Celiac disease is intolerance to foods with gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats and other cereals.
It affects children and adults without distinction and can lead to malnutrition, anaemia (iron deficiency, the number of red blood cells is reduced due to the iron deficiency), osteoporosis (brittle bones from lack of calcium) and other pathologies. It also affects growth, causing a greater propensity to develop other diseases such as diabetes, lupus and certain cancers (intestinal T-cell lymphoma).
Prevention. Avoid ingestion of gluten. The gluten causes intestinal injuries in celiacs, affecting their ability to absorb nutrients from food (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins).