Celiac.com 01/17/2017 - A diagnosis of pellagra will likely have many other disease presentations, not limited to acne, rosacea (dermatitis) skin rashes, depression, anxiety, dementia, etc., as well. Seventy-five or more years ago the symptoms of Pellagra were commonly diagnosed as separate diseases that were known to be of a common cause. Similarly celiac disease today is often referred to as the "tip of the iceberg," not only because of the large number of undiagnosed people, but also due to the vast range of symptoms and associated diseases and disorders that can be caused by untreated celiac disease. I assert that pellagra could be, in some cases, related to celiac disease, and might even cause it.

Today Pellagra has mainly been reserved for subgroups of people like alcoholics or disadvantaged groups like the homeless, who lack good protein sources in their diet to stave it off. Quoting Niki Frost from the Pellagra Disease Blog: "Since pellagra is such a rare disease today, few people recognize it based on their symptoms alone (any of the three D's: dementia, dermatitis, and diarrhea). Pellagra patients are consequently referred to specialists in fields that are ultimately unrelated to the underlying nutritional deficiency and metabolic nature of the disease." (1)

Dr. Heaney, Professor of Medicine at Creighton University, actually echo this fact when he says "In the United States, at least, Pellagra is a disease of the past, fortunately, and it is doubtful today that most health professionals would recognize it if a case happened to come to their attention." (2) Why is this? Because, as mentioned above, doctor's don't recognized it today unless they are a specialist, and even then, according to Nicki Frost: "specialists (are) in fields that are ultimately unrelated to the underlying nutritional deficiency and metabolic nature of the disease." (3) So the cycle repeats.

Since these specialists might not consider people with celiac disease/Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) to be in a subgroup which is prone Pellagra, is it possible that some people are misdiagnosed? Skin conditions like acne, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, skin lesions, and mouth ulcers can be related to both Pellagra and celiac disease or NCGS. Some of the other signs of Pellagra, other than digestive distress, are dementia related symptoms such as depression, anxiety, brain fog, mental confusion, etc., which are also present in 40 percent of celiac patients. What if doctors haven't made the right diagnosis in some cases? Many people who might be misdiagnosed with celiac disease but who actually have Pellagra might not get better because they are not treating the right disease.

Pellagra and its associated skin and GI problems are totally reversible with supplementation, which is one of the reasons that many foods are enriched with niacin. Glutenfree Works covers this topic well by noting a casual relationship, but not a causal relationship. They even note that a niacin deficiency itself can cause some of these symptoms. According to Glutenfree Works:

"Intriguing animal research by Sandhur et. al. has shown that niacin deficiency itself sensitizes the intestinal mucosa of rats to gluten in wheat, barley, rye, oats and corn and induces susceptibility to gluten toxicity by means of cellular dysfunction. Human research needs to investigate this effect of niacin deficiency in human celiac disease." (4)

But no one else seems to take note of this amazing fact. The research by Sandhur et. al. is 30+ years old, but is it possible that people are suffering from all kinds of GI problems, possibly even celiac disease, because they are ignorant of this fact?

Around 15 years ago Prousky did follow up human research (5) that supports the idea that niacinamide can indeed treat different digestive problems. It was this initial research which I read 10+ years ago that lead me to the hypothesis that Pellagra today is might be misdiagnosed as celiac disease, because doctors are no longer able to recognize Pellagra in a clinical setting, having not seen it 75+ years.

From Dr. Heaney's blog: "2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the war on pellagra, a war that lasted nearly 25 of those years before victory could finally be declared. You have not heard of the war on pellagra? The celebration is not on your calendar? You're not alone. Why did it take so long? Was the science so intractable, like the current "war" on cancer? No. It was politics and pigheadedness that were the obstacles." Dr. Heaney says: "Nutritional deficiency was not an accepted category of disease when Goldberger started work" on his cause/cure for Pellagra, and I must also mention that it is not looked at today in those diagnosed with celiac disease. (6)

Let's look into this more if we can. Let's see what other expert's say about this. If we look at back issues of The International Journal of Celiac Disease we see a casual link that indicates a co-morbidity of Pellagra in celiac patients of 58%. (7) Note they the International Journal of Celiac Disease is not looking for a causal link but they only report casual association. In the article entitled "Two Exceptional Complications Revealing Celiac Pellagra" the author notes: "pellagra is essentially affecting tissues with a high rate of cell turnover, such as the digestive tract and the skin, and tissues with high energy needs, such as the brain". (8) If the symptoms are so similar, it might be easy to confuse one disease for the other.

How is this possible? The International Journal of Celiac Disease muses on this point too. When discussing the "exceptional" and not well understood reasons why Pellagra might show up in a celiac diagnosis, they say "Little progress has been made in our knowledge of pellagra...since Goldberger discovered that nicotinamide was a preventive factor in 1926...(P)roof of this is that there have been no changes in treatment or diagnostic criteria in the last 90 years." The International Journal of Celiac Disease summarizes this case of "Exceptional complications revealing celiac disease and Pellagra illustrates...rare complication revealing celiac disease". (8)

Since up to 58 percent of celiac patients might be co-morbid with Pellagra, could it be possible that Pellagra is the "parent disease," and the those diagnosed with celiac disease have symptoms derived from Pellagra? If we follow most normal paths for adoption it will take another 20 years (a generation) for the medical community to accept Pellagra as perhaps the proper diagnosis in some cases. So there is some evidence to suggest that medical science is, perhaps in many cases, identifying the wrong disease. If one is critically low in niacin, the 3 D's of Pellagra (Dementias, Dermatitis's, and Digestive Issues) show up.

Take the "Niacin (Niacinamide) Challenge" and see if taking it three times a day for six months don't cause a healthy GI pattern, including a once per day bowel movement that sinks and healthy burping without bloating. Taking the niacinamide Challenge may put co-morbid cases of Pellagra, including its digestive symptoms, into remission, and provide relief for many who do not recover on a gluten-free diet alone. The number one mistake people make when taking niacinamide is they don't take it for long enough. It takes 4 to 6 months to overcome a serious deficiency of this vitamin, and for your mucus membranes (GI lining) to heal itself.

Once you recover you can maintain your health, barring some future stress/trauma that depletes your reserves, at which time heartburn/GERD/IBS/diarrhea/constipation symptoms will return, and you will lose your ability to burp easily again. And the cycle repeats and the Pellagra symptoms come back with a vengeance.

Read more at The Case of Mistaken Identity: How Pellagra now thought to be rare became known as Celiac Disease ? A White Paper by the Celiac Posterboy.

References:

1. https://pellagradisease.wordpress.com/ 
2. https://pellagradisease.wordpress.com/
3. http://glutenfreeworks.com/blog/2010/06/23/niacin-vitamin-b3-deficiency-in-celiac-disease/
4. Prousky, Jonathan E. Is Vitamin B3 Dependency a Causal Factor in the Development of Hypochlorhydria and Achlorhydria? Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Vol. 16, No. 4, 4th quarter 2001, pp. 225-37. http://www.orthomolecular.org/library/jom/2001/articles/2001-v16n04-p225.shtml
5. International Journal of Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease: Intestinal, Heart and Skin Interconnections. 2015, 3(1), 28-30 doi:10.12691/ijcd-3-1-6 (http://pubs.sciepub.com/ijcd/3/1/6/)
6. International Journal of Celiac Disease. Two Exceptional Complications Revealing Celiac Disease: Ischemic Cardiomyopathy and Pellagra. International Journal of Celiac Disease. 2015, 3(1), 31-32 doi:10.12691/ijcd-3-1-5. (http://pubs.sciepub.com/ijcd/3/1/5/)

Celiac.com 01/11/2017 - Did you know that Advertising has "Cottoned onto us?" In December all the magazines are about baking, foods, cakes and bakes, candies and calories. If you are not aware of what "Cottoned up" actually means, it means that even if we have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or dermatitis herpetiformis, they know that in December, prior to Christmas, we are geared up to baking tasty, sweet, gluten-free treats. And in January we are into healthy eating, like natural soups, low calorie warm and nutritious eating, cost saving ideas, because we have just gone through Thanksgiving gluttony and Christmas eating.

At one time we celiac people did not have the options that we have today. It was white rice bread from the freezer of the store, full of frosty tops, and vague cookies that cost $3.00 each. Now we have so many options we can get fat too, starting with Thanksgiving right up to New Year, when the new magazines come out with calorie cutting ideas, weight loss regimes, and a stringent diet!

Did you know that celiac disease affects people differently? According to the The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center: "There are more than 200 signs and symptoms of celiac disease, yet a significant percentage of people with celiac disease have no symptoms at all. However, people without symptoms are still at risk for some of the complications of celiac disease". For example, my 19 year old grandson's girlfriend has celiac disease, and she likely had it all her life. She was tested for celiac disease because she had "tummy aches before I write exams". That was it! Fortunately she had a bright mother who took her to the doctor and asked for the simple blood test for celiac disease. Sure enough, after doing the blood test and undergoing the biopsy of the jejunum, she had celiac disease.

She was not skinny because she was 18 and growing, she was skinny because of malabsorption and eating her daily breakfast of cinnamon toast, and her usual lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I am a little wary of the biopsy of the jejunum because as a nurse I found several discrepancies in the testing process. I have seen where a gastroenterologist who did failed to biopsy the correct area and told patients that they were negative for celiac disease. The patients became quite ill and the test was repeated by another gastroenterologist, and the test proved positive for celiac disease. In other words, the two patients did indeed have celiac disease.

Did you know that the Head of dermatology at the University of British Columbia recommends Dapsone as the drug of choice for clearing up dermatitis herpetiformis? It is called the “Golden Standard” of treatment, which he teachers to all his students of dermatology. I had three biopsies of the lesions on three different places in my body. It was not until the fourth biopsy that they acquired a Positive for dermatitis herpetiformis. It is very difficult to obtain punch biopsies of the DH. But if they put you on Dapsone for four days the lesions begin to clear up almost immediately. It took longer for the lesions in my scalp to go away, around six month, and four days for those on the other parts of my body to disappear. And they were so itchy (as any of you with DH know) that I actually contemplated cutting all my hair off. I tried Quellada liquid thinking it might be fleas, bed bugs, or some other strange skin disorder. "A little learning is a dangerous thing", that is what they say to all nurses.

Those of you who are newly diagnosed with DH and placed on Dapsone, please remind your doctor if he has not already told you that Dapsone can cause anemia. I was advised to take 2,000 Units of Vitamin C daily because it helps significantly with the anemia.

According to an article by Lisa Fittterman in the Winter 2016 issue of Allergic Living magazine, a 28 year old California Mom was stymied by her child's reactions and celiac outbreaks because they are so vigilant about reading labels when shopping. The culprit was a new generic controller inhaler for her asthma. The Mom looked up the medication on the Internet and saw the word, "Starch". She says the drug turned out to contain gluten as an additive. She hit roadblocks at every turn.

With celiac disease now affecting 1% of the people in North America, "drugs can present a distressing unknown". What is an excipient they ask? Inactive ingredients used as binding agents tent to give bulk and allow them to absorb water and disintegrate. They are derived from foods such as corn, potato or wheat starch. Independent investigations have shown that wheat starch is used less frequently than the other two because it doesn't bind well." When you ingest a new drug without knowing what it contains it is like walking down a road blindfolded says Sue Newell, the Canadian Celiac Association's manager of operations. "We teach people how to read labels and cut through jargon to identify every ingredient - but with prescription drugs they can't do that...they may need to take drugs, but they don't feel safe."

The US. Based National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NCA) released in the Fall of 2014, almost 25 percent of the 5,625 people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity reported having experienced gluten-related symptoms to medication. Patients and health–care providers said this has led to anxiety and non-compliance in taking drugs. Both Canada and the U.S.A. Food and Drug Administration have national standards of less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten for a packaged food to claim to be gluten-free, but the requirements for food labeling do not apply to prescription or over-the-counter drugs. In May 2015, the FDA denied the request of a citizen's petition to either ban gluten as an inactive drug ingredient or require that its presence be labeled. The FDA said that "No oral-drug product is expected to contain more gluten than the amounts potentially present in foods that can be labeled 'gluten-free' under the FDA's food-labeling regulations."

It is far from an official requirement in Canada. The Canadian Food and Drugs Act sets the regulations for labeling gluten and allergens, but the focus has been far more on food. A Health Canada spokesperson says that the 2014 plain-language labeling initiative additionally makes it necessary for pill package inserts to list ingredients. But Newell of the CCA says these listings are not as transparent as they sound. Though the protein is not often present in our medications, the bad news is that finding out for certain may take the skill of a detective or a sleuthing pharmacist.

It is time for the celiac and gluten sensitive community, to unite and fight, write letters, speak to their pharmacists and repeat the fact that the person ordering the drug is "A brittle celiac," and all drugs need to be researched by the pharmacist prior to filling prescriptions.

Steve Plogsted, a pharmacist with a special interest in tracking gluten, suggests: "Watch for the word 'STARCH' as an excipient on a medicine, as it's the only likely culprit to contain gluten. If the word is there, try to drill down through the manufacturer as to what kind of starch. If it is wheat, you will need to avoid it."

One man took a stand for gluten-free drugs. Michael Weber was diagnosed with celiac disease on 2004, and immediately adopted the gluten-free diet to protect his health. BUT, after taking a generic for only a few days, the resident of Eastchester, New York, was distressed to find he was again developing symptoms, such as the dermatitis herpetiformis skin rash he had incurred before the condition was discovered. It turned out the pills contained gluten as an inactive ingredient. Shocked to find this undeclared exposure after he had been so careful, Weber contacted the FDA, but he was informed that the manufacturer wasn't braking any rules by not stating gluten's presence overtly. In 2008, Weber filed a citizen's petition requesting that the FDA either ban gluten outright in medications, or require manufacturers to label for the protein. Then, for seven long years, he got politicians to write letters of support, and made follow-up inquiries, but he received no replies.

Finally, in 2016 the U.S. consumer protection group Pullback Citizen filed a lawsuit to elicit a response from the FDA. Last May the agency issued a 21 page decision that denied the request for a ban and stated that manufacturers already needed to identify gluten as an intentionally added inactive ingredient to any drug that is taken orally. The FDA said it did, however, plan to issue "draft guidance" for industry regarding gluten in drug products, but no time-line was given. FDA spokesman Stephen King explained the decision in an interview saying that if people with celiac disease are doing well on a gluten-free diet, they "should" not be harmed by the very low amounts of gluten potentially present in oral drug products. Conversely, if they aren't doing well, "we would expect {them} to consult with [their] physician about ways to further reduce overall exposure to gluten. Such efforts might first focus on the diet as the most significant potential course for oral gluten exposure."

But Katie Einspanier, Weber's lawyer through Public Citizen, criticized the ruling as nothing more than a super-technical reading of the petition since the FDA's response focused on the possibility of gluten itself being an inactive ingredient. "The most likely scenario for gluten in drugs is that gluten is simply a natural component of another inactive ingredient and not separately added as an inactive ingredient." Weber is considering whether to draft a new petition with more precise language. We will keep you informed regarding this one man's fight for gluten-free drugs. He needs to be cheered, and we all need to sit down at our computer and help by writing to pharmacists, the FDA, and the College of Pharmacy.

Celiac.com 01/04/2017 - Ever since I was a young girl I have always had a bad stomach. Last year, when I was 16, I decided to move to London. Circumstances became difficult, and I ended up becoming physically and mentally ill, which included anorexia nervosa and then onset depression and trauma, as well as almost crippling anxiety. Things led to me getting so ill that I went to a doctor who noticed that I had serious mouth ulcers—and this is what finally led them to diagnose me with celiac disease, after what seemed to be months of suffering.

At the time my diagnosis seemed to make a lot of sense because of the stomach pains I had, especially after eating certain foods. My symptoms included much confusion, dire pains, and resulted in my having a phobia of food. As most celiacs know, currently there is no medicine available to treat celiac disease, and the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet.

I got diagnosed in late January 2016, and have been on a strict gluten-free diet ever since, and although I believe this has helped me a lot, more than nine months later, I still often have the same symptoms. They vary in levels and are sometimes uncomfortable and very painful. Sometimes I have migraines, stomach bloating, churning, etc., all of which are not very nice.

Let me explain a little about what celiac is. It is an autoimmune disease where the immune system kills off tissue in the small intestine in response to ingesting gluten. This can make eating more difficult, and a lot of the time I am left in pain with nothing to do but sit in agony and wait for it to stop.

But what if there was something else out there that could help with ongoing symptoms? I recently discovered that thousands are being helped by using cannabis to treat their celiac disease symptoms. Marijuana is gluten-free and for some, can ease the painful symptoms. Special note: This approach is NOT meant as a substitution for a guten-free diet, but for some people, like myself, it can offer additional symptom relief for those who need it.

Reset.me has this posted:
"Marijuana 'cools the gut,' in which it slows down the muscle contractions that move food through the stomach and intestines and reduces the secretion of liquid into the intestines associated with diarrhea (one of the most severe symptoms of the disease)," Deno writes. "Marijuana also controls the muscle spasms associated with diarrhea. It also increases appetite and can offset the inefficiency in the Celiac's ability to absorb nutrients from the food you eat."

"People with celiac in some states in America are able to get access to to medical marijuana if they have chronic pain. The rest of us [celiacs] are left with buying illegally or simply avoiding this one plant that may be the most effective celiac treatment of all!"

HelloMD.com states:
"Inflammation can be suppressed by activating the cannabinoid receptors, CB2, on immune cells. Though there have not yet been clinical human trials, this study opens up new avenues to investigate as possible treatment options for autoimmune diseases. Though this study only looked at THC, CBD is also known to help the immune system. CBD helps repair the bodies [sic] ability to recognize the difference between normal internal body functions and foreign entities, keeping the body from attacking itself."

Remember, Marijuana is not a cure, but is a natural anti-convulsant and can suppress seizure activity. It is also anti-inflammatory, and has helped people with other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and many others.

I smoked cannabis even before I was diagnosed, and I always found that it settled my stomach. I have since spoken to many other people with celiac disease online and face to face, and I've done a fair amount of research to find out if there are other celiacs who experience the same relief from their symptoms.

While doing my research, I came across an interesting post on Medhelp.org by Betherie Mommi about a girl with celiac who also suffers with IBS and has a history of chronic pain, nausea and, just like me, eating disorders. With such a weak stomach it's always hard to eat things without discomfort. She goes on to say that she uses medical marijuana becuase the meds that the doctors gave her have not helped with the pain and side effects of the medications, and the marijuana has also helped her appetite. She goes on to give one of the best descriptions of stomach pains, which I also get, but had difficulty explaining: "like velcro made out of razor blades being pulled apart in certain parts of your belly." She goes on to say that it also gave a sense of community back to her life, as you do sometimes feel excluded as a celiac, because there's a lot you have to miss out on. Betherie Mommi was a medical marijuana patient.

I really notice the effects it has on me, and how it relieves my stomach pains, including providing relief from the confusion and anxiety that I've experienced. I feel that other people shouldn't have to go through what I've had to experience, and I really do believe that this is an exceptional way forward for some people.

You can find CBD only "vapes", liquids, and waxes, which are also supposed to help, but in my case the THC, even if it is a low dosage, was essential to get rid of the pain.

What I have described in this article is only what has helped me, after much suffering, and I urge all celiacs to do their own research and speak to their doctors before making a decision. I really believe that this approach could be helpful to so many others, but I also realize that it may not be for everyone.

Sources:

• Can Cannabis Help Autoimmune Disease Sufferers?

Celiac.com 12/23/2016 - The air is crisp and my lips keep getting chapped. Must mean it is time for the holidays! I am not a fan of pumpkin but I do love the taste of butternut squash. I could eat butternut squash soup every day and never get sick of it.

Our holidays are not quite as traditional as most. When I was younger we did the turkey, ham, stuffing, etc. As we got older and honestly a little sick of those items, we started to come up with more exciting menu items for the special holidays. For example, this year we plan on BBQing some fresh caught cedar planked fish and ribs and everyone is bringing some delicious sides and treats to go with the protein while we open up presents. I really hope someone makes this as a side because I will be back for 2nds and 3rds.

This butternut squash soufflé is so light and fluffy and is completely gluten-free and grain-free. It also can be made totally dairy-free. If you have any guests with allergies, this is a pretty safe recipe that everyone can enjoy.

I hope you enjoy it with your family and loved ones as much as I will be.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large butternut squash (to yield 3 ½ to 4 cups cooked pulp)
• 4 eggs, separated
• 3-4 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted (1 tablespoon is for the soufflé dish)
• 3 teaspoons lakanto or sweetener of choice
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar or 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Soufflé dish with sides 5 to 7 inches tall

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Cut the squash in pieces and place in a steamer basket with two inches of water and cover.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to a high simmer.
5. Cook until very soft.
6. Let cool slightly.
7. Take the skins off and use 3 to 3 ½ cups of the squash.
8. Place the squash in a bowl.
9. Add the melted butter, cinnamon and sweetener of choice
10. Blend with n upright blender or hand mixer (such as a Magic Bullet) until very smooth.
11. Take only 2 egg yolks and slowly add in once the mixture is very smooth.
12. In a separate bowl take 4 egg whites and 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and whip your egg whites until stiff. If yours do not rise, not to fret! Whip until very frothy, and it will still turn out fine.
13. Gently fold the squash mixture into the whites.
14. Melt 1 tablespoons of butter and spread throughout the inside of soufflé dish.
15. Place greased soufflé dish in preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes at the most, then remove from oven.
16. Pour souffle mixture into hot dish and place in the center of the oven. Oven rack should be placed accordingly to allow this.
17. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or longer, if necessary, until soufflé rises and firms up without becoming crusty.

Celiac.com 12/13/2016 - One in five people with celiac disease have a sensitivity to oats. Could that be the real issue behind claims of adverse reactions to Cheerios and other General Mills products?

In an effort to answer questions regarding the safety of gluten-free Cheerios for people with celiac disease, we recently ran an article on warnings by the Canadian Celiac Association that Cheerios, and other General Mills cereals labeled 'Gluten-Free' are unsafe, are likely to be contaminated with trace amounts of gluten.

Celiac.com found those claims to be lacking in evidence, and grounded mainly on unsupported claims that the proprietary process used by General Mills to sort oats is somehow problematic, and likely to permit 'hot spots' of gluten contamination that can exceed the 20ppm gluten-free FDA standard. Along with unsupported claims about General Mills' sorting process, the Canadian Celiac Association seems to base their opinion on vague claims of unnamed people with celiac disease suffering adverse reactions after eating the cereals.

Yet, so far, no one has documented any actual problem with General Mills' method for sorting gluten-free oats, and certainly no one has shown any kind of a systemic problem, as the Canadian Celiac Association seems to allege. No evidence has been offered up to support any such claims. Again, to our knowledge, no one has provided any evidence of any actual gluten contamination in any box or batch of General Mills Gluten-Free cereals. Interestingly, that very lack of evidence to support claims of gluten contamination is cited by the Celiac Disease Foundation in its endorsement of General Mills Gluten-Free cereals.

Open Original Shared Link, and the Celiac Disease Foundation recently indicated in a response to a question on this topic posed by "cyclinglady," who is a Celiac.com board moderator, that nearly 20% of people with celiac disease may also suffer from oat sensitivity, and they suggest that oat sensitivity is the likely culprit behind any sensitivities to the product.

The Celiac Disease Foundation's full letter was posted on Celiac.com's Gluten-Free Forum by cyclinglady reads as follows: "This is interesting. I sent an email asking the Celiac Disease Foundation about gluten-free Cheerios which they endorse/support, but the Canadian Celiac Disease Organization and the Gluten Free Watchdog do not? What do you all think?"

So, once again, the Celiac Disease Foundation endorses General Mills Gluten-Free Cheerios, and by implication, Lucky Charms and other cereals, as safe for people with celiac disease, with no medical evidence to the contrary. However, they do recommend that people with oat sensitivities avoid oat products. This runs counter to the warning by the Canadian Celiac Association that General Mills products were "unsafe" and the General Mills "had problems" with its sorting process.

The fact that the folks at the Celiac Disease Foundation, including those with celiac disease, say they eat Gluten-Free Cheerios provides another positive testimonial that Cheerios are safe for people with celiac disease. However, it really all boils down to basing any proclamations about gluten-free safety on actual evidence, not stories, or opinions, or things we heard.

In their letter, the Celiac Disease Foundation notes that "Our Medical Advisory Board has no evidence that General Mills gluten-free cereals are not safe for celiac consumption."

Until evidence appears to the contrary, the overwhelming evidence is that General Mills gluten-free Cereals, including Cheerios and Lucky Charms, among others, are safe for people with celiac disease, but should be avoided by anyone with oat sensitivities.

Anyone claiming they are not safe for people with celiac disease is simply not basing their claim on hard evidence. Of course, people should base their diets on their own experience, especially people with celiac disease, and/or sensitivities to oats or other things beyond gluten.

 Stay tuned for news on this and other important gluten-free topics.

Sources:

• Cherrios and the Celiac Disease Foundation
• Open Original Shared Link
• Scientists Catch Culprit Oat Peptides That Trigger Celiac Immune Response
• Should Celiacs Eat Oats? Depends on the Oat

This article was updated on 12/14/2016 to include more sources, and to clarify the CDF's letter that was posted in our forum.
*Corrected to 8% on 12/14/2016 per Open Original Shared Link