Celiac.com 07/20/2017 - In the face of budget cuts, and in a move that may offer a glimpse of things to come, doctors with the the UK's National Health Service are eliminating gluten-free food prescriptions for adults, beginning in parts of Devon.

As of July 1, the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) responsible for planning and buying the majority of healthcare services for local people have recommended limiting gluten free foods including bread, pasta, flour and multipurpose mixes, to under 18 years of age.

That means that approximately 3,400 adults in Devon will no longer receive gluten free food prescriptions, a move calculated to save tax payers around £350,000 per year.

The CCG says the action is part of a plan to encourage people to purchase items that they usually get via a physician's prescription.

The new guidelines were allegedly developed with input from GPs, patients and other stakeholders. The patient letter from the CCG said: "Gluten free products are now widely available from shops and online, and are often sold to the public at prices that are considerably lower than the NHS pays when they are provided on prescription. Given greater availability and lower cost, the CCG says that the move makes sense.

However, many gluten-free Devon residents are offended by what they see as an attempt to pass higher costs to them. One resident, Graham Devaney, of Umberleigh, said: "I think it's absolutely disgusting. I now won't be able to eat bread because for a small loaf of gluten free bread from Sainsbury's it costs about £3, and I can't afford that because I'm disabled."

Read more at devonlive.com.

Celiac.com 07/19/2017 - Ever wondered what life is like in the celiac disease capital of the world?

In Finland, an estimated 2.4 percent of adults from 30 to 64 years old, and one in 99 children are diagnosed with celiac disease. The country also holds the record for the most overall cases of the celiac disease in the world. If ever there was a world headquarters for celiac disease, it would be Finland.

One of the best things about Finland is that awareness of keliaka (celiac disease) is common, and gluten-free food is readily available. Throughout the country, most folks you run into know some friend, colleague or family member with the condition. Everyone seems to be aware that celiac disease results from an adverse gut reaction gluten, a protein in wheat, barley and rye products.

Meanwhile, supermarkets, high-end restaurants, convenience stores, fast-food joints, gas stations, and even international fast food chains like McDonald’s offer gluten-free options.

As a nation, Finland places a heavy emphasis on research, diagnostics or government support for celiac disease. The nation embraces people who follow what the Finns call gluteeniton, or a ‘gluten-free’ diet.

So if you’re looking for the closest thing to a gluten-free paradise on earth, consider a visit to Finland.

Read more at AllergicLiving.com

Celiac.com 07/12/2017 - Humans rely on powerful canine noses to do so many things, including sniffing for drugs, bombs and even cancer.

Now, some dogs are being trained to serve their masters by sniffing out gluten.

Trained to help some of the 3 million Americans who have celiac disease, gluten sniffing dogs can be a tremendous boon to their owners, especially those who are highly sensitive.

One such person is Evelyn Lapadat, a 13-year-old Indiana girl with celiac disease that leaves her with joint pain, stiffness and fatigue when she eats even tiny amounts of gluten.

Now, thanks to Zeus, her Australian shepherd, Evelyn rarely has an issue with gluten. That's because Zeus has been trained to sniff out even tiny amounts of gluten in food. Zeus stays by Evelyn's side throughout the day at school, checking her hands and sniffing her food.

Zeus has learned to raise his paw if he smells gluten. If the food is safe, then Zeus turns his head.

“I haven't gotten sick in a really long time and it's like a really big relief,” Evelyn said.

Maybe one day dogs like Zeus will be much more common.

See more at NBCNews.com

Celiac.com 07/11/2017 - A UK man has filed a lawsuit against a local bar and grill after becoming sick on a gyro salad that servers led him to believe was gluten-free.

The Webster Groves resident, Phillip "Gus" Wagner alleges that servers at Michael's Bar & Grill in Manchester, provided inaccurate information about the dish, and that he suffered an adverse reaction to the gluten in the dish that left him with "severe and permanent injuries."

His lawyer, Christine Anderson of Faerber and Anderson, specifies that Mr. Wagner was injured in one or more of the following respects to wit: injuries to the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, internal organs, respiratory system and body as a whole; that he sustained an aggravation of a pre-existing condition; that said injuries are permanent and permanently disabling; that he has experienced pain and suffering in the past and is reasonably certain to experience pain and suffering in the future; that he has expended money for necessary medical care, treatment and services in the past and is reasonably certain to expend money for necessary medical care, treatment and services in the future resulting from said occurrence; that he has lost the ordinary gains of his employment and will lose further such sums in the future; that he has sustained loss of a normal life.

For their part, the restaurant says that the lawsuit is their first indication of any kind of a problem. Michale's general manager, Katina Malliotakis, says they had no indication that any customer had any kind of problem, until someone called and demanded to know their insurance company, and adding that that someone had told Wagner the gyro salad was gluten-free.

Malliotakis says that Michale's special gluten-free menu does not include the gyro salad, and that her servers are all aware of that fact. "Nobody remembers a customer asking about the gyro salad,” she says.

If someone did ask for a gluten-free salad, any server would have pointed them toward another salad on the menu that is gluten-free."We have plenty of gluten-free options if people ask for that," she says.

What do you think? Mistaken restaurant? Mistaken patron? Much ado about nothing?

Source:

• riverfronttimes.com

Celiac.com 07/07/2017 - Fast food chain Chic-fil-A chain has announced the launch of a gluten-free bun. This means that people with celiac disease can now enjoy something like the full Chick-fil-A experience.

Made from quinoa and amaranth, the 150-calorie buns will cost an extra $1.15, according to a report by Fortune magazine, which also noted that patrons must assemble the sandwich themselves to lessen the risk of cross-contamination.

Still, this will likely come as welcome news to the multitudes of celiac sufferers, many of whom doubtless love the popular chicken purveyor.

Chick-fil-A has gotten high marks recently, with website VeryWell.com naming Chick-fil-A as the fast-food chain with the best selection of gluten-free menu options.

So, if you’re one of those gluten-free folks who has been waiting for your chance to enjoy the Chic-fil-A sandwich experience, your moment has arrived. Check in with a Chic-fil-A near you.

Celiac.com 07/04/2017 - Once upon a time, maintaining a gluten-free diet was a challenge, especially for college kids. In many ways, it still is, as college students face numerous challenges that others do not.

However, things are changing, and much of that change is being driven by colleges and universities seeking to better serve their students with food sensitivities and allergies. More and more, colleges in America are doing more to step up their food services for their students with food allergies and sensitivities.

Cornell University has quietly worked to phase gluten out of its main dining hall. For the last several years, students and others have been enjoying various gluten-free meals at Risley Dining Room without fanfare. From rice noodles at stir-fry station, to gluten-free flour in the brownies and biscuits.

A recent gluten-free facility certification from Kitchens with Confidence, allowed Cornell to re-introduce Risley Dining as a 100% gluten-free, tree-nut-free, and peanut-free kitchen. In 2016, Kent State University became the first university in the country to feature an entirely gluten-free dining hall on campus. The move to convert Kent State's Prentice Café to gluten-free facility has helped the university emerge as a leader in gluten-free campus food services.

Meanwhile, out west, Mills College is working hard to make sure the meals are good to eat and good for the planet. Their dining facility serves local and organic ingredients as much as possible, and prepare food from scratch in small batches to keep dishes fresh and healthy. Mills' website describes their food as "fresh, locally sourced, and delicious." Food and drink website the Daily Meal regularly lists Mills in its 75 Best Colleges for Food in America, while the Princeton Review consistently names Mills as one of the greenest colleges in the nation.

Other colleges and universities that earn high gluten-free food marks are Baylor University, Tennessee University, Georgetown University, Oregon State, Bard College, University of Wisconsin Madison, Southern Methodist University, University of Arizona, Ithaca College,Texas A&M, University of Notre Dame, University of New Hampshire, SUNY Potsdam, and Tufts University.

Source:

• thecampanil.com

Celiac.com 07/01/2017 - Calgary University's Faculty of Arts and Markin Undergraduate Student Research program is designed to give recipients a leg up on research projects that can help advance their academic goals.

For one such recipient, Karen Tang, those goals include helping individuals "to effectively self-manage celiac disease and follow a strict gluten-free diet, by teaching people evidence-based strategies." For Tang, the opportunity allows her to combine her interests of psychology and self-compassion with her desire to help chronic disease populations.

For those coping with celiac disease, strategies such as self-compassion can be an effective tool for managing their well-being.

Tang has been heavily involved in the pilot study for the Promotion of Optimal Well-Being, Education and Regulation for Celiac Disease (POWER-C). The study is the first program specifically designed to teach individuals evidence-based strategies for coping with celiac disease and to help them effectively manage their illness.

Tang has spent the fall and winter committed to helping individuals with celiac disease effectively manage their illness, to enhance their health and their quality of life. For many, a strict lifestyle change comes with its own set of problems and challenges. Research indicates that approximately less than 42 per cent of individuals with celiac disease adhere strictly to a gluten-free diet.

Tang says, "The purpose of this research is to help individuals to effectively self-manage celiac disease and follow a strict gluten-free diet, by teaching people evidence-based strategies."

Ms. Tang presented an update on her research at a mini-symposium on April 7, 2017.

Read More at Calgary University's UToday

Celiac.com 06/24/2017 - A long-time pasta lover with celiac disease is desperately fundraising for surgery after losing half his body weight on a gluten-free diet.

Years of eating lots of pasta and high calorie meals had left Christopher DeLorenzo weighing over 400 pounds. "My grandparents were Italian so I grew up eating lots of pasta…all I would do was eat, eat, eat always pasta and pizza, my stomach was like an endless pit," said the Phillipsburg, New Jersey, native.

DeLorenzo's battle with portions and weight began early. At just 12 years old, he already tipped the scales at 250 pounds. His struggles with food led to years of dieting, and numerous attempts to lose weight.

"My digestive system was terrible before weight loss surgery. I was forever complaining to doctors that there was something wrong but I was told that I was eating too much," says DeLorenzo.

DeLorenzo found some improvement with weight loss surgery, but it wasn't until he was diagnosed with celiac disease and gave up gluten that he saw his health return. "Now I believe I can attribute a lot of the problems I was having to my body reacting badly to gluten."

Still, the experience has left DeLorenzo with a mass of excess skin that looks, he says, like a 'deflated airbag.'

He is currently seeking donations to fund surgery to remove the excess skin.

Read more at Entertainmentdaily.co.uk

Celiac.com 06/13/2017 - Are consumers wrongly assuming gluten-free foods to be nutritionally equivalent to their gluten-containing counterparts? Are they being mislead?

That's the subject of a recent talk presented at the 50th Annual Congress of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN). Among the evidence cited was that gluten-free items have a significantly higher energy content and a different nutritional composition to their gluten-containing counterparts.

The presentation also notes that many gluten-containing products, especially breads, pastas, pizzas and wheat-based flours, contain up to three times more protein than their gluten-free counterparts.

In all, the study assessed 654 gluten-free products, and compared them against 655 gluten-containing products. Among the group's key findings were that gluten-free breads had significantly higher content of lipids and saturated fatty acids; gluten-free pasta had significantly lower content of sugar and protein; and gluten-free biscuits had significantly lower content of protein and significantly higher content of lipids.

These differences can have adverse effects on children's growth, and increase the risk of childhood obesity.

The gist of the presentation is that gluten-free products cannot be considered as substitutes for their gluten-containing counterparts, and that numerous gluten-free items should reformulated using healthier ingredients to help promote healthy nutrition in children.

Not only are gluten-free products generally poorer in their nutritional composition, but consumers may not be unaware of the crucial differences, due to poor nutritional labelling. Dr Sandra Martínez -Barona, fellow lead researcher, states that "labelling needs to clearly indicate this so that patients, parents and carers can make informed decisions. Consumers should also be provided with guidance to enhance their understanding of the nutritional compositions of products, in both gluten-free and gluten-containing products, to allow them to make more informed purchases and ensure a healthier diet is followed."

ESPGHAN expert and lead researcher, Dr Joaquim Calvo Lerma, adds that "…it is imperative that foods marketed as substitutes are reformulated to ensure that they truly do have similar nutritional values. This is especially important for children, as a well-balanced diet is essential to healthy growth and development."

Stay tuned to see how the gluten-free food industry responds to efforts by ESPGHAN to improve both gluten-free product formulation, and gluten-free labeling to help people make better nutritional choices.

Source:

• European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition

Celiac.com 06/09/2017 - More and more people are avoiding gluten these days, even folks who do not have a medical reason to do so.

Perhaps looking to take advantage of the popularity of gluten-free dieting, or perhaps hoping their targets are easily fooled, one cheeky police department in California is offer to run a gluten check on people's meth.

The Newark Police Department posted the offer on their Facebook page. The offer reads: "Is your meth laced with deadly gluten? Not sure? Bring your meth down…and we will test it for you for free!"

Of course, however bad may be, and meth is plenty bad, it likely contains no gluten. Also, gluten aside, anyone who takes the police up on the offer will likely be arrested, which seems to be the point.

The post appeared on Thursday, and by Saturday, had been shared over 80,000 times, and received more than 14,000 'likes.'

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 12.3 million Americans age 12 and older have tried meth at least once.

So far, no word from the Newark PD about whether their plan has actually found any gluten in meth, or led to any arrests.

Read more at HuffingtonPost.uk.

Celiac.com 05/22/2017 - After their seven-month-old baby died weighing less than 10 pounds, a mother and father in Beveren, Belgium, are standing trial on charges that they starved the child by negligently providing an alternative gluten-free diet, with no medical supervision.

The couple, who ran a natural food store, put their son Lucas on an alternative gluten-free, lactose-free diet, which included quinoa milk, despite doctors describing it as unsuitable for developing infants.

According to child gastroenterologist Elisabeth De Greef, from the University Hospital of Brussels, feeding quinoa milk and other such foods to infants is absolutely wrong. She says that "These kinds of milk, which you can buy in a supermarket, do not contain the necessary proteins, minerals and vitamins. They are not adjusted to infants and thus unsuitable."

Lucas' mother said in a statement that "Lucas had an eating disorder. He got cramps when he was fed with a bottle and his parents tried out alternatives. Oat milk, rice milk, buckwheat milk, semolina milk, quinoa milk." These are all products the couple sold at their store.

At the beginning of the trial, public prosecutors blamed the couple for their son's death. Prosecutors claim that the couple made their "own diagnosis that their child was gluten intolerant and had a lactose allergy," without any input from doctors. In fact, prosecutors allege that the couple kept the child away from doctors altogether. "Not a single doctor had a dossier about Lucas and child protection services did not know about them," said the public prosecutor.

The infant's diet, said prosecutors, "led to him being less than half the expected weight for a boy his age," at the time of his death in June 6, 2014. An autopsy showed that Lucas' stomach was totally empty at the time of his death. Prosecutors say the parents did not seek medical attention, even when Lucas was gasping for air in the days before he died.

When Lucas was in the final throes of starvation, and the parents finally did take action, prosecutors say that they compounded the child's medical crisis by driving to a homeopathic doctor on the other side of the country, instead of going to the nearest hospital.

In their defense, Lucas's father, claimed the couple never took Lucas to a doctor "because we never noticed anything unusual." In fact, the parents believed Lucas had an eating problem, says the couple's lawyer.

Under questioning, Lucas' tearful mother said that the couple never "wished for the death of our son." She also stated that Lucas ometimes…gained a little weight, sometimes he lost a little."

Yet according the public prosecutor the actions by the couple amount to "intentionally denying food" to the boy. For now, the trial in this tragic case continues, with a verdict set for June 14.

Read more: Metro.co.uk

Celiac.com 05/20/2017 - Anyone eager to try Whurple, the purple strain of gluten-free wheat reported by the State Collegian, will have to wait quite a while.

It seems that the Collegian's report of the development by a Kansas State agriculture student was, in fact, merely a thinly disguised April Fool's Day joke. The Collegian had reported that such a product had been developed by one "Hayden Field, senior in agronomy," as part of his "four-year undergraduate research project in wheat development."

Aside from the note at the bottom of the article indicating the joke, a major clue can be found in the article itself, which states that the wheat strain, which Field named "Whurple," was "genetically modified to have the "Willie gene," which means the wheat will be resistant to the colors crimson and blue. And when cooked at a temperature of 1,868 F, the wheat will turn purple."

Obviously, far from changing color, any grain that is cooked at nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit will almost certainly turn to ash.

So, if you've been eagerly anticipating the glorious arrival of purple gluten-free wheat from Kansas, well, April Fools.

Read the original article in the KStateCollegian.com.