Celiac Foundation for Arab Sector

The Celiac Foundation- providing practical and focused assistance to Celiac patients and people with gluten sensitivity among the Arab population.
The Celiac Foundation in the Arab Population was established in December 2014 by a team of physicians, nutrition experts, professionals from various fields, and Celiac sufferers. The Foundation was established with the purpose of raising awareness about the disease among the Arab population and to provide support and assistance to Celiac sufferers.
Celiac disease has been a recognized diseases for hundreds of years and can occur at various ages. The disease, also called “Celiac,” has thousands of varieties and various symptoms in each sufferer.
Celiac sufferers must live with the disease and maintain a gluten free diet - 1 – 2% of the population suffers from Celiac.
Treatment of Celiac is based on significant change in the patient’s lifestyle, as opposed to the rest of the population. This means a drastic transition to a gluten-free diet.This becomes virtually impossible when gluten serves as a nutritional staple. This requires awareness by suppliers about these unique consumers who suffer from Celiac.
This awareness requires the accessibility of gluten free food at all food stores and at affordable prices.
The reality in the Arab sector is far from being sensitive to the Celiac population.

Bread: Gluten is prevalent in most food products and brings Celiac patients to an impossible situation.
Awareness by suppliers of the essential needs of the Celiac population is virtually non-existent.
Gluten-free products are expensive and inaccessible to those from low socio-economic levels within the Arab sector.
For example, in the city of Nazareth, the large supermarket chains with awareness of Celiac are not locally represented.