absorption of vitamin B12 and iron can lead to anemia.
• Osteoporosis: Lack of absorption of vitamin D and calcium can lead to osteoporosis and bone fractures.
• Easy bruising: Lack of absorption of vitamin K can lead to diminished ability of blood to clot and hence to easy bruising or excessive bleeding.

Celiac Disease Symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of celiac disease?

Depending on the degree of malabsorption, the signs and symptoms of celiac disease vary among individuals, ranging from no symptoms, few or mild signs and symptoms, to many or severe signs and symptoms. There are two categories of signs and symptoms: 1) signs and symptoms due to malabsorption, and 2) signs and symptoms due to malnutrition including vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

1. Signs and symptoms of malabsorption

The three major categories of dietary nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, and fat. Absorption of all of these nutrients can be reduced in celiac disease; however, fat is the most commonly and severely affected nutrient. Most of the gastrointestinal symptoms and signs of celiac disease are due to the inadequate absorption of fat (fat malabsorption). Gastrointestinal symptoms of fat malabsorption include diarrhea, malodorous flatulence (foul-smelling gas), abdominal bloating, and increased amounts of fat in the stool (steatorrhea). The unabsorbed fat is broken down by intestinal bacteria into fatty acids, and these fatty acids promote secretion of water into the intestine, resulting in diarrhea. Fatty stools typically are large in volume, malodorous (foul smelling), greasy, light tan or light grey in color, and tend to float in the toilet bowl. Oil droplets (undigested fat) also may be seen floating on top of the water.