International Celiac Disease Societies:
Cereals have played a vital role in human history. Already in the 15th century BC. Intestinal diseases manifested by malabsorption and resembling symptoms of celiac disease have been described.
In the 1960s, three important discoveries were made in celiac disease research. Firstly, it has been established that the basis of the disease is gluten intolerance. Secondly, it was revealed that damage to the mucous membrane of the small intestine is associated with the pathogenesis of the disease. And thirdly, the advent of the biopsy method gave scientists the opportunity to begin to uncover the secrets of the pathogenesis of celiac enteropathy
In 1924, American pediatrician Sidney Haas presented the positive results of the banana diet in treating children with celiac disease. This method remained popular for several decades.
Until the 1990s. celiac disease was considered a rare disease that mainly affected children and was limited to Western Europe. Celiac disease is currently a major health problem and affects people all over the world. A recent meta-analysis estimated the prevalence of celiac disease diagnosed based on positive anti-TG2 IgA and/or endomysial antibody tests to be 1.4% (95% confidence interval: 1.1–1.7%).