Adherence to Gluten Free Diet in Pakistan-Role of Dietitian

Celiac disease (CD) is a common multi-system autoimmune disease, affecting approximately 1% of people worldwide 1. Predisposed individuals develop an immune response to gluten, a protein found in the cereal grains: wheat, barley and rye. Autoimmune intestinal damage is the cardinal feature of celiac disease, and typically involves villous atrophy, crypt hyperplasia, and increased intraepithelial lymphocytes 2. Symptoms may be subclinical, varying from gastrointestinal upset to severe malabsorption 3,4. Skin, nervous system, and multisystem involvement is also recognized. Strict avoidance of gluten-containing foods can reverse both enteric and extra-intestinal manifestations of the disease.