The only effective treatment that currently guarantees celiac sufferers a perfect state of health, with the disappearance of clinical manifestations, the normalization of blood tests, and the restoration of the normal structure of the intestinal mucosa, consists of maintaining a strict gluten-free diet for life. Celiac disease is NOT curable. It is a chronic autoimmune disease and is treated with a gluten-free diet.
In some cases, especially at the time of diagnosis, other food intolerances may be present, such as lactose, fructose, or sorbitol intolerance. The specialist team will indicate whether it is necessary to temporarily restrict other foods, such as lactose or fructose, and whether vitamin or mineral supplements are required.
A gluten-free diet cannot be skipped for even a day or two, or any day at all. Not a little, not a lot. It must be followed very strictly to avoid intestinal damage.
In celiac patients with typical symptoms, the effects of treatment are rapid; within a few days, an improvement in appetite and mood is noticeable, and symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal bloating gradually disappear. In children, growth resumes. Metabolic alterations, such as reduced bone mineralization or iron-deficiency anemia, also normalize, although in these cases recovery is somewhat slower.
The time required for antibodies to normalize depends on the initial level, but, in general, it is achieved during 6-12 months after the start of gluten exclusion from the diet.
In contrast, histological improvement (from the biopsy) usually takes about 2 years.
