After adopting a strict gluten-free diet, intestinal villi take about two years to heal. Most people notice symptoms dissipating and enjoy a new feeling of well-being
Some health problems can be hard to pinpoint. An accurate diagnosis of celiac disease can be easily missed. Among adults in particular, symptoms can be so subtle it can go undetected for years, causing other problems that further complicate a definitive diagnosis.
Researchers at Duke University examined a randomized sample of 2,835 people over the age of 55, finding 2.13 percent had this disease but didn’t know it. Today, celiac disease affects one percent of the population in Western countries.