Celiac Disease

Caution: Calcium supplements should be avoided by prostate cancer patients.

The malabsorption that occurs in celiac disease can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies. The most common nutritional problems in people with celiac disease include deficiencies of essential fatty acids, iron, vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and folic acid.¹Zinc malabsorption also occurs frequently in celiac disease² and may result in zinc deficiency, even in people who are otherwise in remission.³ People with newly diagnosed celiac disease should be assessed for nutritional deficiencies by a doctor. Celiac patients who have not yet completely recovered should supplement with a high-potency multivitamin-mineral. Some patients may require even higher amounts of some of these vitamins and minerals—an issue that should be discussed with their healthcare practitioner. Evidence of a nutrient deficiency in a celiac patient is a clear indication for supplementation with that nutrient.

After commencement of a gluten-free diet, overall nutritional status gradually improves. However, deficiencies of some nutrients may persist, even in people who are strictly avoiding gluten. For example, magnesium deficiency was found in 8 of 23 adults with celiac disease who had been following a gluten-free diet and were symptom-free. When these adults were supplemented with magnesium for two years, their bone mineral density increased significantly.⁴

People with celiac disease often do not produce adequate digestive secretions from the pancreas, including lipase enzymes⁵ In a double-blind trial, children with celiac disease who received a pancreatic enzyme supplement along with a gluten-free diet gained significantly more weight in the first month than those treated with only a gluten-free diet.⁶ However, this benefit disappeared in the second month, suggesting enzyme supplements may only be useful at the beginning of dietary treatment.

The malabsorption that occurs in celiac disease can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies. The most common nutritional problems in people with celiac disease include deficiencies of essential fatty acids, iron, vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and folic acid.⁷Zinc malabsorption also occurs frequently in celiac disease⁸ and may result in zinc deficiency, even in people who are otherwise in remission.⁹ People with newly diagnosed celiac disease should be assessed for nutritional deficiencies by a doctor. Celiac patients who have not yet completely recovered should supplement with a high-potency multivitamin-mineral. Some patients may require even higher amounts of some of these vitamins and minerals—an issue that should be discussed with their healthcare practitioner. Evidence of a nutrient deficiency in a celiac patient is a clear indication for supplementation with that nutrient.

After commencement of a gluten-free diet, overall nutritional status gradually improves. However, deficiencies of some nutrients may persist, even in people who are strictly avoiding gluten. For example, magnesium deficiency was found in 8 of 23 adults with celiac disease who had been following a gluten-free diet and were symptom-free. When these adults were supplemented with magnesium for two years, their bone mineral density increased significantly.¹⁰

The malabsorption that occurs in celiac disease can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies. The most common nutritional problems in people with celiac disease include deficiencies of essential fatty acids, iron, vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and folic acid.¹¹Zinc malabsorption also occurs frequently in celiac disease¹² and may result in zinc deficiency, even in people who are otherwise in remission.¹³ People with newly diagnosed celiac disease should be assessed for nutritional deficiencies by a doctor. Celiac patients who have not yet completely recovered should supplement with a high-potency multivitamin-mineral. Some patients may require even higher amounts of some of these vitamins and minerals—an issue that should be discussed with their healthcare practitioner. Evidence of a nutrient deficiency in a celiac patient is a clear indication for supplementation with that nutrient.

After commencement of a gluten-free diet, overall nutritional status gradually improves. However, deficiencies of some nutrients may persist, even in people who are strictly avoiding gluten. For example, magnesium deficiency was found in 8 of 23 adults with celiac disease who had been following a gluten-free diet and were symptom-free. When these adults were supplemented with magnesium for two years, their bone mineral density increased significantly.¹⁴

The malabsorption that occurs in celiac disease can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies. The most common nutritional problems in people with celiac disease include deficiencies of essential fatty acids, iron, vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and folic acid.¹⁵Zinc malabsorption also occurs frequently in celiac disease¹⁶ and may result in zinc deficiency, even in people who are otherwise in remission.¹⁷ People with newly diagnosed celiac disease should be assessed for nutritional deficiencies by a doctor. Celiac patients who have not yet completely recovered should supplement with a high-potency multivitamin-mineral. Some patients may require even higher amounts of some of these vitamins and minerals—an issue that should be discussed with their healthcare practitioner. Evidence of a nutrient deficiency in a celiac patient is a clear indication for supplementation with that nutrient.

It is possible that subtle deficiencies of other nutrients may exist in people with celiac disease who are on a gluten-free diet and are in remission. People who are not strictly avoiding gluten are likely to have more severe deficiencies. Because of the complexity of this condition and the multiple nutritional factors involved, people with celiac disease should be under the care of a doctor. Some doctors may recommend use of nutritional supplements, including a high-potency multivitamin-mineral supplement, to reduce the risk of future deficiencies. No controlled trials have investigated the value of supplements in the minority of celiac disease patients who do not go into remission in response to a gluten-free diet.¹⁸

In one study, six people with diet-treated celiac disease had abnormal dark-adaptation tests (indicative of “night blindness”), even though some were taking a multivitamin that contained vitamin A. Some of these people showed an improvement in dark adaptation after receiving larger amounts of vitamin A, either orally or by injection.¹⁹ People with celiac disease should discuss the possibility of vitamin A deficiency with a healthcare practitioner before taking vitamin A supplements.

The malabsorption that occurs in celiac disease can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies. The most common nutritional problems in people with celiac disease include deficiencies of essential fatty acids, iron, vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and folic acid.²²Zinc malabsorption also occurs frequently in celiac disease²³ and may result in zinc deficiency, even in people who are otherwise in remission.²⁴ People with newly diagnosed celiac disease should be assessed for nutritional deficiencies by a doctor. Celiac patients who have not yet completely recovered should supplement with a high-potency multivitamin-mineral. Some patients may require even higher amounts of some of these vitamins and minerals—an issue that should be discussed with their healthcare practitioner. Evidence of a nutrient deficiency in a celiac patient is a clear indication for supplementation with that nutrient.

After commencement of a gluten-free diet, overall nutritional status gradually improves. However, deficiencies of some nutrients may persist, even in people who are strictly avoiding gluten. For example, magnesium deficiency was found in 8 of 23 adults with celiac disease who had been following a gluten-free diet and were symptom-free. When these adults were supplemented with magnesium for two years, their bone mineral density increased significantly.²⁵

Malabsorption-induced depletion of vitamin D can lead to osteomalacia (defective bone mineralization) in people with celiac disease.²⁶ Although supplementation with vitamin D appears to increase bone density, the excess risk of bone fracture may not be entirely eliminated.

The malabsorption that occurs in celiac disease can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies. The most common nutritional problems in people with celiac disease include deficiencies of essential fatty acids, iron, vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and folic acid.²⁷Zinc malabsorption also occurs frequently in celiac disease²⁸ and may result in zinc deficiency, even in people who are otherwise in remission.²⁹ People with newly diagnosed celiac disease should be assessed for nutritional deficiencies by a doctor. Celiac patients who have not yet completely recovered should supplement with a high-potency multivitamin-mineral. Some patients may require even higher amounts of some of these vitamins and minerals—an issue that should be discussed with their healthcare practitioner. Evidence of a nutrient deficiency in a celiac patient is a clear indication for supplementation with that nutrient.

After commencement of a gluten-free diet, overall nutritional status gradually improves. However, deficiencies of some nutrients may persist, even in people who are strictly avoiding gluten. For example, magnesium deficiency was found in 8 of 23 adults with celiac disease who had been following a gluten-free diet and were symptom-free. When these adults were supplemented with magnesium for two years, their bone mineral density increased significantly.³⁰

The malabsorption that occurs in celiac disease can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies. The most common nutritional problems in people with celiac disease include deficiencies of essential fatty acids, iron, vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and folic acid.³¹Zinc malabsorption also occurs frequently in celiac disease³² and may result in zinc deficiency, even in people who are otherwise in remission.³³ People with newly diagnosed celiac disease should be assessed for nutritional deficiencies by a doctor. Celiac patients who have not yet completely recovered should supplement with a high-potency multivitamin-mineral. Some patients may require even higher amounts of some of these vitamins and minerals—an issue that should be discussed with their healthcare practitioner. Evidence of a nutrient deficiency in a celiac patient is a clear indication for supplementation with that nutrient.

After commencement of a gluten-free diet, overall nutritional status gradually improves. However, deficiencies of some nutrients may persist, even in people who are strictly avoiding gluten. For example, magnesium deficiency was found in 8 of 23 adults with celiac disease who had been following a gluten-free diet and were symptom-free. When these adults were supplemented with magnesium for two years, their bone mineral density increased significantly.³⁴

People with celiac disease often do not produce adequate digestive secretions from the pancreas, including lipase enzymes³⁵ In a double-blind trial, children with celiac disease who received a pancreatic enzyme supplement along with a gluten-free diet gained significantly more weight in the first month than those treated with only a gluten-free diet.³⁶ However, this benefit disappeared in the second month, suggesting enzyme supplements may only be useful at the beginning of dietary treatment.