Celiac disease is an incurable autoimmune condition that leads to damage in the small intestines when genetically susceptible people eat food that contains gluten. If left undiagnosed and untreated, the resulting nutrition malabsorption can lead to anemia, bone disease, growth faltering or other consequences. The only treatment is lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet, but this diet is challenging to follow and adversely influences quality of life.
Registered dietitian nutritionists provide practical guidance and evidence-based medical nutrition therapy to support people with celiac disease in achieving and maintaining nutritional health and avoiding adverse celiac disease consequences throughout their lives. The Academy brought together an expert panel along with a celiac disease patient advocate to evaluate evidence for six topics, including medical nutrition therapy, the gluten-free diet, oat consumption, micronutrients, pro- and prebiotics, and the low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (Low FODMAP) diet.
Published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the newly released guideline outlines the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Library’s process for developing the resulting guide and summarizes the recommendations and supporting evidence, including that all individuals with celiac disease should follow a gluten-free diet that may include gluten-free oats in adults. Nutrition care for those with celiac disease should include routine nutritional assessment and medical nutrition therapy provided by a registered dietitian nutritionist. Read the full article in JAND to learn more.
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