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Celiac.com 04/14/2016 - Driven partly by a perception among consumers that gluten-free foods are healthier than their non-gluten-free counterparts, the global gluten-free packaged food market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 6% between 2015 and 2019, according to a recent market report from Technavio. In addition to health and wellness, Technavio identifies demand from millennials and increased marketing activities as prime emerging trends driving the gluten-free market. Once seen as medical products for gluten intolerant people gluten-free products have evolved into "a lifestyle choice across all customer segments," says Brijesh Kumar Choubey, a lead food industry analyst at Technavio. Many consumers associate gluten-free foods with better energy energy levels, and with weight loss. Technavio cites a 2013 market survey conducted by Monash University that revealed nearly 80% people buying gluten-free products report perceived health benefits as the main reason. Just five to ten years ago, buyers of gluten-free foods were likely to be older. Today, younger consumers, specifically 32% of millennials, and 38% of Generation Z, said they would pay higher prices for gluten-free products. Bakery products, cookies and snacks are the top gluten-free foods among this consumer group, said Technavio. Driven by growing demand, and by new product development, the bakery segment leads the gluten-free packaged food market with 64% market share in 2014. Technavio predicts the segment will outpace the rest of the market through the end of 2019, growing at a rate of about 7%. Increased marketing activities from big and small manufacturers alike is the last key driver Technavio cites as a driver for gluten-free packaged food demand. An example is Heinz, which in 2014 launched a social media campaign for its gluten-free pasta and sauces, Technavio said. Source: Foodbusinessnews.net

The following are links to sites have of dermatitis herpetiformis. Some of the photos are biopsies as seen through a microscope, and some are regular photographs of people with dermatitis herpetiformis, some of which are quite graphic. Pictures and an excellent article on dermatitis herpetiformis by Harold T. Pruessner, M.D., University of Texas Medical School at Houston: http://www.aafp.org/afp/980301ap/pruessn.html The University of Iowa: http://hardinmd.lib.uiowa.edu/dermnet/dermatitisherpetiformis.html Dermis.New Web Page: http://www.dermis.net/dermisroot/en/29366/diagnose.htm Medline: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001480.htm The Dermatitis Herpetiformis Online Community: http://www.dermatitisherpetiformis.org.uk/

Celiac.com 01/01/2014 - By enabling researchers to link antibodies with certain diseases, a new method could help uncover and confirm environmental triggers for diseases such as celiac and autism. The researchers have two goals, according to professor Patrick Daugherty, a researcher with the department of chemical engineering and the Center for BioEngineering at University of California, Santa Barbara. First, they want to create diagnostic tests for diseases for which there are currently no blood tests. Next, they want to figure out what causes the diseases. The process works by mining an individual’s immunological memory—a veritable catalog of the pathogens and antigens encountered by his or her immune system Every time we encounter a pathogen, our bodies mounts an immune response in the form of antibodies that are specific for given antigens; molecular, microbial, chemical, etc. Each time our bodies mount this response, they form “memory cells” that are activated by subsequent encounters with that specific antigen. Responses can vary, from minor reactions to serious autoimmune diseases in which the body turns against its own tissues and its immune system responds by destroying them, such as in the case of Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. People with celiac disease, for example, will have certain antibodies in their blood that bind to specific peptides—short chains of amino acids—present in wheat, barley, and rye. These peptides are the gluten that trigger adverse reactions in certain people. In the same way that a lock is meant to take only one key, these antibodies will only attach to specific sequences of amino acids that make up the peptides. The researchers want to figure out which antibodies are linked to specific diseases. “People with celiac disease have two particular antibody types in their blood, which have proved to be enormously useful for diagnosis,” says Daugherty. Source: UC Santa Barbara

Ever since my husband diagnose with celiac disease, he was a littlebit depressed because he could not just simple go and grab something toeat. At the beginning, he tried to keep an open mind and went to storesthat sell gluten-free products. Most of the time, he was disappointedwith the taste of the products. One day, he came home from work andtold me how his co-workers teased him with a yummy looking chocolatechips cookie and he felt extremely depressed because he could not eatthem and he absolutely LOVES to snack. I found his co-workers' actionvery childish and decided that I would create a recipe the my husbandwould love and he could has plenty of supply at work so when the samesituation ever happen again, he would be prepared. Myhusband's favorite cookie is white chocolate chip with macadamias nut;hence, I decided to try making a gluten free version of the cookie forhim. After a few try with different flour mix and ingredients. I got arecipe that not only my husband enjoys but also his co-workers aftertrying them.This is my modified version of gluten-free cookie recipe.The cookies from this recipe has a nice soft texture. This recipe will makes about 2 - 21/2 dozen cookies. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 12-15 minutes INGREDIENTS: 2 1/4 cup of Silka Flour Mix (2/3 cup of Brown Rice Flour, 1/2 cupeach of white rice flour, tapioca flour, 1/3 cup of corn starch, 1/4cup of potato starch) 1 stick of unsalted butter (melted) or 1/2 cup of oil 2/3 cup of light brown sugar 2/3 cup of sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon of gluten-free vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of gluten-free baking powder 1 teaspoon of gluten-free baking soda 1 1/2 of teaspoon of xanthan gum 1 cup of white chocolate chip 1 tbsp of milk (optional) 1/2 cup of macadamias nut (optional) DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375 degree and line 2 baking sheet with parchment pager or use nonstick spray to grease the baking sheet. Mix melted butter, brown sugar and sugar until incorporated, add eggs and vanilla extract until blended In a medium bowl, whisk Silka Flour Mix, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt Stir the dry ingredients to the butter mix until incorporated. Stir in white chocolate chip and Macadamias nut (optional) into the cookie dough If the dough appears to be a little dry, add in milk but it's entirely optional Use a tablespoon to scoop the cookie dough onto prepared cooking sheet, space them about 2 inches apart Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies turn golden cool cookies for 5 minutes before transferring them into a wire rack

Celiac.com 09/12/2013 - The most recent industry report by Research and Markets offers a comprehensive analysis of key players in the gluten-free product industry, major gluten-free product types and their sales channels, with commentary on developments and trends. The report also provides a detailed analysis on various phases of numerous aspects of the gluten-free products industry, along with the competitive strategies favored by major industry players. Among the reports insights: As large supermarkets and mass retailers offer more gluten-free products, gluten-free sales by health and natural food stores are declining. Over the last ten years, as millions of Americans have stopped consuming products containing gluten from wheat, barley, or rye, the market for gluten-free foods and other products has shifted, and many products once regarded as specialty or niche products are now regarded as regular grocery items. The report projects global gluten-free product market to reach $6.2 billion at a CAGR of 10.2% by 2018. The report also provides market details and analysis for North America, now the largest market for gluten-free products, and for Europe, which is expected to show significant growth in the market in the near future. Some of that growth is attributed to a steady stream of new gluten-free products in the market, offering additional nutrition, new ingredients or flavors. The also report projects increased demand countries such as U.K., Italy, U.S., Spain, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and India, among others. The full report is available for purchase at: Gluten-Free Products Market By Type (Bakery & Confectionery, Snacks, Breakfast Cereals, Baking Mixes & Flour, Meat & Poultry Products), Sales Channel (Natural & Conventional) & Geography — Global Trends & Forecasts To 2018

Celiac.com 03/11/2009 - I recently had an unfortunate health experience related to celiac disease. I learned long ago that it’s my responsibility to manage my own health, so I came up with a strategy that was successful. Along the way, I also learned some important information that really helped me understand the problem and the eventual solution. Perhaps this information will help you avoid a similar health crisis. I’ve included links that can give you additional information. Disclaimer: I’m not a medical doctor. This is information that I have gathered based on my own experiences and research. Celiac Disease I have celiac disease. I manage it quite well through my diet. However, if I ingest anything with gluten, for instance a wayward crouton in a restaurant salad, I have a severe reaction that starts within five minutes. All or some of the following will occur: hives from head to toe, stomach cramps, uncontrollable diarrhea, vomiting, asthma, severe lethargy. I fall into an uncontrollable sleep that takes about four hours to run its course. Needless to say, I avoid gluten at all costs. A Bit of History Although I am a remarkable person (like all of us), my health history has been quite unremarkable. Nothing was ever wrong with me and I wasn’t allergic to anything. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve taken antibiotics in my entire life. In the past 30+ years, I never went to the doctor for an illness. I’ve had colds, various and sundry viruses and infections, but they ran their course with slowing down, plenty of rest and fluids. I believe that the primary strategy should be to give your body the time to heal itself first, and if that fails look for an alternative strategy from your doctor. Imagine my surprise when about six years ago the symptoms of celiac disease manifested themselves. (Note: I was going through an acute stressful time in my life when this occurred.) Along the way, other unexpected food allergies have presented themselves as well. One of my favorite foods was peanut butter. Since I was a little girl, I loved feasting on “peanut butter on spoon”. Out of the blue one day, a typical teaspoon of one of my favorite foods sent me into an anaphylactic reaction. And then a few months after that incident, a bite of a granola bar with cashews sent me on my first ambulance ride with a rapidly constricting throat to the emergency ward. My favorite food is now a deadly poison. I’ve had mild intestinal reactions to all vinegars and vinegar products (a little balsamic is OK), more than three glasses of red wine (not white wine or champagne), milk and cream (not cheese, thank the Universe!). I’ve also realized that I’m thirsty all the time. It seems that no matter how much water I drink, I can’t seem to quench my thirst. I even sleep with water next to my bed and drink several glasses throughout the night and still wake up thirsty. The water goes right through me and doesn’t seem to be absorbed. (I have recently been prodded, poked, examined and tested by a battery of doctors as a result of my once in 50-year checkup and they all agree that I’m the picture of health.) Both my mom and my grandmother suffered from asthma; my grandmother dealt with it her whole life. When I have an asthmatic reaction, my wheezing and coughing sound just like theirs! I remembered them being armed with their inhalers and their steroids at all times. I also remembered that these medical weapons didn’t stop the asthma attacks or the wheezing or uncontrollable coughing. They only dealt with the symptoms, not the underlying problem. Mom’s asthma went away when she started eating a gluten free diet. The Incident So I’ve come to enjoy cooking. Regardless of the disastrous results of my past cooking experiences well documented by my children, close friends and family, this new hobby relaxes me at the end of the day, is creative, saves money and insures a truly gluten and allergy free diet. I recently made a delicious French Onion and Ham Cream Soup. It was inspired by some wonderful French spices I bought from Penzey Spices. I made a big pot of the soup and had it for different meals throughout the week. I didn’t notice at the time an increased feeling of lethargy, intestinal rumblings and increased thirst that got progressively worse through the week. And then it happened. About five minutes after devouring the last of my delectable French Onion and Ham Cream Soup, the tell-tale signs of an oncoming asthma attack occurred: mucous pouring into my lungs, wheezing, airways closing up, unrelenting coughing. In addition, I had horrible abdominal cramping. I was tremendously thirsty, but the water just seemed to go through me and make me even thirstier. At about 4:00 am just as I was about to get myself to the hospital, I started to slowly stabilize, meaning I wasn’t getting worse. I slept for a little bit, then woke up coughing uncontrollably. My throat was so parched it felt like sandpaper. I dragged myself through a day of work exhausted, not being able to really get a good breath and feeling so very thirsty. That night I literally coughed all night long sitting straight up in a chair; I couldn’t lie down because of the coughing. I couldn’t go to work the next day. I needed to discover why this happened, how I can prevent it from happening again and implement an immediate strategy for managing this health crisis. Hypothesis I realized there was a relationship between several factors: celiac disease, since I had no allergies until it manifested itself; cow’s milk, which I knew was a highly allergic food; asthma, as the allergic reaction, and dehydration, because of the incessant thirst. By understanding how all of these factors related to each other, I thought I could figure out a strategy to 1) get myself into a healthy state quickly and 2) prevent this health crisis from happening again. (Even thought I knew this was an asthma attack, I wanted to make doubly sure it wasn’t pneumonia or something similar. I had no fever, chills, aches or pains, headache, or upper respiratory infection. I was fine one minute and not fine the next.) Research Asthma is a disease in which inflammation of the airways causes airflow into and out of the lungs to be restricted. When an asthma attack occurs, mucus production is increased, muscles of the bronchial tree become tight, and the lining of the air passages swells, reducing airflow and producing the characteristic wheezing and coughing. Asthma symptoms are usually worse at night. There is high correlation between people who have celiac disease and people who have sensitivities to proteins found in cow's milk. Milk is one of the most common food allergens in the American diet. And most cows eat a lot of grain and perhaps there’s a link here. Milk allergy symptoms can occur within minutes or hours after consuming the dairy product. They can be triggered by a very small amount of milk protein in the system. There is also a relationship between celiac disease, asthma and dehydration. People with celiac disease are often very thirsty even after drinking lots of water. And so are people with asthma. If fact, many doctors now think that asthma is a symptom of the body managing its water supply. This is how it works… Water is needed for every function of the body. Our bodies are 75% water and our brains are 85% water. Because of the water used in breathing, digestion, enzyme and hormone production, immune function, toxin removal and so on, we need to replace that water frequently throughout the day or our health will suffer. When we start to dehydrate, histamine production increases to conserve water in our bodies. This is vital since our lungs must remain moist to work properly. Excess histamine, a defense against losing more water, makes it difficult to breath and triggers an asthma attack. Histamine also stimulates mucous production to help seal in moisture, but that also leads to increased breathing difficulties. Histamines are also important for immune function, but during dehydration they are mostly used to look for water. If dehydration becomes chronic, the immune system will suffer; allergies, both inhalant and food allergies, will result because histamine is important for the proper balance of Tcells, antibodies and so on. Elevated histamine in the lungs causes the spasm of the bronchioles. This conserves moisture that would normally be lost during breathing. The mucus that clogs up the airways is the body’s attempt to keep the airways from completely drying out. Inflammation in the airways is the result of the body bringing more “micro-circulation” to the lungs as a result of dehydration. Common problem foods for people with asthma are dairy and gluten. Both are very hard to digest and require a lot of water to break down. If there is not enough water in the digestive tract when food is taken in, water will be pulled from other parts of the body and localized dehydration will result. This can lead to asthma, among other problems. Allergy symptoms of any kind are a sign that we need to drink more water. Antihistamines and most medicines, either directly or indirectly, actually are counterproductive for the body because they further dehydrate the body and shut off the body’s search for water. Pain, inflammation and digestive problems are also typically signs of dehydration. Dehydration is a common cause of migraines, for example. And then I unexpectedly learned about salt… Salt is the other half of the hydration equation. Salt is vital for the generation of hydroelectric energy and transmission of nerve impulses in all the cells. Salt acts as a natural antihistamine through salt-sensing nerves on the tongue and plays a major role in regulating water. Without enough salt, water is not absorbed. My Strategy The first step was to get myself in a healthy state. My re-hydration plans included continually drinking filtered water even through the night, teaspoons of honey to soothe my raw throat when needed and pinches of pink Australian sea salt (a Christmas gift from my wonderful mom) on my tongue throughout the day and night when I felt I needed it, although any sea salt would do. I also had vegetable juice and fruit juice for additional fluids. I noticed the salt working in a couple of hours. I was beginning to absorb the water (I didn’t have to pee every time I drank some water). It took about two days before the thirst went away. It was great waking up without a parched throat. The coughing was still uncontrollable, especially at night, but instead of a constant, non-productive coughing and horrible wheezing, the mucus was beginning to become looser. It took another three nights before I could sleep lying down, but the mucus had really broken up. The coughing was actually allowing the mucus to get out of my lungs. It took about six days to feel like myself again. I did gain about five pounds. But I lost it quickly and it was fat lost, not precious water. Besides, there’s nothing glamorous about walking around in a dehydrated, sickly state. The second step is to not let this happen again. I’m now drinking no less than 10 eight-ounce glasses of water every day with a pinch of salt on my tongue if I feel I need it. I need about ¼ teaspoon of salt for every quart of water I drink. After a lifetime of poor medical advice, I now know that salt is my friend. If I drink coffee or wine or if I get the nutty idea to exercise, I have to drink more water. And no more milk and cream - at least until I’m stabilized for awhile. If I feel an asthma attack coming on, the best treatment is to drink 2-3 cups of water and put a pinch of sea salt on my tongue. This will provide my body with the water it needs and the salt will send a signal to my brain to relax the bronchioles by letting it know relief is coming. Conclusion As difficult as this last health adventure was, I learned something that has changed the way I feel and has optimized my health. I found the root of the problem and fixed it instead of following mainstream medical thinking and putting a band aid on the symptoms. It’s really scary when it feels like your body is turning on you, and very empowering when you use science and knowledge to get yourself back. I’ve always said when it comes to business, “the market speaks, just listen.” I now need to take that advice for myself. My body speaks; I just have to listen!

This just in on the gluten-free beer front: Omission Beer took the top two slots to win the honors for best gluten free beer at the 2012 Great International Beer & Cider Competition in Providence, R.I. A total of four hundred seventy (470) beers and ciders from breweries from around the globe competed for top honors. Judges in the blind tasting competition presented first, second and third place awards in 44 categories of ales, lagers and ciders. The judges included eighty-three professional brew meisters, beer industry professionals, and beer journalists, who were given only the style and subcategory of each beer and cider they judged. Omission Lager received the gold medal, and Omission Pale Ale earned silver in the gluten free beer category. Third place went to St. Peters Brewery in Bungay, Suffolk, UK, for their St. Peter’s Dark Sorghum beer. Omission beers use traditional ingredients, including malted barley, that are specially crafted to remove gluten. Omission tests gluten levels in every batch both at the brewery, and at an independent lab, using the R5 Competitive ELISA gluten test to ensure that the beer measures well below the Codex gluten-free standard of 20 ppm or less. The R5 Competitive ELISA is currently the best test for measuring gluten levels in fermented beverages. Omission posts test results for each batch of beer on their website: www.omissiontests.com. In the cider competition, Crispin Cider's Browns Lane took top honors in the English Cider category. Meantime, if all this talk of tasty gluten-free beer and cider is making you hungry, then check out our recent article Gluten-Free Beers and Ciders For the Holiday Season and Beyond.