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Irish Heritage And Celiac's


Queen Serenity

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ryeanddiet Rookie

The Irish connection dispelled.

Ireland is one of the more frequent countries to start ingesting wheat. They (and all the british isles) have only had it in their diets for 3000 years whereas other countries have had some form of gluten formerly in their diet for tens of thousands of years.

It's the "irish inability to digest wheat" b/c we haven't eaten it, our body thinks it's a toxin and we're more liable to have anti-gliadin show that our bodies are fighting it off vs ingesting it properly.

It's evolutionary reaction to diet really.

  • 2 weeks later...

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  • Replies 187
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Pam Newbie

Yep, me too! Half German, quarter English, quarter Irish. That's also one of the first questions, my doc asked me.

Pam

tarnalberry Community Regular

I've heard I've got some irish in me, but also a number of other western european heritage that could also be a source for the celiac gene. (though I haven't had the test, so I'm _presuming_ I've got at least one...)

Guest ~wAvE WeT sAnD~

Mother's side: English, Welsh, German

Father's side: Irish, Italian, German, 2% American Indian (some extremely distant relative named Miniola, "Spotted Horse")

judy04 Rookie

I am mostly German, my ancestors are listed as pioneers who settled

Pennsylvania. When asked about our ancestry in grade school my

grandmother said tell them "Pennsylvania Dutch" which was not Dutch

but German. When doing our family tree for my kids, I did learn of

an irish/english great grandmother which explained a lot.

tarnalberry Community Regular

Cool! I've got some "Pennsylvania Dutch" in me as well. :-) (Not sure how far back, though.)

Queen Serenity Newbie

Hi, all!

Thanks for all of your responses so far! It just goes to show that the majority of people with Irish genes have Celiac's.

Vicki :)


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tammy Community Regular

Wow! My maternal ancestry is Scottish and my paternal ancestry is German and Irish. Man, what do they mean by the "Luck of the Irish" because I'm not seeing it!!! LOL

BTW, There is some information about the correlation between Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome and having either American Indian or Irish in one's background.

My maternal family history shows a strong line of hypothyroid. Although there is only one other person in my distant family history that tested positive for Celiac, she (a child) doesn't have it as bad as I do and I not have Celiac but I did test positive for Gluten Sensitivity.

Is there anyone out there that can relate and has had a positive outcome????? :D

My gift to you...

These are the nutraceuticals that helped me: Aloe Vera Juice, Colostrum, calcium with magnesium (high doses). :D:D

Aeval Rookie

Wow--

When my doctor wanted me to give up gluten based on my ancestry I thought she was crazy. She told me not only Irish but also people of German and Nordic backgrounds were high risk. I'm all three: French/German on my dad's side, Irish/Norwegian on my mom's.

Tammy--you said you did not have Celiac but were gluten sensitive? What's the difference?

Aeval

  • 5 months later...
Ann1231 Enthusiast

I know this is a really old thread but I am really surprised to read all this! I am of Irish and German descent!!!

gabrielle Contributor

I'm Irish on my father's side and Czech on my mother's. My father has horrible stomach problems as well as not having a thyroid. In my family i have been the only one diagnosed with celiac disease, but if i had to guess it came from my father... and yep, he's Irish... hmm...

Guest nini

funny, that was one of the first things my GI doc asked me, did I have any Irish ancestors? Yep. Big time Irish on my mom's mothers side. my mom's dads family all French/Canadian, on my dad's side all Scottish, and English... stomach problems on both sides of the family.

Guest Leidenschaft

Irish, Hungarian on Mom's side, Scottish, Dutch (and or German?) on Dad's side. Mom was dx'd 16 years ago.

A true Canadian Mutt! :lol:

FaithInScienceToo Contributor

My mom's 100% Irish...says she can't eat half the foods in existence, but she hasn't indiicated that she plans to be tested (age 76, very set in her ways)...She was ALWAYS taking OTC stomach meds while I was growing up...she eventually suffered from heart palpitations, and had to get a pace-maker.

My dad is half English, half Czech...

I have the gene that is found in only 5% of celiac's (DQ8), BUT I think it comes from the Czech side?

...my dad has diabetes (Type II), neuropathy, early onset dementia...Constipation seems to be his main problem, stomach-wise, and it was mine also...but, I also had diarrhea (explosive-type) on occasion, before going gluten-free.

Gina

lotusgem Rookie

Growing up, I used to identify with my German heritage, because my first, middle and last names are Germanic. My father's father was German, but really, I'm mostly Scottish. My mother is of Scottish descent, and three of my four grandparents were also Scottish. There are a few Irish ancestors, but the line started in Scotland. Someone who was interested in our somewhat colorful family history researched our family genealogy back to the year 800, as part of her doctorate. Turns out, I'm directly descended from the first king of Scotland, so I guess I'm pretty darn Scottish. Instead of sitting on a throne in ermine robes, I sometimes sit on the throne, constipated, because of Celiac disease. :P

flagbabyds Collaborator

I'm all northern european, not sure of the exact places, but all from N Europe

snoopylian Apprentice

Here is a first for this thread - I am Hispanic. Mostly Spaniard w/a little Puerto Rican. I have two gluten sensitivity genes. From what I've read not much difference between gluten intolerance/ sensitivity/ celiac.

Guest gfinnebraska

My Mom is 100% Swedish and my father is 75% Swedish. Sooo, I claim Swedish!!

celiac3270 and I are the only Swedes so far ~ I knew there was something I liked about him!! ;)

CaliGirl Newbie

Wow, I learn something new about celiac all the time. I am also a northern European mutt, but predominately Irish, German, English, and from the Isle of Man (in the British Isles). My healthy-as-a-horse husband is also of Irish descent. I was always hoping that when we eventually have kids some day, they would have more of his 'hearty midwestern stock' genes than my sickly genes. After reading this, I don't think so!

Darn.

--Rachel, gluten-free for almost a year

celiac3270 Collaborator
My Mom is 100% Swedish and my father is 75% Swedish. Sooo, I claim Swedish!!

celiac3270 and I are the only Swedes so far ~ I knew there was something I liked about him!! ;)

Yay! :lol::D

Rikki Tikki Explorer

Mi dad's side was German and my mom's side Dutch. We were the only members of the family to move to California so I don't have a lot of information regarding other people having celiac disease. I did have a cousin that had chron's years ago and sometimes I wonder if they diagnosed it wrong. She had to have a bag, how awful.

Guest gfinnebraska
:o My sister was visiting this weekend, and she told me that the missing 25% of our father that I didn't know is part Irish!!! UGH! Hmmm... there must be something to that Irish thing... who knew??? :blink:
minibabe Contributor

My dad is from Irish Decent. My mom is from a German Decent. Not sure where i got celiac disease from, but my dad has acid reflux diease and I know that I got that from him <_< . But I still love him :)

Rikki Tikki Explorer

That was sweet minibabe!

luvs2eat Collaborator

My doc told me when he gave me the celiac diagnosis that it's most common in those if Irish descent... my mom was right off the boat, born in Belfast. All my relatives are either Irish or Scottish.

Hope the German and Russian added in to my daughter's gene pool will help them avoid this NO FUN deal!!

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