Celiac Vaccine Designed to Reprogram Immune System

If you've been diagnosed with Celiac disease, you know how critical following a Gluten-Free diet is to protect your health.

Even trace amounts of exposure to gluten can trigger serious gastrointestinal problems and cause permanent damage the small intestine.

Simply reading food labels and avoid anything made with barley, wheat, rye, still isn't a 100 percent guarantee that you won't be exposed to gluten. And that's a problem...a problem researchers are close to solving with a vaccine for Celiac Disease.

Here's how it works:

• Twice a week you receive the Celiac Disease vaccine via injection. (Think of it like getting a regular shot to manage allergies.)
• The shot or vaccine sequence last 16 weeks.
• It's designed to trigger an immune system response to reprogram the way the body responds to gluten
• If effective, you'll be able to eat foods containing gluten without an allergic reaction

And it's working. The Nexvax2 vaccine for Celiac Disease, created by ImmusanT Inc, has already been tested in one clinical trial. And now a second clinical trial is underway (and still accepting participants) at 40 locations in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.

It's still going to be a while before this vaccine is readily available to help people with Celiac Disease. And that means you'll need to remain vigilant about following a Gluten-Free diet to protect your health.

Eating fresh foods and cooking at home is one of the best ways to do this. But it's also time consuming. If you want to make meal prep easier for a gluten-free diet, check out the selection of Gluten-Free meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We've recently added seven new gluten-free meals to the menu:

• Beef with Garlic Sauce, Pineapple Brown Rice & Japanese Blend Vegetables
• Cheese Omelet & Salsa, with Broccoli & Hash Browns
• Chicken Fillet with Honey Mustard Sauce, Herbed Quinoa, California Blend Vegetables
• Denver Scramble with Diced Turkey Ham, Bell Peppers, Potatoes & Pineapple
• Roast Turkey with Gravy, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans
• Santa Fe Chicken with Southwest Sauce, Lemon Cilantro Brown Rice & Mixed Vegetables
• Scrambled Egg Whites & Turkey Ham, Potatoes with Bell Pepper & Onions
• Vegetable Scramble & Turkey Links, Mushrooms, Onions, Bell Peppers & Pears