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For the past 20 years, Jeff MacLean would shy away from restaurants or accepting dinner party invitations -- a particularly tall order for a guy in the food services industry.

Mr. MacLean, 38, couldn't digest lactose. Then he found out he had celiac disease, which is an intolerance to gluten.

But gluten is a protein found in everything from wheat to salad dressings to dried fruits and prepared meats.

"Bottom line is, if you're a celiac, you can't eat out anywhere," he said.

Now, he and his business partner, David Hensch, 30, who is waiting on a diagnosis for his own stomach woes, have opened in Calgary what they believe is the first gluten-free restaurant in North America.

"This is basically a labour of love and necessity," Mr. MacLean says, as he stands in his West Coast surf-themed restaurant, Splitt, which opened this week in the city's southwest.

"This is a work in progress for five years. It's for that reason. I can't eat. I can't go to a place and eat," said Mr. MacLean, who has owned other eateries before starting this venture.

It may not sound appetizing to discuss tummy troubles over the dinner table, but a growing number of Canadians are being diagnosed with gut problems, particularly celiac disease, as more sophisticated blood tests have been developed and patients become more informed.

Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune gastrointestinal disorder that results in damage to the tiny finger-like protrusions called villi that line the small intestine when gluten is consumed. Damage to the villi can prevent nutrients being absorbed by the body.

The condition was once thought to be a childhood illness that affected one in 250 people in the United States and Canada. But a more recent study pegs its prevalence at one in 133 and something that afflicts mostly adults.

Unpleasant symptoms include constipation, diarrhea, bloating, cramps and nausea. But it also leads to weight loss, malnutrition, such as iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, depression and infertility.

Celiac disease can also manifest itself on the skin as dermatitis herpetiformis, which is an itchy, blistery rash that tends to appear on elbows, knees, the backside and scalp.

But since the symptoms of celiac disease are similar to other gastrointestinal problems, it is sometimes misdiagnosed as lactose intolerance, chronic fatigue syndrome, diverticulosis or irritable bowel syndrome, which is thought to affect up to 20 per cent of the population.

Blood tests can detect the endomysial and tissue transglutaminase antibodies associated with celiac disease. But a biopsy of the small intestine is the only surefire way of confirming the diagnosis.

And there is no cure. Only a gluten-free diet can manage the condition.

It has taken six months and consultation with the Canadian Celiac Association for Splitt to craft a menu that they say won't make celiacs sick.

"It's been quite challenging actually," says chef Steaphen Cleary. "There aren't a lot of products out there."

Splitt, so named because it's a restaurant during the day and a nightclub in the evening, offers everything from egg breakfasts to steak dinners. Its menu notes that all items are gluten and lactose free, with the exception of beverages, although it also offers gluten-free alcohol -- such as certain liquors and wines. Bread products are also available without gluten.

Pasta and wheat bread, for example, are no-nos for celiac sufferers. So Splitt created a Mexican lasagna that uses soft corn tortillas in place of pasta layers and offers a rice bun with its jalapeno stuffed burger.

While some products are clearly labelled, staff had to contact manufacturers to dig up detailed ingredient lists.

Jo Anne Murray, education co-ordinator at the Calgary chapter of the celiac association, said finding Worcestershire sauce is particularly tricky. Most brands contain malt vinegar, which has gluten particles in it, but that much detail wouldn't be listed on a typical bottle of Worcestershire.

Cross-contamination is another factor celiacs face if their food is prepared in the same toaster or pots as products with gluten, said Ms. Murray, who was diagnosed with celiac disease 40 years ago and generally avoids eating out.

She calls Splitt a welcome prototype in the restaurant industry.

"This is the first one I'm aware of that has taken this in a major way," she said. "Once Splitt catches on, I don't think it will sit alone."

In a sector where most new businesses fail, that's the kind of endorsement the men behind the venture crave.

"So many people out there live with stomach problems," Mr. Hensch said.