Celiac And Longevity

[jasonD2]

Is it possible to still have a long and healthy life with celiac? Im reading all these articles on how there is a much higher mortality rate for people with celiac. Is this for undiagnosed/untreated or even for people who are on a gluten free diet?

[Imanistj]

Everything I have read says or implies that a strict gluten-free diet for life is very beneficial. No gluten, return to a healthy small bowel, no more villi damage... better absorption and better health.

[spunky]

I don't remember when or where I read it now, but at some point I came across some info implying that once you had been gluten free for 5 years, your risk for gluten-related diseases was pretty much the same as anybody else, no more.

I've also heard stories across the net of strict, careful gluten-free people, even some among them who were killing themselves with gluten, unknowingly of course, up until middle age, got very strict about their diets, and felt they were healthier in their old age than their peers. It may be that being so careful with gluten keeps people away from a lot of the junkie (and yummy) stuff... who knows. But my point is as bad as the news sometimes sounds, there is also a good likelihood of living to a healthy ripe old age, especially if you are careful.

[MaryJones2]

Is it possible to still have a long and healthy life with celiac?

Yes. And, it can be a very happy life too if you choose to make it so.

[psawyer]

My understanding is that if you carefully follow the gluten-free diet, your health and life expectancy are the same as those of a person without celiac disease. If you strictly avoid gluten, it is the same as not having celiac disease in the first place. But, if you continue to eat gluten, your life expectancy is reduced by about ten years, and it is likely that you will suffer significant unpleasant symptoms over that reduced life span. Your choice.

[YoloGx]

I have read that if you follow a gluten free whole foods diet (without much in the way of sugars and additives) one actually is more likely to live to be quite old and more capable of being vigorous (assuming one keeps exercising). Further, people with celiac tend to be more physically flexible than others even into old age (due to difficulty absorbing minerals more than likely). I have read too there is a greater ability to not succumb to viruses and bacteria assuming one avoids cross contamination with gluten.

The opposite however is true if one doesn't follow a gluten-free diet if one has celiac. The likelihood of getting cancer for instance is greatly increased as well as a number of other degenertive illnesses as well as auto immune diseases and the all too prevalent colds, flue etc.

Bea

[jasonD2]

Thanks, well I am definitely planning on sticking to the gluten-free diet but its inevitable that gluten will enter your body at some point unless you live in a bubble for the rest of your life. i guess it boils down to doing the best you can and hopefully science will give us a cure or treatment soon