welcome to celi-act
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Celiac Disease, or gluten intolerance, is a genetic autoimmune disease that is estimated to affect 1 of every 133 people in the U.S. Research indicates there are approximately 2.5 million people with celiac disease in the U.S., though only approximately 80,000 of those have been diagnosed.
Celiac Disease causes damage to the small intestine and malnourishment when people eat foods with gluten, found in wheat, rye, barley, malt, and possibly oats.
There are numerous celiac support groups across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and the U.S. National Institue of Health recently launched a Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign. The Internet has numerous support organizations and a lot of in-depth information about the disease.
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It's a life-changing diagnosis made much easier with help from others going through the same experience, thus the creation of our group in Knoxville.
Celi-Act is sponsored by GI For Kids, PLLC, located at East Tennessee Children's Hospital, but is open to anyone with celiac disease or their family members. We are ETN Celiac Support Chapter #120 of the national support group, Celiac Sprue Association.