Any Non-caucasians On Here?

[zeta-lilly]

I spotted a website about celiac disease and it actually had a lot of good information on it, but it also had the statement that it was mainly a disease of people of caucasian descent and if you aren't caucasian, you probably don't have it. I didn't think that was the case and I haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere. Anyway, I was just wondering if there was any truth to that.

[Rissmeek]

I spotted a website about celiac disease and it actually had a lot of good information on it, but it also had the statement that it was mainly a disease of people of caucasian descent and if you aren't caucasian, you probably don't have it. I didn't think that was the case and I haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere. Anyway, I was just wondering if there was any truth to that.

My best friend is non-Caucasian and has Celiac. At one time there was a belief that only certain Caucasians could/would get it. I have not seen that kind of information in a very long time though.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I have met Chinese, Indian, and African-Americans with celiac disease.

Perhaps this might be useful:

From Open Original Shared Link

"HLA typing and Celiac Disease

Some people have had the notion that Celiac was almost totally absent in African-American and Asian populations, however clinical observations and some studies of immigrants who have added gluten-containing foods have shown surprising rates of Celiac. Therefore it is unclear if the historical low reported rates of celiac disease were due to lack of gluten, lack of proper diagnosis, or lower genetic susceptibility.

Additional information on celiac disease in these populations can be found at:

(a) Brueton & al Coeliac disease in Asian children in United Kingdom: in McConnell RB (ed): The Genetics of Coeliac Disease. Lancaster, MTB Press, 1981, pp. 103-108

( Sher & al. High risk of coeliac disease in Punjabis. Epidemiological study in the South Asian and European Populations of Leicestershire. Digestion 1993; 54: 178-182).

© Boudraa et al. Epidemiology of gluten intolerance in North Africa. In: Common Food Intolerances. I.: Epidemiology of Celiac disease. Dyn. Nutr. Res., Basel, 1992. vol.2, pp 64-70."

[FMcGee]

It's just patently untrue that only Caucasians get celiac. Proportionally, my understanding is that it occurs at the same or similar rates amongst all groups of people all over the world, with the exception of a lower incidence in Japan.

The internet is full of bad information on celiac (and in general) so be careful! Gluten Free Living just did a good article on myth busting for this very reason. I'd recommend it.

[daphniela]

I am half Mexican and I beleive I inherited Celiac from my Mexican side of the family. My grandmother had many symptoms and I beleive she died because of undiagnosed Celiac. She was morbidly obese and tried many diets but could never lose the weight. She also had some brain tumors removed and cronic migraines and TMJ. I have a cousin who just died a few months ago of a rare brain tumor which I also beleive was 'cause of undiagnosed Celiac.

I have been wondering the same thing. Are there any other Mexicans here?

[StrongLikeBull]

I'm African-American and gluten intolerant. But somewhere far, far down my bloodline I have German and French ancestors from which I may have gotten this predisposition. Maybe not. But in the great melting pot that is the United States, you can never be too sure what someone's lineage is, even if they're categorized as belonging to a particular race.

[OptimisticMom42]

I just had this conversation with a woman who adopted two Korean children. She has been useing the SCD and was considering a gluten challenge for her adopted son. We were in agreement that Celiacs being a "white thing" had to be a bit of arrogance.

I still think it's only happens to people with charm and wit!

[zeta-lilly]

It's really sad that there's so much misinformation floating around out there. I'm a nurse and I try to give my patients the best information I can about celiac and other diseases and I've had several who had multiple autoimmune diseases plus tons of symptoms and then they are told by their doctor that celiac disease isn't possible because they are overweight or don't have diarrhea. One lady told me that her doctor said that she couldn't possibly have celiac disease because she wasn't in severe pain every time she ate gluten. That was his idea of celiac disease, that when you eat gluten, you are in severe pain and then have diarrhea. It's really disgusting that physicians aren't more up to date on the disease. I'll have to see if I can find that site again and email the administrator. I don't think I bookmarked it though.

Hmm, I wonder if lower rates in Japan are due to their diet? I've never been to Japan, but I would imagine they would eat less gluten than we do here.