Celiac disease is an autoimmune-mediated enteropathy triggered
by the ingestion of gluten-containing grains, wheat, rye, oat
and barley, in genetically susceptible people. The reaction to gluten
ingestion by sufferers of celiac disease is an inflammation of the
small intestine leading to the malabsorption of several important
nutrients including iron, folic acid, calcium, and fat soluble vitamins
(Feighery, 1999). The symptoms of celiac disease vary widely and
the only way to prevent them is to exclude gluten-containing
cereals from the diet (gluten-free diet).