• Prevalence of celiac disease (CeD):
- In the U.S., about 1 in 133 people — roughly 1% of the population — is estimated to have celiac disease.
- A large U.S. screening study found a prevalence of 0.71% (1 in 141) among those aged six and older; among non-Hispanic caucasians, it was about 1.01%.
- Globally, serologic studies suggest around 1.4% of people have CeD; biopsy-confirmed estimates are closer to 0.7%.
• Undiagnosed cases:
- Up to 80 % or more of people with celiac disease may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
- The “celiac iceberg” concept: many people have CeD but remain below the diagnostic radar.
• Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS):
- Estimates for NCGS vary widely, from around 1% to as high as 13% of the population.
- Some reviews suggest up to 6% of Americans may have non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
• Health implications of celiac disease:
- Ingesting gluten in people with CeD triggers an autoimmune reaction that damages the small intestine, leading to nutrient mal-absorption, anemia, bone loss, infertility or reduced fertility, and other autoimmune disorders.
- Diagnosis delays are common: in many cases people wait 6-10 years to receive correct diagnosis.
• Trends and opportunity for innovation:
- Incidence of diagnosed CeD is increasing: e.g., one study found pediatric incidence of 21.3 per 100,000 person-years vs adult 12.9 per 100,000, with annual increase of ~7.5%.
- With the prevalence and impact of gluten-related disorders known, innovations such as the edited wheat lines from UC Davis take on additional relevance for health, agriculture and food-system stakeholders.
This is a sidebar to Editing Gluten Without Breaking Bread, a feature story in the January 2026 issue of Seed World U.S.
Sources: Beyond Celiac, Celiac Disease Foundation, UC Davis, PubMed, Institute for Functional Medicine and Dr. Schär Institute
