The Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) is the largest non-profit

celiac disease Coeliac disease ( British English) or celiac disease (American English) is a long-term autoimmune disorder, primarily affecting the small intestine, where individuals develop intolerance to gluten, present in foods such as wheat, rye and ba ...

support group in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, with over 125 chapters and 65 resource units across the country, and over 10,000 members worldwide.

History

The Midwestern Celiac Sprue Association (MCSA) was formed in 1977 by Pat Murphy Garst of

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moine ...

. MCSA officially changed its name to Celiac Sprue Association/United States of America, Inc. in 1986.

Mission statement

Celiac Sprue Association/United States of America, Inc. (CSA/USA, Inc) is a member-based

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

dedicated to helping individuals with celiac disease and

dermatitis herpetiformis Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a chronic autoimmune blistering skin condition, characterised by intensely itchy blisters filled with a watery fluid. DH is a cutaneous manifestation of coeliac disease, although the exact causal mechanism is not k ...

worldwide through education, research, and support. In particular, it has information for its members on following a

gluten-free diet A gluten-free diet (GFD) is a nutritional plan that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat (and all of its species and hybrids, such as spelt, kamut, and triticale), as well as barley, rye, and oats. The inclu ...

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Celiac Sprue Association (Csa) Disability organizations based in the United States