Coeliac Awareness Week: what is coeliac disease, symptoms, and gluten-free recipe ideas
Coeliac Awareness Week 2017 takes place between 8-14 May and is dedicated to raising awareness of coeliac disease.
This year, Coeliac Awareness Week features the launch of the Gluten Freevolution, but before we get to that, let’s start with the basics…
What is Coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease is a lifelong autoimmune condition where the body reacts to gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye.
The reaction of gluten in the immune system causes damage to the lining of the small intestine, which is why sufferers should avoid gluten at all costs to avoid unnecessary pain and discomfort.
People think the disease is rare, but it’s quite common around the world, and around one in every 100 people in the UK are said to be affected.
Unfortunately, only 24% of sufferers are diagnosed, which means there are still around half a million people in the UK who are unaware they have it yet.
Are there any symptoms?
Symptoms of coeliac disease can vary from mild to severe, depending on the person.
Some of the symptoms include nausea, bloating, tiredness, wind, diarrhoea, mouth ulcers, anaemia, hair loss and sudden or unexpected weight loss (but not in all cases).
If you’re not sure and want to find out, you can take a test at the Coeliac UK website.
Is there a cure?
Despite what you might have heard, there’s no cure for coeliac disease and the only way to treat it is to follow a strict gluten-free diet.
Once gluten is removed from the body, the symptoms should disappear, but can come back if gluten is reintroduced into your system.
Raising awareness
Although more and more people are becoming aware of the disease, there’s still a long way to go before good gluten free options are available in restaurants, cafés and elsewhere.
Which means for many, activities like eating out with friends and family are much more difficult than they need to be.
The Gluten Freevolution is the focal point of Coeliac Awareness Week, as Coeliac UK campaigns for better gluten-free food, whether you're eating out or grabbing a quick meal on the go.
The Gluten Freevolution Campaign
Coeliac UK are calling for members and supporters to do what they can to show the demand for better gluten-free products.
In doing so, sufferers – diagnosed and unaware – can understand how best to cater for themselves and have the necessary information to make better choices in the future.
The campaign launched in Awareness Week, but the Gluten Freevolution will be running throughout 2017 so there’s plenty of time to get involved and raise awareness for the cause.
From sharing videos about the condition to posting on your social media pages, 2017 is set to be a big year for the gluten-free movement.
You can find out more about how you can get involved at the Coeliac UK website.
Gluten free recipes
To help ease the struggle of deciding what to cook at home, we've rounded up 10 of our favourite gluten-free recipes for you to try, from focaccia to honey-baked leg of lamb.
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