Additional Celiac Disease Concerns

Photo: CC-USDAgov

Perhaps due to a combination of public information efforts and higher diagnosis rates, but awareness of celiac disease, gluten-free and other food sensitivities is slowly spreading to schools across the nation. This reality, coupled with general student interest in a greater variety of healthier food options is driving a change in both vocabulary and offerings at campuses around the country.

After their diagnosis, celiac patients are put on the gluten-free diet, which is the only treatment option currently available. The diet requires total elimination of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, which when ingested causes an autoimmune reaction in celiacs which results in damage to the absorptive finger-like projections that line the small intestine, which are called villi.

Candi Smithson says her 2-year-old son, Preston, has severe allergies that present him from eating certain breads and dairy items, among other things. Smithson was in Muskogee as part of a home-schooling group to see replicas of the Niña and Pinta ships, which have been cruising the Arkansas River. She, another parent and four children, including Preston, stopped at Pizza Hut to have lunch.

I was disappointed to read this opinion article in The Atlantic (titled: A Gluten-Free Diet Reality Check) when there are three U.S. studies demonstrating that about half of overweight and obese children and/or adults with newly diagnosed celiac disease lose weight following institution of a gluten free diet (GFD).

Photo: CC--Thomas Sly

In face-to-face interviews, and via internet survey, researchers asked people about their knowledge of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. They also asked people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity about their dining habits, in addition to asking chefs about their levels of training and education.

Photo: CC--cerromijares

A research team from George Washington University evaluated products from the top ten American cosmetics companies. They found a troubling lack of information about product ingredients. Only two of the ten companies featured clear, detailed ingredients, and none of the companies offered products that were gluten-free.

Photo: Sandwich with gluten-free bread. CC--rmkoske

A leading dietitian claims that people who avoid foods to which they are not allergic may have problems if they attempt to reintroduce those foods later on in life. However, her claim is being met with strong opposition from leading allergists and others on the medical community, who say that there is no evidence to support her claim.

Photo: CC--ferret111

The Publix supermarket company recently pulled its fall issue of Publix GreenWise Market magazine, because it included a recipe that was erroneously labeled as 'gluten-free.'

Photo: CC--ITA Image Library

With the rise in celiac disease diagnoses, increasing awareness of gluten-free issues, and an explosion of gluten-free related products, it is no surprise that supplements claiming to break down gluten would find their way onto the market.

Photo: CC-wwarby

Once again, Halloween is around the corner and that means parents of children who must avoid gluten are wondering which candies, especially seasonal and Halloween candies, are safe for kids on a gluten–free diet?

This photo shows a van from the Beacon Avenue Food Bank in Seattle.

With the economy on the rocks and the holiday season upon us, many food banks are struggling to keep gluten-free items on their shelves.

Photo: CC- Bob B. Brown

In what looks to be a response to a surge in the demand for gluten-free dining experiences, hotel chains such as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Omni Hotels & Resorts and Ritz-Carlton Hotels are adjusting their menus and their kitchens to properly accommodate gluten-free guests.

Photo: CC-nyxie

There is a bit of a dust-up over the cost of gluten-free bread to UK taxpayers. It seems that either UK's National Health Service (NHS) is being gouged, or that the conservative party had released inaccurate statistics about the cost of gluten-free bread to UK taxpayers.

Photo: CC-Dave Dugdale

The rise in celiac disease awareness and the explosion of foods for people who must eat gluten-free is generally a good thing. However, when companies rush products into the gluten-free market without a well-practiced and comprehensive plan, they can easily make mistakes.

Photo: CC-unknown

In a first of its kind study, a team of researchers is attempting a global estimate of the burden of celiac disease in childhood, and to to determine what role childhood celiac disease might play in global mortality due to diarrhea.

Dr. Vikki Petersen

Nearly 75% of the 24 million Americans suffering from autoimmune disease are women, according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA).  Women appear to mount larger inflammatory responses than men when their immune systems are triggered, thereby increasing their risk of autoimmunity. 

A team of researchers recently set out to assess the impact of celiac disease diagnosis on health care costs and the incremental costs associated with celiac disease.

As the gluten-free product market expands, and as we continue to seek out new tools to aid us in our search for truly gluten-free products, we are in for a treat with the recent launch of Gluten Free Watchdog.  Tricia Thompson, the founder of Gluten Free Watchdog, agreed to discuss it with us.

Celiac disease, according to estimates, affects approximately three million Americans and as of yet, 97% haven't been correctly diagnosed. As staggering as these statistics are, celiac disease remains largely poorly understood by the medical community.

Photo: CC-lalunablanca

Income plays a major role in whether patients with uncommon symptoms of celiac disease are accurately diagnosed, according to a new study from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.