Gluten Free for Life is a groundbreaking and highly praised exploration of celiac disease, the serious autoimmune condition that affects approximately three million Americans, or 1 percent of the population.

The manifestations of celiac disease include anemia, gastrointestinal problems and infertility. They are diverse and can have severe consequences if left untreated. The only therapy is lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet. Because many doctors know little about the condition, nearly half of the individuals with coeliac disease remain undiagnosed, and many wait years for the correct diagnosis.

In Gluten Free for Life, Emily K. Abel delves into the social, cultural and historical dimensions of celiac disease and sheds light on the challenges faced by the people affected. The book uncovers the profit-driven motivations behind certain food companies, which often produce exorbitantly priced and ultra-processed gluten-free products that remain out of reach for many people. Abel also emphasizes the parallels between celiac disease and other disabilities, stressing the condition's invisible nature. The absence of observable symptoms poses significant challenges in terms of social interactions, workplace dynamics and the overall perception of those living with the disease.

Abel cautions against viewing a medical cure as the sole solution for celiac disease. Instead, she advocates for a comprehensive approach that addresses the socioeconomic factors impacting adherence to the gluten-free diet. By redirecting attention toward necessary social and political reforms, Gluten Free for Life proposes remedies capable of alleviating the burdens faced by individuals with celiac disease.

Emily K Abel is professor emerita at the University of California, Los Angeles’s Fielding School of Public Health. She is the author of several books, including Tuberculosis and the Politics of Exclusion: A History of Public Health and Migration to Los Angeles (Rutgers University Press), which won the Viseltear Prize of the Medical Section of the American Public Health Association for an Outstanding Book in the History of Public Health.

NYU Press,232pp, 15cm x 23cm, paperback, 2024