Celiac Awareness Month may have come to a close, however, you can do your part in helping to spread awareness of Celiac Disease throughout the year. 

1. Today marks the 1st day of Celiac Awareness Month. Delight will share facts every day in May. Help spread the word!
2. Celiac Disease is NOT a food allergy, it is an autoimmune disease. Celiac Disease can never be "outgrown".
3. In people with celiac disease, gluten sets off an autoimmune reaction causing destruction of the small intestine's villi.
4. Celiac Disease is one of the most common and most under-diagnosed auto-immune conditions in this country today.
5. DH, an intensely itchy & painful rash, is the visible result of the body’s abnormal immunological reaction to gluten.
6. Gluten is essentially toxic to people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
7. Celiac disease is a hereditary condition, which means it is passed through families.
8. If one family member has celiac disease, other family members -especially 1st degree relatives-should always be tested.
9. 1st degree relatives of someone with celiac disease are: parents, brothers and sisters, or the children of people who have been diagnosed.
10. Common belief is gluten is found only in food. The protein is actually used in many products including meds, vitamins, adhesives & cosmetics.
11. The ONLY treatment for celiac disease is adhering to a life-long gluten-free diet.
12. Celiac disease is a genetic, autoimmune disease damaging the small intestine & interfering with nutrient absorption.
13. Alcohol made with gluten-containing grains is gluten-free because the distillation process removes the gluten protein.
14. Are you gluten-free? Continuing to consume gluten puts one at risk for long-term damage to the small intestines.
15. Imagine being unable to afford gluten-free foods to feed yourself or your family. Check out our Q&A with Gluten Free Dee regarding Gluten-Free Food Banks.
16. Depending on a child’s age, peer pressure can lead to "cheating”, so it's important to work with a healthcare professional to ensure success.
17. People who have celiac disease are permanently intolerant to gluten, a protein found in all forms of wheat/rye/barley.
18. The 1st thing you should do when starting a gluten-free diet is set up a meeting with a skilled dietitian/nutritionist.
19. Is there gluten in your medication? Ask your pharmacist to help determine the drug's ingredient list.
20. Unlike most diseases, treatment for celiac disease is nutritional & requires the removal of gluten from the diet.
21. About 20 to 25% with celiac disease break out in an intensely itchy & painful rash known as dermatitis herpetiformis.
22. For some patients with celiac disease, starting a gluten-free diet can improve symptoms in as little as 2 weeks.
23. Struggling with migraines that seem untreatable & are stumping your doctor? Ask to get tested for celiac disease.
24. About one in 100 children has celiac disease, making it one of the most common conditions in children.
25. Even though an estimated 2.5 to 3 million people have celiac, only 150,000-190,000 of them are presently diagnosed.
26. Children who are most likely to have the best gluten-free results are those whose whole family joins in the diet.
27. 1st degree relatives should be retested every 3 - 4 yrs as celiac disease can present at any time throughout one’s life.
28. Wolf Blitzer Raises Celiac Disease Awareness.
29. Once diagnosed, continuing to consume gluten puts one at risk for long-term damage to the small intestines.
30. The only treatment for celiac disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet - eliminating all forms of wheat, rye, and barley.
31. More than 90% of those affected by celiac disease are not aware that they have it.