According to data from the Federation of Celiac Associations of Spain (FACE), one in every 100 children born has celiac disease . Unfortunately, there is no medical treatment to cure this disease, the only reliable option being the control of the diet and the elimination of gluten from it.
Celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten , a protein found in some very common cereals, such as barley, wheat, rye, and oats. About one percent of the population suffers from this intolerance, which often causes intestinal problems, diarrhea, and can retard the growth of children.
The basis of this disease is genetic and, although there is a risk of suffering from it in individuals with celiac parents, it is not always clinically expressed . To express the disease, both genetic and environmental factors must coincide and there are still many scientific gaps regarding its appearance. As explained from the FACE, “the form of genetic inheritance of celiac disease is still not known exactly.”
In the same way, the treatments of the disease are conspicuous by their absence. Currently, as pointed out by the Association of Celiacs and Gluten Sensitive of the Community of Madrid, ” the only existing treatment today consists of following a strict gluten-free diet for life .” However, various research groups are working to try to find some type of effective treatment. As they point out from this same association, a possible treatment “could be to supply an enzyme that is capable of breaking the peptide that is toxic to celiacs, into smaller pieces, so that the enzyme is supplied in the form of a dietary supplement and celiac disease I will take it every time I go to eat gluten ”they point out.
Be that as it may, medical research on the chronic intestinal disease that affects more people in Spain still has a long way to go.
