Celiac disease (also known as celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy) is a digestive autoimmune condition that damages the small intestine when a trigger protein — gluten — is ingested. When people with celiac disease eat foods with gluten, such as bread or cereal, their immune system inappropriately reacts to the ingested gluten and causes inflammation and injury to the small intestine. This can result in symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, and weight loss, as well as an inability to absorb important nutrients from foods.