Is There a Cure?

By now, if any of the symptoms I've mentioned sound familiar, you're probably wondering if there are any treatments for coeliac disease. So far, the only solution is to go gluten-free, as researchers have yet to develop a cure.

Image- Nick Youngson

Coeliac Disease was first written about by a Greek man named Aretaeus of Cappadocia  around 250AD. He used the word ‘koiliakos’ meaning ‘suffering in the bowels’ to describe his patients. Centuries later, when the condition was named, the term coeliac was derived from this Greek. And, just in case you've ever been confused by the spelling, this is also believed to be why Europe uses ‘coeliac’ whereas the U.S. remove the ‘o’, spelling it ‘celiac’.

Thorough research didn't begin until towards the end of the 19th century, as by this time gluten-containing grains and therefore the disease had spread around the globe. It was mostly conducted in the U.K. by scientists such as Gee or Haas. Various scientist proposed diets varying from just rice to ‘banana diets’!

A significant breakthrough came during the war in Holland around 1939, when because of food shortages children ate less gluten. After the war when grains were reintroduced, their symptoms flared once more.
Image- Zuzanna K. Filutowska

These days research into the disease in ongoing. Coeliac Societies have formed in lots of countries to support coeliacs, informing them on the condition and any new research. Examples of these are the Coeliac Society UK or the Coeliac Society of Spain. It is not yet certain whether it's a hereditary condition or what causes it, and there is no cure. So, for now, all the coeliacs of the world will have to stick to gluten free diets!

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