Functional medicine support for coeliac disease
We take a personalised, root-cause approach to coeliac disease, looking beyond the gluten-free diagnosis to additional factors that could improve your gut health. Our care focuses on the factors that may still be affecting gut repair, nutrient absorption, and ongoing symptoms, including bacterial imbalances, additional food sensitivities, and incomplete gut lining recovery, using targeted investigation and individualised treatment to support better absorption and long-term digestive health.
Is our coeliac care right for you?
We work with people at different stages of coeliac disease, from recent diagnosis through to those who have been gluten-free for some time but still don’t feel well. Our approach may suit you if:
You feel frustrated by fatigue or digestive symptoms that continue despite following a gluten-free diet
You've been gluten-free for months (or years), but still don't feel right
You want more than a referral back to your GP and a reminder to stay gluten-free
You want to investigate what may still be affecting gut healing or nutrient absorption
Why coeliac disease symptoms can persist even on a gluten-free diet
Removing gluten stops the immune response, but it doesn’t automatically repair the gut lining or correct the nutritional deficits that have built up. The gut lining can take months or longer to recover, and nutritional deficits and immune activity often continue well after gluten has been removed. In our clinical experience, ongoing symptoms often relate to these factors. Some people also react to other grain proteins or dairy in ways that mimic gluten symptoms, even when there’s no actual gluten exposure; therefore considered support to personalise your management of coeliac is beneficial.
If symptoms are still there despite strict adherence to being gluten-free, the next step is finding out why.
Our approach to coeliac disease care
While Coeliac disease is a ‘condition for life ‘, there are two critical elements: 1. ensuring you get the correct diagnosis and having the best nutrition, and 2. lifestyle guidance to optimise your health, because the biggest risk factor for a Coeliac is actually the consequences of malabsorption leading to other serious health conditions.
Care starts with understanding your full picture: your diagnosis, how your symptoms have changed, and what’s still not right. We look beyond gluten exposure to what your body is currently dealing with, paying attention to what’s still showing up: persistent bloating, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, slow bowels or even skin flares.
Rather than applying a standard approach to every coeliac patient, your care is adapted to your history, how you’re presenting, and how your body is responding, with the goal of feeling genuinely well.
Depending on your presentation, care may include:
Nutrient support
Getting your nutrient levels back up is one of the most important parts of recovery. Iron, B12, folate, calcium, vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium are commonly depleted after years of poor absorption, and they often don’t recover with diet change alone.
- Iron, B12, and folate are often depleted due to poor absorption in the damaged small intestine
- Calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium affect bone health and are frequently low even after diagnosis
- Zinc supports mucosal repair and immune regulation and is often overlooked in standard testing
Gut healing
Repairing the gut lining takes time, often months to years, depending on how much damage was present at diagnosis.
- Glutamine, zinc, and vitamin A support mucosal repair directly
- Herbal medicines including slippery elm, liquorice, and aloe vera support mucosal repair; echinacea, baical skullcap, and nettles may aid immune regulation and nutritional status
- Specific probiotic strains, including Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL9 and L. paracasei 8700:2, have evidence for supporting immune activity relevant to coeliac disease
- Assessment and treatment of secondary conditions such as SIBO or lactose intolerance, which can persist independently of gluten exposure
Immune regulation
Even after gluten is removed, immune activity in coeliac disease doesn’t simply switch off. Inflammation can remain elevated, and the risk of developing related autoimmune conditions, particularly thyroid disease and type 1 diabetes, remains higher than in the general population. Nutrition, stress management, and lifestyle all influence how much inflammatory load the body is carrying, and monitoring for related conditions is a routine part of ongoing care.
Dietary support
People with coeliac disease have higher rates of food allergies and sensitivities beyond gluten, which can contribute to ongoing symptoms even after the diet is well managed. In addition, we’ll help ensure your gluten-free diet is genuinely nourishing rather than simply restrictive, and identify sensitivities to other foods , including dairy, FODMAPs, or certain additives.
Ongoing support
Coeliac disease is lifelong, and your needs will change over time. Stress, illness, pregnancy, and hormonal changes can all affect gut health and immune activity, so regular review is a useful part of staying well rather than initially managing a diagnosis.
Investigating coeliac disease more deeply
Functional testing is a helpful aspect of your care, enabling precision versus guessing. We look at what conventional testing doesn’t routinely cover. Our testing may include:
- Markers of intestinal permeability and mucosal integrity
- Stool testing for microbiome changes and secondary conditions, such as SIBO
- Nutrient absorption markers and full nutritional pathology
- Inflammatory markers and screening for related autoimmune conditions
Your digestive health care team
GETTING STARTED
Choose how you'd like to begin
3-hour initial apt
3-hour initial appointment
- Comprehensive deep dive into your health picture
- Ideal for complex or longstanding concerns
- Root-cause mapping and strategy session
- Get your personalised health mindmap
Start with a deep dive
1-hour initial apt
1-hour initial appointment
- Review your health history and current concerns
- Receive testing and treatment recommendations
- Leave with a clear plan to get started
A focussed starting point
WHAT PATIENTS SAY
Why Melbourne Functional Medicine is trusted for Coeliac Disease
Patient experiences
Our award winning approach is personalised, collaborative and focused on your health.
See what past patients say about their experience below.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Do I need a diagnosis before starting care?
No. You don’t need a confirmed diagnosis to start. Some people come to us with a confirmed diagnosis, while others are still in the investigation phase. If coeliac disease is suspected, we can guide appropriate testing pathways and help ensure results are interpreted accurately. If you’ve already been diagnosed, the focus moves to gut healing, symptom support, and getting to the bottom of why you’re still not feeling well.
Can this approach work alongside my current medical care?
Yes. Functional medicine is designed to complement your existing care. For coeliac disease, maintaining a strict gluten-free diet remains essential, and we work alongside this to support gut healing, nutrient status and overall wellbeing. Where needed, we can coordinate with your GP or gastroenterologist.
What if I’m gluten-free but still have symptoms?
Several things can keep symptoms going after gluten is removed, including gut lining damage that takes time to heal, bacterial imbalances, or additional food sensitivities that need to be addressed separately. A full assessment can pinpoint what’s still contributing for you. In addition, whilst most of our patients do an excellent job of staying 100% gluten-free, gluten can be a sneaky ingredient. We see unintentional gluten ingestion in even our most diligent patients. A practitioner reviewing your dietary intake may shine a light on unknown exposure.
What is the difference between gluten intolerance and coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition where the immune system reacts to gluten and damages the lining of the small intestine, flattening the villi (villous atrophy). This damage affects nutrient absorption and can lead to long-term health complications if untreated.
Gluten intolerance (also called non-coeliac gluten sensitivity or non-coeliac wheat sensitivity) causes similar digestive symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, or diarrhoea, but without intestinal damage. Symptoms usually improve once gluten is removed from the diet.
Can coeliac disease affect areas beyond digestion?
Yes. Coeliac disease can cause fatigue, low iron, skin rashes, mood changes, and hormonal disruption, even when digestive symptoms are mild or absent. It’s not unusual to feel unwell in ways that don’t seem gut-related at all. A functional medicine assessment looks at all of this, not just your digestive health.
Where can I learn more about coeliac disease?
For a deeper look at how coeliac disease affects the body and why symptoms can persist, read our detailed guide to coeliac disease.
Ready for a more personalised way forward?
We take the time to look more deeply at your health and work with you toward feeling genuinely well, not just gluten-free.
