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I have a few questions; we're only three months into feeding our Celiac
daughter gluten free and I have some questions that some of you may know the
answer to...

First, I have read TONS on this disease and how to eat and what not to eat,
etc.  I also know that many nutritionists don't know all there is to know
about this disease.  That said,
1) Our daughter doesn't have noticeable reactions to digesting small amounts
of gluten...that can be good or bad depending on your views :)

2) The nutritionist advised going gluten free as much as possible, but if
the last ingredient in a long list of ingredients was one from a source of
wheat, then you might want to continue using it.  Or, maybe if distilled
vinegar was an ingredient you might want to continue using that product,
etc.  THEN when the first nine months of this new diet are up, we will have
a second biopsy to see if this diet has corrected the problem of atrophied
villi.  If there were great improvement, then she could continue eating on
this almost totally gluten free diet, but if the intestines did not appear
normal, then we'd have to go totally strictly gluten free in her eating.
Her (the nutrionist's) thought being that if she (our daughter) could
tolerate small minute amounts of gluten, you'd only know it by eating minute
amounts until the next biopsy.  I know that ALL I read says that even the
smallest amount of gluten causes damage, even if you can't feel it.  My
question....?  How does anyone know this?  Has anyone eaten minute amounts
of gluten, had a follow up biopsy and seen great improvement or no
improvement on this diet?  I realize that some people can't physically
tolerate any gluten at all and that others can (are "silent celiacs")   So
in all the literature I read that says,  "even minute amounts of gluten are
dangerous to a celiac", can anyone tell me or point me to a study that shows
this to be true?

3) We've cut all but the most minute amounts of gluten from our daughter's
diet and have seen growth, weight gain and a change in her temperament (for
the better) over the last three months, so the diet is working.  Our
question, concern is, will we see complete healing in her in 6 months?  I
just want to know from what source everyone/thing claims that small amounts
of gluten are dangerous....is there a study?

Thanks for any help on this...
Jennifer

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