05/23/2025
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Celiac Disease
Having one autoimmune disease increases the likelihood of having another; a few studies have shown that people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, and lupus may also have an increased likelihood of having celiac disease.
Some research suggests that people with RA are more likely to have celiac disease. In people with celiac disease, eating gluten can cause inflammation and arthritis-like symptoms. For these people, eliminating gluten from the diet can reduce overall inflammation and improve their symptoms.
People with celiac disease might experience symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas, anemia, and growth issues. Celiac disease can be triggered by a protein called gluten. Gluten is found in grains, like wheat, barley, and rye. Changing your diet to avoid gluten often helps relieve your symptoms.
Since the gluten can be anywhere in your blood, people with celiac can have pain and inflammation in other areas of their bodies, such as their joints. It can also cause organ damage, bone loss (osteoporosis), and weight loss.
Celiac disease is diagnosed with a blood test that looks for antibodies to gluten. Antibodies are proteins produced by the body's immune system when it detects harmful substances. If the test is positive, it's followed by an endoscopic biopsy to check for small intestine damage.
Although awareness of Celiac disease (CD) has never been greater, it remains underdiagnosed. One reason is that CD symptoms are subtle and can look like many other things, from irritable bowel syndrome and migraines, to rheumatoid arthritis. Another is that a growing number of people with CD don't experience classic gut problems, and a few with severe intestinal damage have no clinical symptoms at all. It can take five to seven years for some patients with celiac disease to be diagnosed.
Inflammation outside the gut is especially likely to affect the joints, many of RA patients who are sensitive to gluten notice less joint pain when they don't eat gluten. We know that certain foods are pro-inflammatory, which includes gluten-containing grains and the thousands of foods made from gluten, when some, but not all, people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity eliminate these from their diet, they may find their rheumatoid arthritis symptoms also improve.
“Going Gluten-Free is not a “Fad” it's medicine says Sandra Buchholz, CEO and Founder of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation, Help fight RA”
The only treatment for diagnosed CD and gluten sensitivity is a gluten-free diet. If you wish to get tested for CD, it’s important not to try a gluten-free diet before because the test won't be accurate.
For some with gluten-related joint pain, symptoms may improve within weeks after eliminating gluten. For others, it may take a little longer, and for many, the problem may not be gluten at all. Therefore, being tested for accurate results is imperative. It could also be a wheat or lactose allergy or an issue with small sugar molecules in some fruits and vegetables, which can also be pro-inflammatory and irritate the gut lining. No matter what the cause, always consult your doctor and/or a dietitian before embarking on a special diet. He or she can help you avoid any nutritional pitfalls, and together, help you determine if you have any food sensitivities or allergies.
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. What does this mean? Essentially the body is attacking itself every time a person with celiac consumes gluten.
Celiac disease is triggered by consumption of the protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, and rye. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the finger-like villi of the small intestine.
When the villi become damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to malnourishment.
Treatment:
The only treatment for celiac disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet. Eating gluten, no matter how small the amount, can damage the intestine. A gluten-free diet means avoiding all foods that contain wheat (including spelt and triticale), rye, and barley.
Despite these restrictions, people with celiac disease can eat a well-balanced diet with a variety of foods, including bread and pasta. Many gluten-free products are now made with potato, rice, soy, or bean flour. In addition, plains meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables do not contain gluten, so celiac can eat as much of these foods as they like.
People with autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or type 1 diabetes should talk to their doctors about being screened for CD.
helpfightra.org
