Most people would think that continued diarrhoea is a sign that their coeliac disease is causing damage still. It is, but actually researchers believe that people who present with anaemia are the ones with the most villi damage and worst coeliac disease.

In a recent study, researchers concluded:

Anemic patients were more than 2-fold more likely to have severe villous atrophy and a low bone mass density at time they were diagnosed with celiac disease than patients who presented with diarrhea.

So, that points to low nutrient status (just that we happen to have looked at the iron status here first, but if one mineral is low, probably so are other key vitamins and minerals) and also to low bone density (which is, of course, wholly dependent on hormone and nutrient levels such as Vitamin D, magnesium and calcium being correct).

I note too that women with anaemia tended to have low protective cholesterol on top. Low cholesterol generally would also mean low oestrogen (back to the low bone density again etc). And so it goes on.

Basically, this makes sense. If your villi is suffering continued damage, your absorption capacity is lower than it should be still. Low absorption leads to lowered efficiency of cellular, glandular and organ processes doesn’t it? Your body is completely dependent on nutrients being in the right place at the right time so malabsorption is, to my mind, going to be a major problem. The key ways to check for malabsorption in mainstream medicine is to check iron status and bone density. It could be that other areas of the body are struggling; it’s just that we’re not looking there specifically. Yet.

As I have said before, most coeliacs on a gluten free diet do not heal their villi very effectively at all. If that’s you, my advice is to go grain free for a few months and then see if that makes any difference.

You can read the study here:

Celiac Disease Patients Presenting with Anemia Have More Severe Disease than Those Presenting with Diarrhea.