Celiac disease, also known as "gluten intolerance", is a genetic disorder that affects about 1 in 40. Symptoms of celiac disease can range from the classic features, such as diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition, to latent symptoms such as isolated nutrient deficiencies, but no gastrointestinal symptoms. The authors performed a case control study of 250 children and found the risk of developing celiac disease decreased significantly by nearly 2/3 for children breast-fed for more than 2 months. The age at first gluten introduction had no significant influence on the incidence of celiac disease. The authors concluded that a significant protective effect on the development of celiac disease is offered by breast-feeding.
Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 45:4:2001, 135-142
Because celiac disease has been considered rare in this country, it often goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome or lactose intolerance. My experience is that the true incidence is probably much higher still, perhaps on the order of 1 in 10 people. It is likely that as many as half of us have subclinical celiac disease and have health problems with wheat that we just don't recognize. There are many, many reasons why one should breastfeed, but who would have known that a lower risk of developing celiac disease was one of them? My associate editor is actually compiling a list of breastfeeding benefits and we will hopefully post these reasons along with literature references in the near future.
Related Articles:
The Prevalence of Celiac Disease in At-Risk Groups of Children in the United States Celiac Disease: Fertility and Pregnancy Celiac Disease and Indigestion