If Your Villi Is Finally Healed.. And You Eat Gluten Accidentally Just Once...

[Jamie]

If your Villi is finally healed.. and you eat gluten accidentally just once...are you back to square 1 again? Is your villi completly destroyted from the gluten you've just taken in? Or does it depend on the person?

[Tim-n-VA]

There have been many reports on this board from people who went back on gluten to get test results. There is a lot of variation between individuals but the consensus seems to be that you need to be on gluten for at least six weeks to have damage detected by testing.

Based on that I would say that you definitely don't go all the way back to square one with one accidental glutening. Cumulative effects and asymtomatic issues make completely zero gluten the only sensible goal for a celiac but few people think you will realistically achieve that goal. Of course, you shouldn't use that as an excuse for occasional intentional gluten.

[jerseyangel]

I agree with Tim. While you may very well have a reaction to the accidental gluten consumption, it takes more than just eating it once to cause measurable damage.

But it's also true that even in the absence of a reaction, continuing gluten exposure for a Celiac can and will impede healing, and over time will cause damage.

The occasional cross contamination will not put you back to square one