Celiac Disease Affects 1 Percent of U.S. Population

Carpenter said retailers have gotten better about stocking gluten-free products and labeling foods properly.

Indeed, awareness and proper diagnosis of celiac disease have improved dramatically in the last decade, Chey said.

“When I was a medical student many years ago, we were taught that celiac disease occurred or could be found in approximately one in 500 to 1,000 individuals within the United States,” he said. “Data from within the last five years, however, show celiac disease is significantly more prevalent than previously thought. It can be identified in up to one in 133 individuals within the United States.”