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Celiac.com 12/29/2015 - Regular Girl is a gluten-free prebiotic fiber with a probiotic blend that is specifically designed "for the woman on the go." The beautiful and highly-functional packaging that it comes in makes this point clear—15 convenient serving sized packets are included in an athletic-style, non-breakable plastic bottle—which makes it very easy to take with you to the office, on vacation, or anywhere else you want to go (it is also available in 30-day supply bulk powder). Each Regular Girl serving packet contains 6 grams of the company's proprietary "Sunfiber," which is designed to eliminate any gas or bloating that can be caused by other dietary fiber supplements. This supplement is unique because it also contains 8 billion CFU of Bifidobacterium lactis to help normalize bacterial gut flora and improve calcium absorption. Regular Girl packets are very easy to use—just mix one with 6-8 ounces of water or any non-carbonated beverage. What I really liked about them is that they aren't flavored, so they don't contain any artificial flavors or colors, which makes them very easy to drink by themselves or with your favorite beverage or smoothie. Overall, this is the perfect dietary fiber supplement for anyone with celiac disease, and especially for women who appreciate well-designed packaging which allows you to take them with you wherever you want to go. For more info visit: www.regulargirl.com.

Celiac.com 02/28/2017 - A number of commercial brewers are opting to use enzymatic digestion, or hydrolysis, for treating gluten-containing foods and beverages to make them safe for people with gluten sensitivity, including those with celiac disease. However, some have questioned whether the process is safe for all people with celiac disease, as some celiacs complain that they experience gluten sensitivity when they drink these beers. Currently, there are no validated testing methods for quantifying levels of hydrolyzed or fermented gluten peptides in foods and beverages that might be harmful to celiac patients. This makes it difficult to determine the safety of hydrolyzed products for people with celiac disease. Some researchers finally tested the clinical response by celiac patients to gluten-free beer, gluten-removed beer, and conventional beer. They also tested a non-celiac control group. Their main goal was to determine if sera from active celiac patients can serve as an effective detection tool for residual celiac-reactive proteins in gluten-removed beer. The research team included Laura K Allred; Katherine Lesko; Diane McKiernan; Cynthia Kupper; and Stefano Guandalini. Their study used an ELISA-based method to determine whether serum antibody binding of residual peptides in a fermented barley-based product is greater among active-celiac disease patients than a normal control group, using commercial beers as a test case. The team first gathered sera from 31 active-celiac disease patients and 29 non-celiac control subjects, then assessed the binding of proteins from barley, rice, traditional beer, gluten-free beer, and enzymatically treated (gluten-removed) traditional beer. None of the 29 non-celiac control subjects reacted to all three barley-based samples (barley extract, traditional beer, and gluten-removed beer), while 2 of 31 active-celiac disease patients (6.4%) responded to all three samples. In the ELISA, none of the subjects' sera bound to proteins in the naturally gluten-free beer. Eleven active celiac patients showed immunoglobulin A (IgA) or immunoglobulin G (IgG) binding to a barley extract, compared to only one non-celiac control subject. Of the seven active celiac patients who had an IgA binding response to barley, four also responded to traditional beer, while two of these also responded to the gluten-removed beer. None of the sera from non-celiac control subjects bound to all three beer samples. Breaking down the results, only 11 of the 31 active celiac disease patients even reacted to barley. Only 4 of those 11 reacted to traditional beer; a mere 12%. Of those, only two celiacs reacted to gluten-removed beer, or about 6% of the test group. So, interestingly, while this study indicates that the vast majority of people with celiac disease seem to tolerate both traditional and gluten-free beers, it also indicates that there are residual peptides in the gluten-removed beer that may trigger reactions in a minority of celiacs. This particular study was small and highly regional, so very little can be projected to the larger celiac population. Clearly more study is warranted to more accurately determine the exact nature of the risk for celiacs who drink gluten-removed beer. This isn't the last we'll hear about the safety of gluten-removed beer. Stay tuned for more on this and other gluten-free stories. Read more about gluten-free and gluten-removed beers. Source: Journal of AOAC International. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5740/jaoacint.16-0184

Celiac.com 04/25/2016 - In a scandal that is shaping up to resemble the story of Paul Seelig, who sold "gluten-free" baked goods that were actually regular baked goods merely labeled "gluten-free," an Ohio couple is suing their local pizzeria for serving "gluten-free" pizza that they claim was just regular pizza labeled as gluten-free. According to court documents, the Reynoldsburg, Ohio couple claims that, on April 11, 2014, they bought a pie from Donatos Pizza at 7580 East Broad Street in Reynoldsburg. The couple claims that the pizza was advertised as gluten-free, but was made with standard pizza dough, which contains wheat flour. The couple is seeking compensation for nearly $9,000 in medical expenses, nearly $4,000 in lost wages and unspecified future damages. The lawsuit was filed Monday in Franklin County. According to court documents, Donatos has not yet been served its copy of the lawsuit. Stay tuned for more details on this and other stories about gluten-free issues.

Celiac.com 10/17/2012 - This article originally appeared in the Winter 2012 edition of Celiac.com's Journal of Gluten-Sensitivity. It’s estimated that of the 3 million Americans with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease triggered by exposure to gluten-a protein component of wheat, barley, and rye-only 3% have been diagnosed. The good news for celiac patients who have been diagnosed is that the treatment for their condition is simple and doesn’t require the ingestion of drugs--a gluten-free diet. Unfortunately, celiac patients must deal with several challenges in maintaining a diet free of gluten, specifically the expenses involved. Compared with “regular” gluten-containing foods, gluten-free alternatives are more expensive. In fact, a study has indicated that gluten-free foods cost more than double their gluten-containing counterparts. In a study by the Dalhousie Medical School at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, prices were compared between food products labeled as “gluten-free” with comparable gluten-containing food products at two large-sized chain grocery stores. Unit prices of the food items in dollars per 100 grams were calculated for this purpose. According to the study, all the 56 gluten-free products were more expensive than their corresponding products. The average unit price for gluten-free products was found to be $1.71, compared with $0.61 for the gluten-containing products. This means that gluten-free products were 242% more expensive than gluten-containing items. Fortunately, celiac patients can receive tax deductions for certain expenses related with their gluten-free diet. To receive these benefits, celiacs must provide a doctor’s note confirming their celiac diagnosis and save their receipts for all their gluten-free foods and other products they purchase. The difference between the prices of gluten-free items compared to those of regular items is tax-deductible. Products that don’t have a gluten-containing counterpart, such as xanthan gum and sorghum flour, are totally tax-deductible. Shipping costs for online orders of gluten-free items are also tax-deductible. In order to file your claim, you should fill out a 1049 schedule A for medical deductions. For more information, contact a qualified accountant. There are other ways to avoid spending loads of money on gluten-free foods. For instance, stay away from gluten-free processed and “junk” foods such as snack foods and desserts made with refined carbohydrates and sugar and lacking nutrients. Not only will you save money, but you’ll safeguard your health. I recommend making meals comprised of nutritious, naturally gluten-free whole foods at home such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, poultry, fish, meats, nuts and seeds, and eggs. These foods are packed with vital nutrients and don’t carry any additional costs. Make sure that no gluten has been added to such foods and they are safe from cross-contamination. Another way to save money is to make your own gluten-free mixes yourself, such as the ones I recommend on my gluten-free website. Instead of buying expensive commercial gluten-free baking mixes, you can create your own gluten-free flour mixes for a variety of foods such as pancakes, pizza, rolls, and muffins and store them conveniently in your refrigerator or freezer. I also recommend purchasing gluten-free ingredients in bulk online, as many websites offer great deals. These are just a few of the ways to save money on the gluten-free diet. It is unfortunate that gluten-free foods are more expensive than “regular” food items, especially to such an extraordinary degree, however savvy gluten-free dieters can through tax deductions and smart shopping choices cut down on their expenses. Perhaps in the future we will see a decrease in gluten-free food pricing, but one thing is for sure-we should consider ourselves lucky that we have found an answer to our health problems. Even if the gluten-free diet is expensive, at least it’s the road to greater health and quality of life.

Celiac.com 06/20/2013 - A restaurant owned by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been fined over $12,000 after a customer with celiac disease was sickened by eating regular pasta, instead of gluten-free pasta she was supposed to receive. The fine resolves a complaint brought by 38-year-old Kristy Richardson, who dined in 2011 at Jamie's Italian in Porstmouth, U.K. Richardson suffers from celiac disease. According to reports in the Telegraph, Richardson asked three different staff members to make sure she received gluten-free pasta, but she somehow received regular pasta. As a result, she became "violently ill," with nausea and vomiting that lasted for days and which left her weak for months, according to news reports. This in itself might be bad enough for most people, but, at the time, Richardson was on a waiting list for a heart and lung transplant. According to reports in the Sun, her gluten-triggered illness was so severe that her doctors temporarily removed her from that list; potentially depriving her of a transplant opportunity. Richardson complained, authorities became involved, charges were filed, and the restaurant eventually pleaded guilty to "selling food not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by a purchaser," according to the Telegraph. The fine is in addition to the nearly $4,000 previously awarded to Richardson in a civil case over the matter. What do you think? Should restaurants be fined if their gluten-free food contains gluten. Does it matter whether it makes people sick?