What Is Your Ethnic Origin?

[johanna]

After reviewing my "Celiac Info Packet" mommida commented on my last name (shown in my email address): Larsen. She said something about being of Scandinavian descent and the higher incidence of celiac disease in those countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands). So - I'm wondering how many people in the forum are from Scandinavian countries. Then I started wondering where people here originated from in general

So - here's the newest poll: Where did your family originate? I'm really interested in seeing if there is any relevance (in the Forum) to the Scandinavian thing. In the book "Dangerous Grains" the author made a note about the "facial and hair features typical of celiac disease" They are: Blue eyes and fair hair, triangular face shape, and prematurely greying hair. That alone sounds like a description of a Scandinavian person!

Also - if anyone knows anything about this link, please fill me in

Thanks!!

- Michelle

I'm blond, green-eyed, fair-skinned. In fact, I look kind of like Bean. But my gene testing showed the celiac DQ8 gene which is Mediterranean/south European. I'm 3/4 northwest European mix, and 1/4 east European Jewish. I always thought any gluten problems would come from the northwest European side (the side with allergies and arthritis), so I was pretty surprised when DQ8 showed up. It must be from the Jewish side. Of course, I won't know for sure unless my parents are tested.

[Rusla]

Italian on my mothers side and Scandinavian on my fathers side.

[debmidge]

Hi all

My husband is Italian on dad's side and german/danish on mothers. Strangely enough he believes his father had undiagnosed celiac (dad passed away 5 years ago and #1 reason for death was anemia and they couldn't find how he was losing blood - in retrospect, we now feel it was celiac as he also wasn't absorbing the food they were giving him thru his feeding tube).

On mother's side, Danish, none of his cousins appear to have celiac disease. But husband's sister appears to have a good amount of celiac disease symptoms but refuses to get tested; we spoke to her primary care physican (as he's a personal friend of the family and the Mother & Sister refuse to see other doctors) and Dr. feels she doesn't have celiac disease because she doesn't have diarrhea. (although she has numerous bowel movements all day and eats like a horse, doesn't exercise, and never gains weight, and is rail thin. She's constantly gassy, belching and opening her pants butons after she eats) but let's not go there, I am in trouble enough about saying how I feel about inept doctors.

[elisabet]

Norwegian.

[suziew]

I am half korean and half polish. I was born in Korea. So I tell everybody I was made in Korea by a polack.

[munchkinette]

I am mostly Scottish and German. I also have some Irish, English, Welsh, French, and maybe some Swiss. I have blue eyes and blonde hair.

I should point out that I haven't had any positive tests yet about having a gluten intolerance. (getting those in 2 weeks.) I've been anemic for a few years and a lot of other symptoms fit, so I'm just assuming at this point. I feel awesome after avoiding gluten for 2 weeks.

I would really be interested to find out what everyone's grandparents and great grandparents died from. I have TWO colon cancers in there. My grandmother was diabetic but she basically died this summer from liver failure- all from medication. (no alcohol or tylenol)

[cgilsing]

I'm Scottish/English/French/German. celiac disease came from my mom's side of the family. Surprise, Surprise that is the Scottish/English side!

[Mango04]

Sweedish/German/Polish/Irish

[Clark Bent as Stupor-Man]

just as a disclaimer: I'm still undiagnosed and avoiding a number of foods which could be the culprits but am feeling better since eliminating gluten early January...

- Irish, German, Scottish, and French on my pops' side

- Lithuanian, Estonian, and Romanian (Jewish background) from my maternal grandmother... no knowledge of anything re: my maternal grandfather except we believe he was Western European...

I also have a diagnosed celiac relative on the Irish side of my family

[gointribal]

i know my grandparents where English and German. I have blond/brown hair, blue eyes and really fair skin. I've heard this is a european disease, any back up for this?

[johanna]

just as a disclaimer: I'm still undiagnosed and avoiding a number of foods which could be the culprits but am feeling better since eliminating gluten early January...

- Irish, German, Scottish, and French on my pops' side

- Lithuanian, Estonian, and Romanian (Jewish background) from my maternal grandmother... no knowledge of anything re: my maternal grandfather except we believe he was Western European...

I also have a diagnosed celiac relative on the Irish side of my family

just as a disclaimer: I'm still undiagnosed and avoiding a number of foods which could be the culprits but am feeling better since eliminating gluten early January...

- Irish, German, Scottish, and French on my pops' side

- Lithuanian, Estonian, and Romanian (Jewish background) from my maternal grandmother... no knowledge of anything re: my maternal grandfather except we believe he was Western European...

I also have a diagnosed celiac relative on the Irish side of my family

Hey, Stupor-Man, you and I are very similar ethnic mixes. British mix on dad's side, Hungarian and Polish Jewish maternal grandmother, and British/Scandinavian maternal grandfather.

[gabrielle]

I am Czech on my mother's side and Irish/Scottish on my father's side.

I am 5'2", blue eyes, blonde hair -- but oops i have a round face!!

Does anyone else look much younger than they really are? I get teased about this constantly- and I wasn't sure if it had something to do with Celiac. I am very small statured and my face is very baby like- I'm 21, but I can easily pass for 14 or 15. I may be making a stretch- just wondering.

[codetalker]

Father's side: German, Polish

Mother's side: Irish, Scottish, German

[sillyyak]

I am finding this to be a VERY interesting topic as I am South Asian and everyone that has gotten tested in my family is negative for it.

[johanna]

I think that all Caucasians can get it, and there are definitely Caucasian genes in South Asia. Maybe other people groups also have susceptible genes, too, but don't typically eat enough gluten for researchers to know it. Since your family doesn't seem to have a strong predisposition to the disorder, I'm wondering if there is any event that triggered this, such as stress, infection, vaccination, or antibiotic use? Although my genetic background doesn't make the gluten intolerance such a mystery, I really think that all my problems, most of which are experienced by other relatives to a lesser degree, were brought on by using a broad spectrum antibiotic for 9 months.

[slpinsd]

Wow, I fit the bill. I am mostly Swedish (as is my last name). Bean, I am also almost 32, also have GERD (related to the gluten sensitivity). My friends were pulling out gray hairs on my head when I was in elementary school (5th grade, I think). By the time I was 22, I had to start coloring my hair because of the premature graying. I don't have blue eyes or blonde hair, or a triangular shaped face, though. The rest of my ancestry is a mix: Austrian, Hungarian, German, English, Danish, Irish, French. I do look younger. Most people think I am about 21.

[mouse]

I am German on my Maternal side and German, English and Czech on my Paternal side. There is an interesting story about my Maternal grandmother. She told us (all the cousins and her children) that she had been born on the side that was East German. That was the nearest she would get to the real truth. Then one of my cousins started doing research on a family tree and he found out that she was born in Russia, but we have no Russian in any of us. When Catherine the Great was Empress of Russia they had a great need for farmers. So she brought over many German farmers. The only thing was that the Germans would not learn Russian, taught their children in German schools and would not marry out of the German community. The Russians' hated them and when Catherine the Great died, The Germans were shipped to Siberia. But, my grandmother's parents saw what was going to happen after Catherine died and smuggled my grandmother out of the country. When my cousin told her what he had uncovered, she admitted the truth. What was kind of funny, was that he told us all about a year after the Chicago Tribune ran a lengthy story about the Russian Germans and I had read it.

[minibabe]

Does anyone else look much younger than they really are? I get teased about this constantly- and I wasn't sure if it had something to do with Celiac. I am very small statured and my face is very baby like- I'm 21, but I can easily pass for 14 or 15. I may be making a stretch- just wondering.

I am 20 years old 5'1" and about 105 pounds. If I do not get dressed up I can be mistaken for a 16 year old....It sucks. I know how you feel.

Moms side I am German

Fathers sid I am Irish

(what a combo )

[Rusla]

Most people think I am 15 years or more younger than I am. My sister is 6 years younger and know one knows who is the oldest. My youngest brother who is 8 years younger, most think I am the youngest and my oldest brother they mistake for my father. My sister also looks young and so does my mother. She is 83 and many think she is 65. I think genes have a lot to do with it but I think so does the disease, although I am the only one diagnosed so far.

The last time I went to a bar I was ID'd and that was 10 years ago.

[johanna]

I also look young for my age. I'm 27, but I look about 20.

[Ursa Major]

German on my father's side (but his mother had a French maiden name), German on my mother's side (her mother and grandmother fled from Upper-Silesia from the Russians, but they were of German descent and spoke a strange German dialect).

I have auburn hair (was strawberry blonde as a little kid), no grey hair yet, fair skin, blue eyes.

My Silesian grandmother died of stomach cancer when my mother was 20. My mother (who had ALL the same symptoms as me) died of liver cancer, my father also died of liver cancer, but they thought it started in the stomach. Several of my siblings (I have six brothers and one sister still in Germany) have possible Celiac symptoms as well.

I read in the book 'Dangerous Grains' that in Morocco every 18th adolescent is diagnosed with Celiac disease. And I read in several places now, that the big-bellied, obviously malnourished children in many places in Africa likely have Celiac disease, too. And that shipping all that wheat we don't want because of overproduction here makes them sick instead of helping them! I heard that possibly up to 80% of Africans might be gluten intolerant. It certainly isn't what they'd normally eat, if it wasn't for what's shipped to them for famine relief.

[jerseyangel]

Ursula--that was a good point about the starving people getting sick from the wheat that is sent to them. I never thought about that. BTW--how was your cruise? Did you have a good time?

[nettiebeads]

I am finding this to be a VERY interesting topic as I am South Asian and everyone that has gotten tested in my family is negative for it.

Must have been a northern european in the woodpile somewhere!

[munchkinette]

I am Czech on my mother's side and Irish/Scottish on my father's side.

I am 5'2", blue eyes, blonde hair -- but oops i have a round face!!

Does anyone else look much younger than they really are? I get teased about this constantly- and I wasn't sure if it had something to do with Celiac. I am very small statured and my face is very baby like- I'm 21, but I can easily pass for 14 or 15. I may be making a stretch- just wondering.

Actually, I heard something (it was either in a book or a documentary) about how some people have younger looking features regardless of their ages. Basically, if you have smaller features in the center of your face you seem younger because young children and babies have smaller features in relation to their head size. Does that make sense? A lot of people with Irish/Scottish/Northern European backgrounds tend to have those features and look really young. Since many of those people have problems with wheat, I think there are probably a lot of people in this forum who look really young. I certainly look young for my age and I have that ethnic background. (also 5'2", blue eyes, blonde hair, round face)

[penguin]

I'm a sweedamickacanuckaho

Translation: Sweedish, Irish, French-Canadian, Native American

In my family, we embrace the bad nicknames

Nobody on Mom's side have celiac (though stomach problems), but my Dad was adopted, so who the h-e-double-hockey-sticks knows? (though I do know that that is where the sweed and french-canadian came from)

Oh, btw, incredibly pale, ash blonde hair, brown eyes