With wheat allergies and Celiac disease on the rise, more Americans are forced to seek out gluten-free products. Largely impacting dietary choices, these conditions also affect the types of products used. From gluten free skin care products to hair care, there are plenty of options in the personal care product that won’t irritate these sensitivities.

Photo: CC--GE Healthcare

Although most instances of gluten sensitivity manifest as a chronic, autoimmune disorder of the small intestine (celiac disease), around 10% of gluten sensitive patients suffer neurological symptoms. Usually these neurological symptoms accompany the more common intestinal issues, but some patients exhibit neurological symptoms exclusively. For this reason, it is thought that gluten-related symptoms in different parts of the body could be the result of autoimmune reactions to different members of the transglutaminase gene family. A recent lab study suggests that neurological gluten-related symptoms could be the result of an immune reaction to a particular neuronal enzyme known as TG6, and that this reaction occurs separate from other autoimmune reactions to gluten.

Many celiac sufferers have stories of discrimination and/or ignorance from coworkers, peers and employers but none have been quite as high profile as the current dispute between actress Jennifer Esposito and CBS. Esposito, a sufferer of celiac disease, plays one of the main characters in the CBS drama 'Blue Bloods'. After Esposito requested a reduced schedule to manage her condition, CBS took steps that have Esposito, her fans, and celiac sufferers everywhere rallying to her cause.

Celiac disease with epilepsy and cerebral calcifications, also known as CEC, is a rare form of celiac disease that is accompanied by occipital epilepsy. Past studies have suggested that the neurological symptoms could be the result of a folate deficiency, as folate levels are typically low in patients suffering from CEC. However, a recent case report indicates that as with other neurological gluten-related diseases (such as gluten ataxia), there may be some correlation between CEC and TG6 autoantibodies, indicating that the disease is autoimmune in nature.

Photo: CC--Alberto Alerigi

Wine is naturally gluten-free, making it a go-to alcoholic drink for sufferers of celiac disease. However, some vintners use oak barrels sealed with wheat paste, which opens up the possibility for cross-contamination. A study posted by Tricia Thompson, MS, RD on her Gluten-Free Watchdog website investigates this possibility through a series of sandwich R5 ELISA and competitive R5 ELISA tests.

With so many gluten-free snack bars coming onto the market nowadays, it can be hard to find one that stands out, and really deserves a spot in your snack food reserves. SOYJOY makes great baked whole soy-based gluten-free bars, and their new cranberry flavor is one of their best yet.

Since 2004 when Congress passed the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, sufferers of celiac disease have awaited some sort of finalized action from the FDA to set a rule for gluten-free labeling. The FDA proposed a gluten-free food labeling rule in 2007 and since then, there have been multiple open comment periods for it, but as of yet, there has been no finalized action to control gluten-free labeling in food products.

Breadfruit is a starchy fruit that grows mainly in the Pacific Islands. It is highly nutritious, with high fiber, potassium and vitamin C content, as well as a low glycemic index. Signa Haiti's 100% Gluten-Free Breadfruit Flour captures these nutritive qualities and makes a tasty wheat flour alternative.

Photo: CC--Paul Falardeau

With all the problems that go along with celiac disease, it can be hard to see any benefits to having the disease. However, it would seem that such benefits do exist: a recent study in Sweden shows that women suffering from celiac disease are actually at a decreased risk of developing breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer.

One of the biggest complaints I have about the gluten-free food industry is that corn is usually brought in to fill the gaping whole left by the removal of wheat. Corn tastes great and all, but personally, I prefer a more nutritious wheat alternative whenever possible, so long as it still tastes good (which many do, e.g. quinoa and buckwheat).

Photo: CC--Daniel Paquet

Last year, ImmusanT's Nexvax2 celiac disease vaccine passed its phase 1 clinical trials in Australia and New Zealand, causing a stir of hope and anticipation within the celiac disease community. It will still be a while before the vaccine is available to the public, but yesterday ImmusanT announced that it commenced phase 1b clinical trials in New Zealand and Australia and phase 1 clinical trials in the U.S.

North India has what has come to be referred to as a “celiac belt”, where a greater than average number of people exhibit symptoms of celiac disease. This is partially because more wheat is consumed in this region, but also because the population possesses haplotypes necessary for celiac disease to develop. For this reason, it would make sense that emigrants from the area would also be prone to celiac disease. A study centered in Debyshire, UK investigates celiac disease as it manifests in the North Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrant populations.

Celiac disease numbers in Western countries are currently somewhere in the 1:100 range, but this does not account for a host of non-celiac gluten intolerant people. For many, it is common knowledge that gluten and wheat intolerance manifests in a variety of forms, and not all of them are diagnosable as celiac disease. This has not prevented the existence of such non-celiac wheat sensitivities from being debated in scientific circles though. A double-blind placebo-controlled study spanning 2001-2011 demonstrates that wheat sensitivity exists as a distinct clinical condition, separate from celiac disease.

I have always been a little unsure what to think of probiotics. My mother raised me to take acidophilus supplements religiously, but I could never find any evidence to suggest that the pills actually improved my health. After two weeks taking Vidazorb Super C Chewable Probiotics, I think I have my first substantial evidence that probiotics actually do something.

Photo: CC--SidPix2

One of the least talked about symptoms of celiac disease in children is a delaying of sexual maturation. Previous studies have established this effect, but they have not clearly explored whether treatment of celiac disease (via gluten-free diet) can restore sexual maturation to a normal rate.

Dana Vollmer could be walking (or swimming) proof of the benefits a gluten-free diet can afford athletes. In the second day of London's 2012 Olympics, Vollmer, who suffers from gluten sensitivity and an egg allergy, took the gold medal in the Women's 100-meter butterfly final, breaking her own personal record, as well as the world record.

Photo: CC -- Swathi Sridharan

While a great deal of progress has been made with gluten-free food over the last ten years, many celiacs still feel that they are 'missing out' on gluten-containing foods. Fadi Aramouni, professor of food science at Kansas State University is working to change this through extensive research and testing on sorghum, as well as other wheat alternatives.

The finished Gluvana cupcakes.

For my first gluten-free baking experience, I made vanilla cupcakes with orange-flavored frosting using Gluvana Complete Gluten-Free All Purpose Mix. I also made a batch of gluten-containing cupcakes using the same recipe to allow for comparison. I didn't do blind taste testing or anything like that, but I can honestly say that the cupcakes made with Gluvana's flour were better.

Between 1984 and 1996, Sweden experienced a celiac disease epidemic: celiac disease rates shot up to four times normal levels, then dropped just as abruptly ten years later. This is interesting because it shows that there is some environmental cause for the disease, but the nature of that cause is proving hard to pinpoint.

When I first read the box for this lemon tart, I wasn't exactly excited. I didn't think anything that was gluten-free, free of added sugar, vegan and raw could taste like anything other than cardboard and/or grass.