Red Heads

[ctenny]

I was just diagnosed a week ago, so as of today, I have not met a single other person with Celiac's in real life. I have no idea what they look like! I have heard, through the grapevine of the internet, that there seems to be a high frequency of red heads in the Celiac population.

Is this just because of the two gene's common European upbringing?

Who here is a red head? I am!

What do you think of this odd coincidence?

[Kamma]

I'm a redhead too. Interesting to see how many are on here.

[ciamarie]

Not I, except when I was experimenting with Henna many years back. Otherwise, I'm currently what is termed 'salt & pepper' I believe, brunette with a little more grey than I'd like! I have some new 'sprouts' right in front that appear to be coming in brown!

[sa1937]

I'm blonde as is my daughter, who also has celiac.

[Adalaide]

I'm brunette but if I spend any significant amount of time outside in the summer it turns a coppery red. When I was a baby my hair was orange, or so I've been told.

[modiddly16]

I have Auburn hair, which is considered a red head

[sreese68]

I'm a redhead!

[bartfull]

A lot of my family members got red hair and I always felt deprived because my hair is brown. Well, it WAS brown. Now it is salt and pepper, but what is really funny is that the grey has a distinct reddish hue. A lot of people think I streak my hair because it looks more reddish blond than grey.

[xjrosie]

I and my three daughters are all brunettes. All but one of my daughters has Celiac.

But we are mostly Polish and Native American (and a little of everything European thrown in). We're not really sure where any of it comes from because there is no known autoimmune problems anywhere in any of our lineage.

[melikamaui]

I'm naturally a blonde but I dye it red. Does that count?

[alex11602]

Mostly brunette with a reddish tint for my hair

My girls take after their dad and have light brown hair

[kareng]

Red, but not carrot red, pale skin & freckles.

[AVR1962]

One of my daughters is a red head. She had all kinds of health issues growing up and so we finally found a German nurse that was trying to help us with nutrition. She was telling us that red heads tend to be more sensative and have more health issues. At that point and time she was encouraging cultured yogurts to aide in fighting the bad bacteria. She is now an adult, takes probiotics and is also gluten-free and has found a great deal of improvement.

I am blonde, fair skin and freckles. Red heads run in my family.

[Jennifer C]

I have red tints in my hair

[ctenny]

I need to put a picture of me young self up right now. I'm 20 so my hair is in it's prime. Full auburn, I suppose.

It's interesting that Celiac is considered the cetlic disease. When did the Celiac gene develop and is there any advantage to it?

[ctenny]

I need to put a picture of me young self up right now. I'm 20 so my hair is in it's prime. Full auburn, I suppose.

It's interesting that Celiac is considered the cetlic disease. When did the Celiac gene develop and is there any advantage to it?

[squirmingitch]

Blonde here with fair skin. No freckles unless you count the spots from skin that has been treated like bacon & fried in the southern coastal sun for a lifetime!

[maximoo]

DD has med brown hair with copper highlights & freckles--fair/olive skin. DS has black hair--no freckles & tan (light brwn) skin. Both positive for gluten antibodies. No official DX.

[mamaw]

redhead when I was young then went to auburn as I aged then to a reddish blonde, & now sadly enough turning grey! pale skin, blue eyes, freckles when young....

[BarryC]

I am part Irish and have some native American. The native part makes sense because I dont think they grew wheat. Lots of native people where I live and they have problems with diabetes and obesity.

[IrishHeart]

this lady has a theory

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I think the theory about redheads came in part from the large number of Celtic people with celiac. The largest concentration of celiacs with DQ2 genes, I believe, are in Western Ireland.

I have olive skin and freckles, dark brown, almost black hair that was more reddish when I was younger. (As was my mother's. Dad's was jet black.)

Now, it mostly just wants to be grey.

[DougE]

this lady has a theory

Open Original Shared Link

I think the theory about redheads came in part from the large number of Celtic people with celiac. The largest concentration of celiacs with DQ2 genes, I believe, are in Western Ireland.

I have olive skin and freckles, dark brown, almost black hair that was more reddish when I was younger. (As was my mother's. Dad's was jet black.)

Now, it mostly just wants to be grey.

I was going to suggest the same thing. I too heard that the highest concentration of people with celiac is in western Ireland. I do not have red hair, but my grandmother whom I suspect had celiac was of Irish descent.

[vella]

New here...Hi all.......I have red orange hair, no freckles and light olive complected and the only one in the family with red hair......I can't find anyone in the family who knows any relatives with Celiac.......My heritage is French, Irish and German.

Trying to get a hang of the board.

[squirmingitch]

Welcome vella. Everyone here is so very helpful. Ask anything you need. Look around & get familiar with things.

[Jetamio]

This is really interesting! I was a red head when I was little and it darkened to a dark auburn brown. I'm half Irish (mom) and half Native American (Dad).