History of Celiac.com
Celiac.com is the original and longest-running independent resource for the celiac and gluten-free community, founded in 1995 by Scott Adams after his own diagnosis. Our mission has always been to provide rigorously vetted, patient-centered information and a supportive forum to help people live healthier, safer lives.
Our Founding Story
Celiac.com was created by Scott Adams shortly after he was diagnosed with celiac disease. Frustrated by the lack of reliable information, he launched the site in August 1995 as "Scott's Celiac Page."
In 1997, it became the "Celiac Support Page" at Celiac.com. While the design has evolved, the core mission has never changed:
- "The purpose of this site is to provide people who have celiac disease and are not aware of it with a means of figuring out what their problem is, and to help those who know they have it to lead more comfortable and healthy lives."
Expanding Our Reach
In 2002, Celiac.com launched the "Journal of Gluten Sensitivity," the first paper publication dedicated to gluten sensitivity, edited by Dr. Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.. In 2010, Scott Adams and Dr. Hoggan co-authored "Cereal Killers."
Our publications have featured original work from leading researchers and clinicians, including:
- Chaitan Khosla, Ph.D.
- Prof. Rodney Ford, M.B., B.S., M.D., F.R.A.C.P.
- William Dickey, Ph.D., M.D., F.A.C.G.
- Dr. Jonas Ludvigsson, Professor
- Shelley Case, B.Sc., RD
- Dr. Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP
- ...and many other dedicated experts.
Celiac.com has been featured in major media including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist.
A Visual History Through the Years
The look of Celiac.com has changed, but our purpose remains. Explore our history courtesy of the Wayback Machine:
May 30, 1997:
Dec 22, 2006:
Aug 24, 2020:
Community Impact: A Selection of Early Feedback
For over 25 years, Celiac.com has been a lifeline. Here is a small sample of the feedback we received in our early years.
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 1996
Subject: Celiac Helped
"Thanks Scott, I have been wheat free and pain free for almost two weeks now... It feels like I got my life back." -Frank
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996
Subject: Julia
"My 4 year-old daughter underwent both an endoscopy and colonoscopy... confirming celiac. I can't tell you how relieved I am to find a home page such as your own on the web." -Michael Brady
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996
Subject: Congratulations
"All of us at IMMCO Diagnostics are very impressed with your web site. It is very informative and thorough. Your efforts to disseminate this valuable information to celiac sufferers is commendable." -Vijay Kumar, Kurt Neukom, Kevin Lawson
Date: Sun, 30 Jun 1996
"In the past three weeks with the information I found through your sight my life is so much better and I feel so much better." -Jean
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997
Subject: To Scott Adams
"Thanks so much for your original Celiac page! You literally saved my life. I suffered with the symptoms of this disease for 2 long years, and within 2-3 days after dumping the wheat I was back to normal."
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002
Subject: Thank you !!!!
"Thank you for your site. It saved my life and the lives of my 4 children." -Susan Carmack
This is just a tiny glimpse of the thousands of messages we've received. This feedback is the reason we continue our work.