<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Elizabeth Bartilson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

E> I understand that many celiacs are also sensitive or intolerant of
E> other foods like corn, soy, dairy, etc.  My question is whether this
E> means that the villi are damaged by these substances, just as they are
E> from wheat, oats, barley and rye, or if they "only" cause discomfort
E> without villi damage.

My understanding is that only the gluten-containing grains cause damage
to the villi in celiacs.  The discomfort caused by intolerances and
allergies comes from other causes.

Here are some excerpts on this subject, as reported in the Fall 1996
issue of _Gluten-free Friends_, a newsletter published by the Montana
Celiac Society, 1019 So. Bozeman Ave. #3, Bozeman, MT  59715:

G> Allergies, Intolerances, and CD are all different, Cleo Anderson
G> explains.  Allergies affect 7% of children and 2% of adults, and
G> usually involve one or more of:  milk, eggs, wheat, soybeans, nuts,
G> and peanuts (legumes).  Allergy reactions include asthma, arthritis,
G> runny nose, itching, and rashes; and sometimes persistent diarrhea...
G> ...Allergy reactions are caused by the immune system.
[as an aside:  Allergies involve IgE antibodies, which are different
from the antibodies involved in CD--jml]
G>
G> Intolerances are unlike allergies in that they have nothing to do with
G> the antibodies our immune systems produce.  A food intolerance is a
G> non-immune reaction to food or food additives.
G>
G> CD, also known as gluten enteropathy, is neither an allergy nor an
G> intolerance.  Gluten enteropathy causes damage to the lining in the
G> small intestine, which interferes with the absorption of nutrients.
G> Neither allergies nor intolerances lead to this sort of intestinal
G> damage.

Elizabeth also wrote:

E> ...many newly-diagnosed celiacs are temorarily lactose-intolerant....
E> is it damaging to ingest lactose while the lining is reqrowing, or
E> is it just a matter of discomfort?

This is answered by the following excerpt, from a talk by Sheila E.
Crowe, one of the medical advisors for the Houston Celiac Sprue Support
Group, 11011 Chevy Chase, Houston, TX  77042-2606; as reported in the
Mar./Apr. 1996 issue of their newsletter:

H> *  Lactose Intolerance [whether temporary or permanent] will not
H>    damage your intestine, will not make you more susceptible to
H>    cancer, and will not make you anemic; however it will make you
H>    feel uncomfortable.

Jim Lyles ........ <[log in to unmask]> ........ Holly, Michigan, USA