Irish Heritage And Celiac's

[Guest ajlauer]

I understand that Asian , American Indian and Black populations don't see celiac as much

That makes me go, "Hmmmmm..."

I haven't read the other 3 pages on this thread but...

Could it be that people in Northern European cultures just eat more gluten? Ok, I'm not going to throw out stereotypes here..... but I don't know of many gluten-foods that are typically associated with asian, indian, or black cultures. If you're part of a gluten-free culture, you can't be diagnosed with the disease.

[Guest ajlauer]

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.

There was an article floating around here recently. Says celiac disease is just as prevalent i spanish culture as it is in N European. The same 1 out of 118 (or whatever it is) statistic!

Again, brings me back to my thought of what foods are common in the cultures. I know a lot of corn is used in hispanic foods. Has flour only recently (like within the last 20 or so years) become a staple for the culture? If so, then it would take longer for symptoms to appear in hispanic people, as a whole. As far as I know. WRBO are the foundation for the N European diet - and have been forever.

[Queen Serenity]

HI, ALL!

I JUST LIKE TO SAY --KEEP IT COMING GUYS! THIS SUBJECT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE VERY INTERESTING!

[uclangel422]

My Dad's family is from Ireland and Scotland so i have been blaming him for the last two weeks, however the nobody on his side of the family has this or symptoms that might suggest it.

Whats really strange is that my Mom's side of the family seems like they may have it and they are Russian Jews!!!

[steadyed]

Almost all Irish here! MY great great grandfather on my dad's side married a girl from Toronto though. He was the one who dropped the "O" from the family name too.

Ed

[skbird]

As far as I know, no Irish in me, but 3/4 Dutch, 1/8 Scottish and 1/8 Welsh (so close to being Irish but don't let's start a fight here! ). I was a bit puzzled by my gene results as I have DQ3-9 as one of my two genes and that is pretty rare, as far as I can tell, in my ethnic group. I'm really fair skinned, strawberry blond (nope - that's not me in my avitar!) and wonder where the Turkish, Iranian, Brazillian or Mediterranean sneaked in. I actually wrote EnteroLab about this and the margin of error on the gene tests and was told this:

I do not believe there is a margin of error in the gene testing that

Bonfils Laboratories does. We send the gene swabs to them in the same

envelope you return to us, closed and taped if necessary. We have not yet

had a problem with errors that I am aware of.

You just may have a gene floating around in your gene pool from an ancestor

of Mediterranean background. In any case, as far as we can possibly

ascertain, the results of your gene test are correct.

Cracks me up thinking of some dark horse Mediterranean gene floating around in my gene pool. Hey, what are you doing in here????

Stephanie

[tarnalberry]

One of the thoughts for why it is seen more often in people of Northern European decent than, say, Arabic or Eastern European decent is because wheat was first cultivated in the Middle East (as I recall), and it took a while for it to spread. The reason that a fair number of Italians have celiac disease, some say, is because the Romans took a lot of slaves from the Northern European countries (particularly England and Ireland) and brought them down to Italy during the days of the Roman Empire. The English and Irish had never seen wheat before then.

That's one historical explanation I've heard, anyway.

[Guest BERNESES]

This is fascinating! Wow! I am Irish, English and French and knowing what I know about evolution (which isn't a lot- most of it's about Piaget's snails- long story it REALLY makes sense. My husband is Swedish and French. Maybe we should move to a gluten-free country!

[mommida]

My great grandmother on my father's side was a Swede. The family came from germany on my dad's side. My grandfather would say the word "Cashoub" (completely guessing on the spelling and don't know if it is deregatory.) when asked about hereditory. He spoke seven languages, so it may even be a dialect issue to track down that word too.

My mother's side was all Finnish, except for one birth certificate for Norway. It corresponds with political unrest in Finland. There is supposed to be some documentary being made about about the Juntenun family line ( Lapplander/Sammi's) coming to America. I have been trying to contact the information gatherers to ask about the possible Celiac cases.

My husband is really Heinz 57. French, Polish, and God only knows. Together we have created a DQ2 and DQ8 celiac!

Laura

[Guest BellyTimber]

They don't do gene testing here in the UK which is probably a good thing as it probably wouldn't be well thought through if they did.

I don't have any Irish that I know in 3 generations. One line may be part Scottish but only from about the year 1600.

There are several other threads overlapping this one that willprovide supplementary information.

That being said all the W European nations are very close together. Also all the races of the world are a far more varied mixture than we sometimes think.

Additional factors may be:

- in parts of the world where wheat was eaten for 20,000 years people that were getting sick may have died off young (sorry) and the predominant line that was passed to other generations was better able to cope with it

(That was supposed to be the Middle East and it's very interesting to note someone doctor thinks celiac disease is quite commonplace even there)

- in parts where wheat is newer (2,000 years has been mentioned), that applies less

- there are cultural factors not only what are predominant ingredients but what are predominant ways of thinking - is it too individualistic for those around one to seek different foods or will they let you do it and be pleased when you get well?

- wheat has been changed many times, someone mentioned hybrids, apparently a crucial factor was that it wouldn't be blown out of the ear by the wind and also higher protein content has been looked for recently as then it "bakes" in the more commercially accepted style; also there may be varieties that mature quicker in the recently emerging Bread-basket states of the world

I don't think any one thing is the factor, I think it's a blend between the lot.

On top of that, in the last few years a trend in the UK and US towards packet meals that have wheat or gluten in them needlessly, hence we eat it without intending and more than is intended even for those who seemed to get on with it.

Not forgetting - doctor awareness! So many doctors think they are celiac disease aware but haven't scratched the surface really.

Gluten is supposed to be one of the most complicated things human beings have ever eaten ...

My nutritionist said the Food Combining Diet may not generally be necessary but at times of tenderness in the intestines/stomach it can help for a while. Goodbye to cheese sandwiches for a while?

[jenvan]

Judy and Tiffany--

I have to give a shout out to the Pennsylvania Dutch ! Don't hear that too often. I am half Pennyslvania Dutch and 1/2 Irish.

[chelly1]

well this is intresting.... over here in england we having a saying in celiac disease circles that ireland is the capital city of celiac disease.... it is ment to go back to the potato famine apparently but i've never looked into it... but I was born in Dunfirmline in Scotland and my family generations skip back and forth from Scotland and Ireland so my son Jack who suffers from celiac disease has a irish blood background he has been diagnosed for 6yrs but i've only had my blood test last week I am awaiting the results next week so fingers crossed.

[Turtle]

I just read something today about Irish and Celiac and that there is a connection. I went to post the article for you and now can't find it. If I come back across it i'll post.

[Guest BellyTimber]

Anybody from Western Sahara reading the forum?

Anybody got Western Saharan in their ancestry?

Believed 1 in 16 persons have celiac disease!

[LynG]

I am curious to know how Celiac's is related, in the majority, to people of an Irish background.  Everyone I have spoken too, who have the disease, have some Irish background.  I just want to know if there is a connection.  If you have no Irish background, please let me know what nationalities you are.  Thanks in advance, if you choose to take the survey. 

Vicki 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

************

I am best described as British since I have English, Welsh, Scots & Irish ancestors.

I understand from the 'Medicine & Me; Coeliac Disease ' Conference at Royal Society of Medicine, London, (compact disc available) that coeliac disease is in fact NOT more common in Ireland than any other area.

I guess they are just better at diagnosing it there!

Open Original Shared Link

[Guest 2sas33]

I am curious to know how Celiac's is related, in the majority, to people of an Irish background.  Everyone I have spoken too, who have the disease, have some Irish background.  I just want to know if there is a connection.  If you have no Irish background, please let me know what nationalities you are.  Thanks in advance, if you choose to take the survey. 

Vicki 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Vicki, I have gluten intolerance diagnosed by diet only. I am of 100% German

nationality. I also have Scleroderma and am a diabetic, type I. I am looking for a doctor in mid-Michigan Shirley

[Ann1231]

I'm Irish (red hair and green eyes even!) also Pennsylvania Dutch and German.

[Jnkmnky]

My husband's Great grandfather was an Irish orphan in New York. Our son got the C.D.

[rmmadden]

1/2 Irish & 1/2 Italian here (What a temper combination, huh?). I can drink you under the table and then throw it at you when I'm done........lol

Cleveland Bob

[jenvan]

ha ha bob!

[mushala72]

I am curious to know how Celiac's is related, in the majority, to people of an Irish background.  Everyone I have spoken too, who have the disease, have some Irish background.  I just want to know if there is a connection.  If you have no Irish background, please let me know what nationalities you are.  Thanks in advance, if you choose to take the survey. 

Vicki 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi I am new at this so please bare with me. I have Danish, Dutch, German and Italian in my family. My mother had Celiacs and I believe that she was a happy mix of Italian and German.

[Guest 2sas33]

One of the thoughts for why it is seen more often in people of Northern European decent than, say, Arabic or Eastern European decent is because wheat was first cultivated in the Middle East (as I recall), and it took a while for it to spread.  The reason that a fair number of Italians have celiac disease, some say, is because the Romans took a lot of slaves from the Northern European countries (particularly England and Ireland) and brought them down to Italy during the days of the Roman Empire.  The English and Irish had never seen wheat before then.

That's one historical explanation I've heard, anyway.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am 100% German.  One explanation that I have read about is we only have genes to digest what our ancestors ate.  Therefore, Northern Euopeans , especially Irish and Germans, ate potatoes, while Southern Europeans ate wheat.  Our bodies have not changed enough to accomodate eating wheat products.  Times are changing, and with all nationalities intermarrying, gluten intolerance should not be as much a problem in the future.  My own children are a mix of German, English, Irish, French and Scotch.  So far, no problems.

[connole1056]

Everything I have ever read about celiac disease and nationalities has said it is most prevalent among the Irish population. But since the doctors in Ireland are more aware of celiac disease it follows it is going to be diagnosed there more often than in countries where the doctors don't know too much about it. No one really can say what the exact numbers are, but I do think as more light is shed on it celiac disease will be much more common in all countries. However, my daughter blames me ALL the time for her being a celiac because I am Irish!!

[endrun]

I am Irish on my father's side.

I agree with the idea that John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a Celiac upon reading his medical history and that the worst myth for Celiac Awareness about his life is that JFK had Addison's Disease.

My father made a speech in person for JFK at the national convention in 1960. I am sure had he known that an ailment JFK suffered was my suffering too and that I had to endure it for 45 years of my life before knowing what it was or what to do about it would have made him "die a thousand deaths" just as he had when he watched me play Little League--only this time a thousand times over!!

[elonwy]

I'm related to about half of County Cork. My mom's side of the family lost thier O' somewhere in the Atlantic, then my mom went and married an O'Connor and got it back again.

The other thing I was thinking about, was that I grew up in Hawaii, and grew up eating mostly rice. I didn't get into grains until I started South Beach to be more healthy, then started getting really sick!

I was eating grains and pasta and stuff I had never really had in my diet. Looking back over my "weak stomach" which runs in my family, I think I've had this most my life, and it wasn't until I started the whole grain kick that I realized there was something wrong with me.

I find it continuously amusing that it took me getting on a healthy diet to get really sick.

I like the idea that we're still hunter/gathere types. I was at some weird thing once where they were dividing people up by types ( farmer, hunter/gatherer, etc ) based on some mumbo-jumbo ( i was there for a friend) and I was put into the hunter/gatherer group based on my personality type.

Guess they were right.

-yeah not rambling at all am I?

elonwy