Coeliac disease widespread in China

Coeliac disease is more common than has been reported in China, according to a new study by researchers from Nanchang University.
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by genetically susceptible individuals consuming food and drinks made from wheat, barley or rye and therefore containing gluten. Gluten proteins can induce inflammation in the small intestine, hindering the uptake of nutrients, and can also disturb the normal functioning of other organs. In the Western world, prevalence of the disease is between 0.5 and 2 percent of the population. Despite the fact that China is the world’s largest wheat producer and has a high and rapidly increasing consumption of wheat and gluten-containing products, coeliac disease was considered to be rare in China and had not been studied thoroughly.