Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Is It A Red Head Thing?


Rook's Mommy

Recommended Posts

Rook's Mommy Apprentice

My son is a red head. Since finding out about it I have meet people who have celiac and a good portion of the are red heads. So is my mother and niece who both have signs. It seems odd. Oh and the owner of the bakery I went to was a red head as well. :unsure:


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



angel-jd1 Community Regular

Many people who have red hair are of Irish descent. Celiac also ties into Irish heritage/genes. I guess that would be about the only correlation. As far as i know :D Good observation though.

-Jessica :rolleyes:

RiceAddict Rookie

Hair color is determined by genes. Red hair is a recessive gene, which is why it is less common. We are not Irish or Scottish but I am the ONLY person in my family with red hair. Also the only one with celiac, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. .

I sure hope my REAL parents are rich!

Aizlynn Rookie

I am a red head, but of Italian/German decent no potato blood in me. However, when I went to my first Gluten Intolerance Group meeting yesterday I did notice a a few red heads in the group.

GeoffCJ Enthusiast

I think the first responder is correct.

Celiac has the highest rates of incidence amongst people of Celtic descent (which includes Scots, not just Irish). These populations also have high rates of red hair.

I'm not a redhead, but my mom and sister both are! (Scottish)

Geoff

Rook's Mommy Apprentice

I that all makes a lot of sense. We are Irish!

Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular

I remember reading that among Asians in Asia, celiac disease is virtually unheard of, but among Asians living in America, the rate of celiac disease incidence increases with each generation (as their diet becomes more and more Westernized).

I am sorry that I can't remember where I read that, so I cannot present this as peer-reviewed science! But to connect it to this thread, the Asian-Americans who have celiac certainly don't have red hair or Irish heritage!

Still--we should do a poll on how many of us here have any Celtic ancestors.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



cgilsing Enthusiast

I'm a redhead and so is my son.....but the red-headed side of the family is not the Celiac side! :lol: We are all Scottish/Irish/German though....

Ursa Major Collaborator

I'm a redhead. My mother, who I am sure had celiac disease, had brown hair, but her mother had red hair (and her mother died young of stomach cancer, probably not a coincidence).

No Irish heritage here, just German.

darlindeb25 Collaborator

Well, let me see if I can stump any of you. I am sure there is some Irish on my mom's side and yes, she is a true redhead. My sister and I both have red highlights in our hair, yet, our mom is not celiac, our father is and he was a brunette in his day, now mostly gray. My dad's family is English and German. Blows that theory huh!!!!! ;)

By the way--just wanted to add, my hair really is not as dark as in the pic here, that was Garnier Nutresse ;) , still is, but as close to my natural color as possible--chestnut!

Ann1231 Enthusiast

I'm a redhead and so was my grandmother on my Dad's side, which is where the celiac is dominant. We are of Irish and German heritage.

jayhawkmom Enthusiast

I'm a redhead - and I'm Irish/German. :)

Obviously.... since my children have my dna, they also share in my heritage. However, none of them have red hair, much to my dismay.

Both my boys have brown hair and my daughter is a blondie. I can see, in years to come, one of my kiddos will post here and say..... "hey, yea... my mom has red hair!!"

*giggle*

2kids4me Contributor

No redheads in this family or in relatives ..... blonde and chestnut brown dominate...

No Irish blood but Slovak and Scot and German add european diversity :)

Sandy

plantime Contributor

Celiac was passed down in my family through my maternal grandpa. He was French and Irish. He used to say he was "Black Irish" because his hair was jet-black until the day he died. Vydorscope's little boy, Timber, has the most gorgeous red curls!

lonewolf Collaborator

My son is a red-head and is gluten intolerant, but not officially Celiac. When he was a baby, the pediatrician told me that red-heads have a higher incidence of food and environmental allergies and to be watchful.

concerned-mom061 Rookie

I am of Irish decent. My mother had ared tent to her hair....and several of her sisters have red hair. My daughter is the first known case in the family.....and she has a red tint to her hair......but after her diagnosis..many of my mom's sisters are being tested, for they all have the symptoms. My mother died at 41 of natural causes.....but in the end she suffered from bloody stools, an extreme amount of weight gain, severe anemia, horrible arthiritis, and many other things.

My little brother also has red hair...and he exhibits many of the symptoms of an intolerance.

So...maybe you are onto something!

prinsessa Contributor

None of the people who I know that are Gluten intolerant have red hair. That doesn't mean that red heads aren't more likely to have gluten intolerant. I just don't know any that are.

mtdawber Apprentice

I'm the red head in my family... that's so funny... I've always been the one with iron deficiencies, bad skin and stomach problems... ha ha ha... no one else in my family shoes any signs of celiac! My dad was too (he passed several years ago) but he was always skinny as a rail - makes me wonder....

2boysmama Apprentice

I have strawberry blonde hair and so do both my boys - all three of us are gluten sensitive. My husband has brown hair but is Irish and is also GS. My mother has red hair and her father is directly from Ireland. My dad's side of the family (where I got my specific hair color) is Scottish/Welsh...so genetically-speaking I'm pretty much surrounded, I think ! :lol:

Lisa Mentor

Interesting topic and intriguing.

My Uncle and his daughter are red-headed. I have always had red highlights and of Austrian decent.

Red hair and odd body shape.......could this be an alien connection. :unsure:

  • 2 weeks later...
laurac Newbie

Well, funny thing-- my son and husband are both celiacs. Celiac comes from my husband's side of the family. There are a few others including his grandfather that have celiac disease. They are all 100% Italian. There is nothing else mixed in there.

ILOVEOMC Enthusiast

Yes, my son who has celiac is a redhead. I am also and my daughter but we don't have celiac. Good idea to bring up!

  • 6 years later...
0range Apprentice

Very old thread, but here's an interesting article about this! Open Original Shared Link

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Son's legs shaking

    2. - Scott Adams replied to Paulaannefthimiou's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Bob red mill gluten free oats

    3. - knitty kitty replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

    4. - trents replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

    5. - SamAlvi replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,868
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    LMGarrison
    Newest Member
    LMGarrison
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      @lizzie42, You're being a good mom, seeking answers for your son.  Cheers! Subclinical thiamine deficiency commonly occurs with anemia.  An outright Thiamine deficiency can be precipitated by the consumption of a high carbohydrate meal.   Symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include feeling shakey or wobbly in the legs, muscle weakness or cramps, as well as aggression and irritability, confusion, mood swings and behavior changes.  Thiamine is essential to the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine which keep us calm and rational.   @Jsingh, histamine intolerance is also a symptom of Thiamine deficiency.  Thiamine is needed to prevent mast cells from releasing histamine at the slightest provocation as is seen in histamine intolerance.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins and Vitamin C are needed to clear histamine from the body.  Without sufficient thiamine and other B vitamins to clear it, the histamine builds up.  High histamine levels can change behavior, too.  High histamine levels are found in the brains of patients with schizophrenia.  Thiamine deficiency can also cause extreme hunger or conversely anorexia.   High carbohydrate meals can precipitate thiamine deficiency because additional thiamine is required to process carbohydrates for the body to use as fuel.  The more carbohydrates one eats daily, the more one needs additional thiamine above the RDA.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses. Keep in mind that gluten-free processed foods like cookies and such are not required to be fortified and enriched with vitamins and minerals like their gluten containing counterparts are.  Limit processed gluten-free foods.  They are often full of empty calories and unhealthy saturated fats and additives, and are high in histamine or histamine release triggers.  It's time you bought your own vitamins to supplement what is not being absorbed due to malabsorption of Celiac disease.  Benfotiamine is a form of Thiamine that has been shown to improve intestinal health as well as brain function. Do talk to your doctors and dieticians about supplementing with the essential vitamins and minerals while your children are growing up gluten free.  Serve nutritionally dense foods.  Meats and liver are great sources of B vitamins and minerals. Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
    • Scott Adams
      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this category, and eliminating them is the best way to figure this out. Some people substitute gluten-free quinoa flakes for oats if they want a hot cereal substitute. If you are interested in summaries of scientific publications on the topic of oats and celiac disease, we have an entire category dedicated to it which is here: https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/oats-and-celiac-disease-are-they-gluten-free/   
    • knitty kitty
      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease.   Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease.  Though having the genes for Celiac is not diagnostic in and of itself, taken with the antibody tests, the anemia and your reaction to gluten, it may be a confirmation you have Celiac disease.   Do discuss Gastrointestinal Beriberi with your doctors.  In Celiac disease, Gastrointestinal Beriberi is frequently overlooked by doctors.  The digestive system can be affected by localized Thiamine deficiency which causes symptoms consistent with yours.  Correction of nutritional deficiencies quickly is beneficial.  Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine, helps improve intestinal health.  All eight B vitamins, including Thiamine (Benfotiamine), should be supplemented because they all work together.   The B vitamins are needed in addition to iron to correct anemia.   Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
    • trents
      Currently, there are no tests for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out and we do have testing for celiac disease. There are two primary test modalities for diagnosing celiac disease. One involves checking for antibodies in the blood. For the person with celiac disease, when gluten is ingested, it produces an autoimmune response in the lining of the small bowel which generates specific kinds of antibodies. Some people are IGA deficient and such that the IGA antibody tests done for celiac disease will have skewed results and cannot be trusted. In that case, there are IGG tests that can be ordered though, they aren't quite as specific for celiac disease as the IGA tests. But the possibility of IGA deficiency is why a "total IGA" test should always be ordered along with the TTG-IGA. The other modality is an endoscopy (scoping of the upper GI track) with a biopsy of the small bowel lining. The aforementioned autoimmune response produces inflammation in the small bowel lining which, over time, damages the structure of the lining. The biopsy is sent to a lab and microscopically analyzed for signs of this damage. If the damage is severe enough, it can often be spotted during the scoping itself. The endoscopy/biopsy is used as confirmation when the antibody results are positive, since there is a small chance that elevated antibody test scores can be caused by things other than celiac disease, particularly when the antibody test numbers are not particularly high. If the antibody test numbers are 10x normal or higher, physicians will sometimes declare an official diagnosis of celiac disease without an endoscopy/biopsy, particularly in the U.K. Some practitioners use stool tests to detect celiac disease but this modality is not widely recognized in the medical community as valid. Both celiac testing modalities outlined above require that you have been consuming generous amounts of gluten for weeks/months ahead of time. Many people make the mistake of experimenting with the gluten free diet or even reducing their gluten intake prior to testing. By doing so, they invalidate the testing because antibodies stop being produced, disappear from the blood and the lining of the small bowel begins to heal. So, then they are stuck in no man's land, wondering if they have celiac disease or NCGS. To resume gluten consumption, i.e., to undertake a "gluten challenge" is out of the question because their reaction to gluten is so strong that it would endanger their health. The lining of the small bowel is the place where all of the nutrition in the food we consume is absorbed. This lining is made up of billions of microscopically tiny fingerlike projections that create a tremendous nutrient absorption surface area. The inflammation caused by celiac disease wears down these fingers and greatly reduces the surface area needed for nutrient absorption. Thus, people with celiac disease often develop iron deficiency anemia and a host of other vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is likely that many more people who have issues with gluten suffer from NCGS than from celiac disease. We actually know much more about the mechanism of celiac disease than we do about NCGS but some experts believe NCGS can transition into celiac disease.
    • SamAlvi
      Thank you for the clarification and for taking the time to explain the terminology so clearly. I really appreciate your insight, especially the distinction between celiac disease and NCGS and how anemia can point more toward celiac. This was very helpful for me.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.