Because her sister is gluten-intolerant, and not realizing she was pregnant, the woman attributed what were clearly pregnancy-related stomach problems to adverse gluten reactions. Howard experienced standard symptoms with both of her prior pregnancies, and so thought she knew the standard things to look for.

Until now, Howard says, she was one of those people who definitely wondered how any woman could fail to realize she was carrying a baby until she was actually delivering it.

For her part, Howard said, she thought she had just gained some weight by over-snacking and being a bit sedentary, and had been working out to tone up in the weeks before giving birth.

Source:

• Open Original Shared Link

Lehigh's earlier dining hall offered gluten-free cereals, soups, pastas and breads via their Your Choice station. That original station has been incorporated into Simple Servings, and Lehigh students with gluten intolerance can now experience the same range of choices as their non-sensitive counterparts.

Joseph Kornafel, Lehigh's executive chef, says that the school has really paid attention to details, from getting the right equipment when the station was being built, to maintaining a database of allergen-free recipes,

Lehigh has also reached out to coaches and student-athletes to make sure they understand how the system works and to always get a clean plate before taking food from the station to avoid cross-contamination.

Purple is the color adopted to designate allergen-free items in the food industry, and Lehigh uses purple to designate all gluten-free food preparation items, including utensils, carts and cutting boards.

All gluten-free preparation equipment is dedicated, and never leaves that station to prevent cross-contamination. All chefs working that station are specially trained, and and all ingredients are clearly labeled for each dish.

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Though under 1 percent of Americans suffer from celiac disease, nearly one in three people say they are eating gluten-free, according to NPD Group. Consumption of flour in the U.S. is at a 22-year low, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

And rather than leaping to the defense of wheat, or loudly touting its benefits, companies including General Mills (GIS) and Kellogg (K) are creating pricier gluten-free versions of their products, while leaving industry groups to defend their regular fare. The U.S. market for gluten-free foods will climb from $4.2 billion in 2012 to $6.6 billion by 2017, according to researcher Packaged Facts.

Overall sales of the seven Chex varieties without gluten are up by at least 10 percent in each of the past three fiscal years, while the $6 billion breakfast cereal category has remained flat.

The combination of flat sales of traditional wheat-containing cereal products, and the dramatic rise in sales of gluten-free products has presented a challenge for manufacturers that make both products that contain gluten, and other products that are gluten-free.

If they are too loud about touting the benefits of gluten-free products, they risk slippage on their wheat based products, and vice versa.

When it comes to dealing with flash trends, says Mark Lang, a food marketing professor at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, the manufacturing industry typically has "nothing to gain, and you have everything to lose.”

So, at the same time General Mills has been careful not to push wheat, it has also been careful not to align itself with any of the anti-gluten figures.

When asked if General Mills has been slow to respond to the incursion of gluten into traditional wheat territory, company spokeswoman Kirstie Foster says that the company is responding as they think best.

If you think about it, General Mills' strategy might not be too bad. If they can sell more gluten-free grains and products at premium prices, then the decline in wheat consumption might not have such a negative impact on their bottom line.

Still, the lukewarm defense of wheat by grain producers comes as a surprises to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and other books on nutrition.
“The industry has been flat-footed in their response,” he says. “They should be reminding people that gluten is protein, generally thought of as a healthy nutrient compared to fats or carbs.”

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They conducted a retrospective case control study covering the period 2003-2006 in a large Israeli Health Maintenance Organization with over two million members. Their study group included 1,754 patients with celiac disease and a control group of 15,040 non-celiac patients. They calculated costs individually for each member, and aggregated costs according to main cost-branches.

They conducted a linear step wise regression with costs as the dependent variable and age, gender and the presence of celiac disease as the independent variables. They then compared costs for patients with celiac disease with costs for patients suffering from other chronic diseases.

The team found that the total costs of celiac disease patients were significantly higher than those for the control group for hospital admission, medications, laboratory and imaging. The overall hospital admission rate of celiac patients was 7.98% as opposed to 7.1% for the control group (p = 0.06). However, compared with other chronic illnesses, the costs of patients with celiac disease were similar to those of patients with diabetes and hypertension.

This study does conclude that celiac disease patients do use more medical services than the general population, at rates likely higher than previously thought.

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• Open Original Shared Link

1. Avoiding Gluten Reduces Brain Degredation
While the majority of individuals suffering from gluten sensitivity experience intestinal discomfort, Perlmutter says an increasing number are experiencing neurological challenges including difficulty staying on task, poor memory function, brain fog and severe headaches that result from inflammation; a common reaction to gluten in those with a sensitivity to the protein. "The brain responds really badly to inflammation," says Perlmutter.

Another reason for the loss of cognitive function is that some of our brain proteins look similar to gliadin, a protein found in gluten-containing foods, says Perlmutter.

Anti-gliadin antibodies produced by individuals with gluten sensitivity can't tell the difference between these two proteins and eat up the brain proteins that are required for normal cognitive function.

Going gluten-free likely won't make you any smarter, but Perlmutter says it may help protect your cognitive function from weakening.

2. Avoiding Gluten Strengthens the Immune system
Perlmutter says gluten stimulates the cells of the intestine to secrete a protein called zonulin, which regulates the absorbency of the intestine.

The increased production of zonulin erodes the walls of the intestine, allowing various proteins to leave the gut and enter our blood stream.

This poses many challenges to the immune system, weakening our ability to fight off diseases. According to Perlmutter, avoiding gluten, strengthens the immune system.

A healthy immune system is essential for optimal brain function.

3. Avoiding Gluten Improves Brain Fueling
According to Perlmutter, a healthy brain needs generous amounts of healthy fats. Because our brains are 70 percent fat, food loaded with carbs and sugar rob them of the fuel they need to function well.

In place of gluten and carb-laden breakfast food such as a bagel and orange juice, Perlmutter recommends a high-fat breakfast rich in omega 3 fatty acids that protect the brain, including eggs, nuts, seeds or avocado.

The verdict is out as to whether or not people without gluten sensitivity experience the same cognitive decline as those with gluten sensitivity, However, Perlmutter urges anyone experiencing poor cognitive function, chronic headaches or inflammatory illnesses, including joint or abdominal pain, to avoid gluten for few months and see if there is any positive change.

What do you think? Has going gluten-free helped improve your brain function, along with your other celiac symptoms? Share your comments below.

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• Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com 12/17/2013 - One of the biggest hurdles for those who have celiac disease is finding a way to get enough fiber in their diets. Removing wheat from the equation also eliminates a huge amount of roughage. Wheat provides the fiber in many breads, pastas, crackers and other staples of the American diet. Replacing that fiber is crucial, since the added bulk moves the food through your digestive system and keeps you regular.

You should be aiming to consume between 25 and 35 grams of fiber per day. Here are a few ways to ensure you’re getting enough fiber in your diet, whether you’ve been living with celiac disease your entire life or just for a few weeks.

Bulk Up Your Food

There are plenty of fiber-rich foods that do not contain gluten. For example, fruits and vegetables are a great, all-natural source of fiber. You can add them to soups and sauces for a flavorful kick that will also provide a few extra grams of fiber. Skip the croutons on your salad — most contain gluten anyway — and sub in raisins for a sweet, filling treat.

Flaxseed and chia seeds are two superfoods that are naturally gluten free and contain a hefty dose of fiber. Stir them into smoothies, sprinkle on your breakfast cereal, or shake them over yogurt to give it a bit of a crunch. With several grams of fiber per serving, nuts are also a great addition to just about any main or side dish. Kidney beans or chickpeas can be stirred into soups to increase the fiber count.

Use Supplements

Adding a supplement to your diet can be an excellent way to make up for the fiber you’re losing by not eating wheat. You’ll want to find natural supplements that mimic the way fiber found in food breaks down in your gut. One smart option is a prebiotic, such as Prebiotin — a plant fiber that also provides good bacteria to the colon, further aiding in digestion.

Make Adjustments

It’s possible to increase the fiber content in your diet by making simple substitutions. Perhaps you have always eaten white rice, which is easier on your sensitive stomach than brown. Well, now’s the time to give fiber-rich brown rice another try. Since your celiac diagnosis has probably cleared up most of your GI issues, you should be able to eat brown rice now without issue. Or try fiber-laden quinoa, a rice substitute that’s rich in both fiber and protein, as well as millet or amaranth as a white rice fill-in.

Keep a Tally

Before your celiac diagnosis, you may not have paid any attention to your daily fiber intake. But now it’s essential to track it for at least a few weeks to make sure you’re getting enough fiber. Aim for 20 grams at first, until you get the hang of searching out non-wheat fiber sources. Eventually, you’ll want to get to 25 or more grams per day, and you may find it’s not as hard as you expected.

These revelations came to light after a group of Canadian researchers conducted an investigation into herbal product integrity and authenticity, with hopes of protecting consumers from health risks associated with product substitution and contamination.

Using a test called DNA barcoding, a kind of genetic fingerprinting that been effective in uncovering labeling fraud in other commercial industries, the researchers found that nearly 60% of herbal products tested were not what their label claimed them to be, and that pills labeled as popular herbs were often diluted or replaced entirely, sometimes with cheap fillers that could be dangerous to consumers.

In all, the researchers tested 44 herbal products from 12 companies, along with 30 different species of herbs, and 50 leaf samples collected from 42 herbal species.

The researchers were Steven G. Newmaster, Meghan Grguric, Dhivya Shanmughanandhan, Sathishkumar Ramalingam and Subramanyam Ragupathy. They are variously affiliated with the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario (BIO) at the University of Guelph, the Bachelor of Arts and Science Program at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and with the Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University in Tamil Nadu, India.

Their laboratory also assembled the first standard reference material (SRM) herbal barcode library from 100 herbal species of known provenance that were used to identify the unknown herbal products and leaf samples.

The team recovered DNA barcodes from most herbal products (91%) and all leaf samples (100%), with 95% species resolution using a tiered approach (rbcL + ITS2).

Nearly 60% of the products tested contained DNA barcodes from plant species not listed on the labels. That means they were not what the label said they were.

Furthermore, even though 48% of the products contained authentic ingredients, one-third of those also contained contaminants and/or fillers not listed on the label.

The air data showed clearly that most herbal products tested were not what their labels claim, while most of the rest were poor quality, and often contained unlabeled, possibly dangerous, product substitute, contamination and fillers.

They note that selling weak, ineffective, or mislabeled herbal supplements reduces the perceived value of otherwise helpful products by eroding consumer confidence.

The study team recommends that the herbal industry embrace DNA barcoding to ensure authentic herbal products by effectively documenting raw manufacturing materials.

They suggest that the use of an SRM DNA herbal barcode library for testing bulk materials could provide a method for 'best practices' in the manufacturing of herbal products, and note that this would provide consumers with safe, high quality herbal products.

What do you think? Should herbal products and supplements be tested, authenticated and verified? Share your thoughts below.

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Celiac.com 12/11/2013 - The most wondrous season is upon us. The family gathers to create memories and cherish each moment of the holidays. Wait…wait…what?? With family?@#$?!

We often emerge from these gatherings planning the next appointment with our therapist. No need to guess how it'll go this year: Mom locked herself in the bedroom with a bottle of wine again. Grandma has no reservations pointing out that you're still single. Your cousin whom suffers from chronic ‘one up syndrome' is compelled to interject conversations failing to encompass their exceeding significance.  

There are circumstances and people we cannot change. Your family may not exemplify the magical fuzziness of a Thomas Kinkade painting but so what. What we can take control over is our well-being and attitude. Despite being thrust into drama comparable to a Kardashian marriage, let's focus on our diet. Managing celiac disease is exhausting enough without the added stress from the holidays. With the influx of food, there are more chances that forbidden goodies will bombard their way to the dinner plate. But don't sweat it. Consider the following tips to ease you celiac disease concerns and have one less thing to worry about this season. You'll need the energy for breaking up temper-mantrums over fantasy football scores and equipping the fire extinguisher for the first turkey fry attempt. 

1. Eat before you arrive: Never walk into an occasion hungry. There are few worse mood killers than discovering carrot sticks are the only gluten-free item in the room. The hunger will also hinder your inhibitions, tempting to eat something you normally wouldn't.  Otherwise, you must wait to eat once the night is over. As nice as you look scowling over the abandoned vegetable tray and dragging your date out of door, I'm certain there are more enticing activities to engage in.
2. Bring your own dish: Coordinate with the host beforehand to avoid confusion about portions. Consider bringing enough for others to try as well. Take the opportunity to share with family and loved ones. After all, you've spent the past year meticulously creating and photographing Pinterest worthy meals. Show them what those eight albums dedicated to food are all about.
3. Help with cooking:  Cooking a gluten-free meal may seem easy enough to the uninformed individual. Although the cook has good intentions, their lack in experience with intricate details of the diet may lead to contamination. Insist upon helping even if your offer is declined. This way you can ensure the safety of the meal. Surely, any helping hand with cooking and cleaning duties will be appreciated.
4. Label your food: It only takes one serving spoon dipped into the crunchy green bean casserole to contaminate your food. Set aside a table for a buffet clearly labeled "do not contaminate" and "gluten-free," etc., on the dishes. Better yet, don't put them out with everything else. There's a chance your food will mistakenly be eaten or contaminated within the vicinity of hungry mouths and gluten-filled goodies.
5. Don't be afraid to say NO:   Your peachy little grandma, the one who spends the remainder of the year shuffling to the living room for afternoon soap operas has impeccably presented a homemade turkey dinner with all the fixins. Wow grandma, we didn't know you had it in you… Desserts, sides, more desserts, all made from scratch from her mother's, mother's, mother's recipes (she will then spend the next half hour monopolizing conversation regarding how easy we kids have it). None of which are gluten-free since, regardless of your various efforts, Grandma doesn't know what gluten means. The moral of the story: despite it being the super bowl of family dinners in your grandma's world, you must decline the meal. Politely of course but don't be afraid of assertion. Many people do not understand reasoning behind diet restrictions and some will never accept them. There are other ways to show Grandma she is loved and appreciated besides eating her food.
6. When in doubt go without: It's always better to pass on a dish when the ingredients remain unclear. If you must ask yourself, "I don't know if I should eat this" and there's no way to confirm its safety, the answer is do not eat it. This is particularly difficult but worth avoiding the undoing of your well-being. You'll beat yourself up while gripping the toilet at your significant other's childhood home as their newly acquainted relative repeatedly knocks behind the door asking if you're ok.
7. Avoid over indulging: "Well, since it's the holidays I guess it's alright to have this cupcake, a piece of pie, and chocolate cake." Special occasions are used as justification for eating things we normally wouldn't. We tend to overeat at these gatherings because food sits in front of us, not because we're hungry. Remember, 20 parts per million of gluten are permitted in gluten-free certified products. Eating multiple items compile trace amounts of gluten, posing for a likely reaction. Consider sticking to only one gluten-free product with your meal. The gluten-free biscuits, stuffing, corn bread, and apple pie all look delicious but choose one of those. Otherwise, the spandex pants of shame are ready to waddle through your food hangover tomorrow.
8. Communicate with the host and guests: Simply informing the host and cook beforehand may prevent unwanted mishaps. There will be guests who show excitement in trying new dishes and wish to hear your sentiments regarding diet. Share your honest thoughts and opinions without coming across critical of their personal choices. Other guests may not be so willing to converse topics concerning diet or health but don't take offense. Remember, the diet is not simply a fad that you're following. Your life, health, and well-being depend on it and people need to know that.
9. Limit your alcohol: Most parties mean food and booze. Since party food is rarely gluten-free, it's tempting to keep the wine and alcohol pouring in. Grab a glass of soda water and lime as your security blanket. You'll be surprised how efficiently this wards off needless drinks. It's easy to have one glass of wine here, one glass there, but then you're on glass number four. With little food in your stomach you will not be feeling too hot. Not to mention, the company Christmas party may not be the place for that extra glass. Your naughty elf impression may seem very original and hilarious at the time, but come Monday morning…not so much. 
10. Mentally prepare yourself: Get your mind right. First, relax. Don't you just hate it when someone tells you to relax during a stressful situation? Truly though, getting worked up will exhaust you before the events even take place. Secondly, be prepared. There will be many tempting foods and opportunities to sabotage your diet. Be mindful and expectant of this beforehand. Lastly, think with a positive attitude. Bring the expectations down a notch and take it easy on yourself and others. Take on too much and be bothered by things outside of your control or choose to have a great holiday. (I'd go with the last choice- you deserve it).

The good news is that that vast majority of gluten-free foods sampled in their small study were, in fact, gluten-free, and many registered detectable gluten levels far below the 20 ppm allowed by law.

The research team tested three different samples of 112 separate products, for a total of 336 packages tested. They tested each sample twice, for a total of 672 extractions.

Of the 112 products tested, 36 products (32%) were certified gluten-free by either the Gluten Free Certification Organization (32 products) or the Celiac Sprue Association (4 products). Only four products (i.e., bread, hot cereal, tortilla, cookie) from three manufacturers tested at or above 20 ppm gluten. Three of these products were not certified gluten-free; one product was certified gluten-free.

While 9.4% of extractions contained quantifiable gluten, the vast majority of manufacturers are in compliance with the Food and Drug Administration’s gluten-free labeling rule.

Overall, 97.5 percent of extractions tested below 20 ppm gluten. Of the extractions in compliance, 93% tested below 5 ppm gluten, which is the lower limit of quantification for the assay used.

Based on the findings of this evaluation, many manufacturers are currently producing food that tests below the 20ppm threshold level of gluten that is currently allowed by the FDA.

Gluten-free consumers can take comfort in the knowledge that the vast majority of manufacturers who are designating food as gluten-free are complying with the FDA’s labeling rule.

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• Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com 11/29/2013 - The worldwide market for gluten-free products market will continue to grow, reaching $6.2 billion by 2018, according to a new report from Markets and Markets.

Gluten-free bakery and confectionery products represent 46% of total gluten-free product sales, followed by gluten-free snacks at 20%.

The North American market racked up about 59% of total global gluten-free sales, according to the report.

Conventional sales channels accounted for the highest volume of of global gluten-free product sales.

Also, the trends show that major gluten-free players like Hain Celestial, Inc., General Mills, Inc., Amy’s Kitchen, Inc. and Boulder Brands will continue to have a heavy market presence into the foreseeable future.

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Celiac.com 11/25/2013 - More and more professional athletes are claiming to reap benefits from adopting a gluten-free diet. What’s the science behind these claims?

Writing for the Washington Post, Anna Medaris Miller has a very solid article in which she investigates the science behind the claims by many professional athletes that they has reaped tremendous physical benefits by adopting a gluten-free diet.

Miller cites the growing popularity of gluten-free foods in general, as well as the move away from carbs by many professional athletes. She notes that New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the Garmin cycling team and top tennis players Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic have all been vocal about the benefits of gluten-free diets.

Still, a gluten-free diet won’t turn you into an Olympic athlete, Fasano says. “But when you go to the high-level performing athletes in which a fraction of a second can mean the difference between winning and losing an event, or be[ing] able to complete a marathon or not within a certain time frame, that can be the small edge that helps you.”

Some researchers theorize that eliminating gluten allows the body to better carry oxygen to the muscles, which may boost athletic performance.

There are other theories as to why some athletes report improved athletic performance after eliminating gluten.

So far, performance claims attributed to a gluten-free diet are purely anecdotal.

In fact, Miller offers her own experience:

My digestion is gentler, my sleep is sounder, my energy level is more even. These benefits also seem to have led to improved athletic performance. Since going off gluten, I placed in a race for the first time in my adult life, won a small community biathlon and achieved a personal best in a 5K run. Most important, I felt good while doing it.

However, there is just no research that documents clear before-and-after changes among athletes who have adopted a gluten-free diet.

Felicia Stoler, a nutritionist and exercise physiologist, who is president of the Greater New York chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine, says she has yet to see evidence heralding a gluten-free diet for endurance athletes. Until such evidence emerges, says Stoler, many people wise to remain skeptical.

“If you have nothing wrong with you as far as absorptive disorders, then there’s no benefit by cutting out gluten,” she says. “You have to look at your overall caloric intake needs as an athlete.”

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• Open Original Shared Link, an associate editor of Monitor on Psychology magazine and a health columnist at TheDailyMuse.com.

Celiac.com 11/21/2013 - Gluten-free food manufacturer Against the Grain, of Brattelboro Vermont, has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against a California company doing business as Against All Grain.

Against The Grain Gourmet Foods has filed documents in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont asking the court to order Against All Grain to give up all claims to the name.

The lawsuit, which was filed on Oct. 11, alleges the use of Against All Grain by the defendants "is likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake, or to deceive and therefore constitutes infringement of Plaintiff's federally registered trademark ..."

In the court documents, attorneys for Against The Grain assert that the defendants are using a website and Facebook page and have published a cookbook of gluten-free recipes using their "Against All Grain" marks.

The documents filed by Against The Grain further assert that Against All Grain's alleged infringements have devalued Against The Grain's brand and will confuse consumers, some of whom might assume there is a relationship between the two companies.

Sound complicated? It is, a bit, and not just for the similarity of names. Want to read a detailed account?

Check out this excellent Open Original Shared Link, which does a great job of laying out the legal zigs and zags of this particular gluten-free name battle.