 In cooking, the process of clarification entails straining out extraneous muck from liquids so that they might be pure, clear and ideal for consumption. With this series on food terminology we're attempting to do the same. The word “gluten” is being bandied about quite a bit lately on our site and in the news. We mentioned gluten heavily in our explainer on high fructose corn syrup; commenters kvetched about restaurants’ insensitivity to issues surrounding it in a recent lunchtime poll; Gwyneth Paltrow publicly nixed it from her diet; and there are slews of cookbooks and product lines that come out every day to cater to those living a "gluten-free" lifestyle. Such attention doesn't go without merit. A recent study indicates that one out of 133 people in the United States is affected by Celiac disease or gluten intolerance – and that number continues to grow steadily. Chatter about gluten is clearly on the rise - so what exactly is it? Meet blogger and cookbook author Gluten Free Girl These natural proteins, gliadin and glutenin, are non-water-soluble and they’re the ones that essentially achieve leavening. The molecules trap carbon dioxide gas in the dough, so all those tiny holes, sponge or “bubbles” you see in that loaf – yup, that’s the gluten. It's used in bread baking because the elasticity of its protein structure gives cohesiveness and structure to dough. Unfortunately, it also brings gastric misery to people with gluten intolerance - also called Celiac disease, Coeliac, Coeliac Sprue Disease and gluten enteropathy - which is a far cry from a run-of-the-mill wheat allergy. A wheat allergy is like any standard allergy. Depending on its severity, reactions can be similar to what a sufferer might have to animal dander or shellfish - hives or nausea. Celiac disease on the contrary, is an autoimmune disorder with intense gastrointestinal symptoms - like cramping and bloating - among others. When people with Celiac disease eat foods with gluten, it damages the villi of the small intestine wall - thus, preventing basic nutrients of food from being absorbed. Simply avoiding bread doesn't do much good. Gluten pops up in surprising places, including soy sauce, sausage, lunchmeat, some instant coffee, soups, sauces and even Communion wafers. Sufferers often need to go to extreme measure to avoid encountering it - hence the uptick in gluten-free products, cookbooks and restaurants. If Celiac disease is left untreated - that is to say, if gluten is still consumed - it can go so far as to cause anemia, gall bladder failure or osteoporosis. While much has become known about this disease in recent years, much remains a mystery - including the cause. Previously - What is high fructose corn syrup? |
  Recent Posts
 |
 |
|
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
Работа для Вас офис достойный доход
Константин +7 (965) 308 34 73
http://eko2000.ru
Hey Everyone,
Just cause people who aren't celiac don't get it, doesn't mean that we, the celiac community, should call them names. Think about it from their perspective... Celiac sounds outlandish if you don't know anyone with it. Since it's a genetic defect carried in primarily Caucasians, there are going to be a lot of people who don't get it. Lots of people didn't get SIckle Cell or Tay Sachs or Cystic Fibrosis for a long time. We do now, but we didn't always. We're just getting to the point where we understand Celiac disease and it's finally being diagnosed in the correct numbers. Celiac is also a spectrum disease where some people (like me) got the light end and it's quite manageable. Other get the "death by celiac" who could die of starvation from it.
We need to reach out to people who don't understand and explain, it's the only way to make our lives better, and potentially theirs. Because pretty soon most restaurants will see that catering to 1% of the population is worth it, because 1% of the US population is over 3 million people, which is approximately the same as the entire country of Panama. At each of those 1% have family and friends who need to have mother's day lunches, and birthdays, and anniversaries. And that group added up, makes a lot of people who need gluten free options.
Let's just keep hoping that someday they find a treatment option that easier to stomach... :)
Really?
You are one ignorant POS. Comparing a celiac patient to an allergy is the most moronic statement I have heard on this subject. You are one uninformed, unintelligent, uneducated, loathsome, pathetic callous jackass. I have a celiac child and I can't even begin to describe the severity of the symptoms. Not to downplay anyone with allergies, because that's no picnic either, expecially peanut allergies. But to state what you did in your comment is baseless.
I was going to say that "Really?", Scott, & "Shirley the restaurant manager" were clearly all 40 yr old high school dropout-virgins who clearly lived in their parents' basement snacking on cheese puffs and playing world of warcraft, but I like the "pathetic callous jackass" title!
I just want to correct the article by saying that Celiac Sprue causes stomach cancers. Even when sufferers do not experience symptoms by eating gluten, they are still at increased risk of cancer. Also, while the disease is rare in the general US population, it is as high as one in four in blonde Scandinavians, Celts (red-haired especially) and Italians. There is a much higher risk of complications in childbirth with Celiacs. It is therefore important that US doctors become more aware of the condition, which 20 years ago was considered rare due to lack of adequate testing. Testing is still likely to produce a false negative result. Thanks for writing and increasing awareness!
Thanks for your post, Susan. I think it's important to let folks know that testing CAN be very accurate, but first, one needs to STAY ON a gluten-free diet when getting blood tested or before an endoscopy. It seems crazy, I know, when you suspect gluten to keep on eating it, but the longer you are gluten-free before your test, the less accurate your results will be. It is important to go over what your pre-test diet should be with your doctor to ensure the most accurate results from your test. Also, my general practitioner usually sends labwork to places like Quest or LabCorp, but my celiac doctor will not. The one that my doctor sends their labwork to is called Prometheus and it is located in San Diego. They are a more specialized lab, I was told by my doctor, with more accurate results. So, when having celiac testing, you may also want to ask your doctor who does their lab work. Also, I hate to say it, but it is also important to shop around to find a doctor they feel confident in. Not everyone has a celiac clinic nearby, but it is important to find a gastroenterologist with experience with the disease. I can't believe some of the inaccurate information I was given by doctors in my early years with my disease!
Searching the web, I learned that "People with celiac disease carry higher than normal levels of certain antibodies (anti-gliadin, anti-endomysium and anti-tissue transglutaminase). Antibodies are specialized proteins that are part of your immune system and work to eliminate foreign substances in your body. In people with celiac disease, their immune system may be recognizing gluten as a foreign substance and producing elevated levels of antibodies to get rid of it. A blood test can now detect high levels of these antibodies and is used to initially detect people who are most likely to have the disease and who may need further testing. Causes of celiac – (1) a genetic disposition: being born with the necessary genes. The Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes specifically linked to celiac disease re DR3, DQ2 and DQ8. (2) A Trigger: some environmental, emotional or physical event in one's life. While triggering factors are not fully understood, possibilities include, but are not limited to adding solids to a baby's diet, going through puberty, enduring a surgery or pregnancy, experiencing a stressful situation, catching a virus, increasing WBRO products in the diet, or developing a bacterial infection to which the immune system responds inappropriately. (3) A diet: containing WBRO, or any other their derivatives." I also heard that celiacs are missing the digestive enzyme to digest gluten and there is some scientific testing of implanting that from a person who has the enzyme to a celiac patient. Does anyone know if any of this information is valid? I leaning towards the way we are cultivating grains. We should start with the root of the problem and go back to ancient harvesting. The Wall Street Journal had an article recently and mentioned millions of people who suffer from eating wheat and do not have celiac disease. Again the cultivating of grains came up. If it is true to go back to ancient harvesting of wheat and if that product doesn't affect celiacs- opening a bakery or restaurant, factory – the possibilities would be endless. They are going to be filthy rich.
Actually, the grain crops of wheat, barley - and a couple of other that I can't remember - are actually poisonous to humans unless they are processed. Wheat is not flour, until the grains are cracked, cooked, and then milled. Have you ever heard of anyone eating wheat seeds? No... that's because we can't. The only way that wheat becomes un-toxic because of the processing. (So score 1 for processed foods) Not so with corn, or rice or potatoes which were the staple food sources of other populations like Asians and Central Americans and South Americans. (Notice that they don't have this problem.)
My money is that wheat is great for making food taste good and it's truly versatile, but it's probably not "good" for anyone. So when it's part of your daily diet, and you throw in a genetic disposition for celiac (a miscoding of DNA), and then bring in a physically traumatic event (accident, childbirth, etc) and boom... Your body loses the ability to cope with daily intake of flour, which snowballs and unless corrected could led to death.
Good luck on ancient milling techniques... I don't think it would help, but if you figure it out, I'll be the celiac in line for cake.
Just to throw this out there when I went to a doctor after I started going into shock every time I would eat wheat/gluten (mine is wheat gluten specifically) my doctor who was an immunologist said I was experiencing gut anaphylaxis. Because celiacs is located in the intestines it can have some very odd effects on people. In my case, they did blood tests, skin tests- every test you can imagine besides ingesting the toxin with no results. It was only several years later when I had a biopsy of my stomach lining that they found evidence of the celiacs. Keep in mind that the majority of your immune system is in your intestines- so if you are having a reaction to wheat/gluten it effects your WHOLE body. This is a complex disease- it's not a 1-2-3-diagnosis-medicine-all better kind of ordeal. It takes YEARS to heal and even then one wrong move, one grain too many and you can leap back months or years in the healing process.
Unfortunately, your story is all to familiar. Diagnosis is often delayed for years, often because of a weak link somewhere in the diagnostic chain. And you're right, the diagnosis is just the first step– the gluten free diet isn't easy and complete healing (if no permanent damage is done) can take months and even years of strict maintenance of the gluten free diet. Unfortunately, getting to the correct diagnosis and the gluten free diet can take years.
Here's another story of how so many things can go wrong, even when the patient is well-informed. First step: patient wwith celiac-like digestive symptoms asks family doctor to screen for celiac disease. The doctor does not know which tests are in the celiac panel of blood tests and has to look them up. The patient goes to the local hospital to get blood drawn because family doctor doesn't have the correct protocol to test for celiac. At the hospital, the medical professional coding the paperwork for the blood tests can't decipher the family doctor's handwriting and has never heard of these tests & can't make an informed guess. She doesn't know which tests to order so she asks the M.D. in the office next door to decipher the handwriting. The M.D. guesses "cardio?" "cardiac?" The patient overhears this & says, "If you're talking about me, it's "celiac." M.D. goes stone silent. The patient would have gotten a "cardiac" test if she hadn't spoken up. The blood tests are negative, but patient is referred to gastroenterologist for intestinal biopsy. The GI performs the biopsy. The biopsy is negative. The patient asks what the ratio of lymphocytes to epithelial cells was in the sample. The GI says, "ask the pathologist." The pathologist says," we don't check that." The patient goes years prior to diagnosis.
It only takes one weak link for celiac to go undiagnosed/misdiagnosed. Unfortunately, there are a lot of places where the correct chain of diagnosis can break. But diagnosis is the first step and so important because so many other patients benefit from your diagnosis. Medical doctors who diagnose a case of celiac are many, many times more likely to recognize and diagnose celiac, simply because they are now looking in the right direction! You will probably never know how many people your diagnosis has already helped.
The complexity of the gluten free diet aside, information about celiac disease is slow to trickle down from research to the general medical community, let alone the general population. Even some gastrointerologists have outdated or incomplete information about celiac. M.D.s spend very little time in medical school studying celiac, and are often told that they will never see a case of celiac disease during their entire career. If medical doctors don't screen for celiac, they cannot diagnosis it. The rarity becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy, but is not necessarily an accurate picture of what is going on with the health of the U.S.
It was once thought that only small, underweight, Caucasian children could get celiac disease. Now, researchers know that celiac can afflict almost any person at any age as long as that person consumes gluten. For the most part, the celiac population mirrors the general population. A full third of celiacs are overweight at the time of diagnosis (some even obese), and elderly people are 2.5 times as like to have celiac disease than the general popualtion.
It's estimated that as few as 3% of those with celiac actually receive a diagnosis. That means that literally millions of people have celiac and don't know it. Part of this disparity may have to do with the fact that there is very little financial incentive for medical professionals to diagnose celiac disease. Diet controls celiac: not a drug, not a surgery, not the shake of a rattle. With celiac, the patient is in primary control of his or her own cure.
Diseases that are far less prevalent get much more press than celiac disease, yet celiac can lead to life-threatening complications like liver failure and cancer. If medical doctors can diagnose celiac early, may people would be able to avoid these complications and costly late-stage medical interventions.
In sensitive individuals, gluten damages the villi (the finger-like projections on the lining of the small intestine which aid digestion). A simple way to understand what the villi do is to think of villi like "terry cloth" on a towel. A cotton terry cloth towel can absorb more than a flat cotton sheet. Both the flat sheet & the terry cloth towel can pick up smaller particles like dust, for example. But the terry cloth picks up larger particles of sand much better than the smooth surface of the sheet. A similar thing occurs in an intestine that has damaged villi. When the villi are damaged, food is less efficiently absorbed, starting with big molecules like fats and proteins. Carbs & sugars are smaller molecules and can be more easily digested, even in a damaged, "smoother" intestine. However, since the fats & proteins require more digestion, people with celiac often report having difficulty with these foods. Also, because the celiac body has a harder time digesting fats, people with celiac are often deficient in fat-soluble nutrients. However, because of nutritional supplements and the huge amount of calories available, many people have "silent" celiac, and show no overt, "classic" celiac symptoms. Those with silent celiac are still at risk for many of the complications associated with celiac disease, including gall bladder problems, autoimmune disorders, and even cancer.
Villous damage can be spotty and there are varying levels of damage. Unfortunately, many medical professionals are only aware of the most severe level of damage: villous atrophy.
First a caveat: what you eat effects the accuracy of celiac tests. If a person suspects celiac disease, he or she should NOT go on a gluten free diet prior to testing. M.D.s start screening for celiac by a panel of blood tests; unfortunately, many general practitioners do not know which specific tests to perform, so often the patient has to provide a list. Negative blood tests do not necessarily mean that an individual doesn't have celiac. If there is a high level of suspicion (like an associated autoimmune disorder or unexplained nutrient deficiency), then a follow-up biopsy is advised.
The "gold standard" for celiac disease diagnosis is a duodenal biopsy. The duodenum is at the proximal end (closest to the stomach) of the small intestine where most digestion occurs. Again, not all G.P.s know that a duodenal biopsy is the standard. One G.P. told me a colonoscopy was required for a celiac diagnosis; not true. Next the endoscopist (the person performing the intestinal biopsy) performs an esophogeal endoscopy and takes several small samples from the intestinal wall. Since villous damage can be spotty, the endoscopist must take several samples from various spots in the intestine (6-8 samples or more).
Finally, the pathologist (person reading the microscopic slides) needs to know how to properly orient the samples and also needs to be aware of the various stages of microscopic gluten-mediated damage. The first stage of celiac pathology is known as "intraepithelial lymphcytosis", which is just a fancy way of saying that there is an elevanted number of specialized white blood cells (lymphocytes) within the surface (epithelial) layer of the intestine. With intraepithelial lymphocytois, villi have the normal shape, but there is an abnormally high number of lymphocytes (at least 30 lymphocytes per 100 epithelial cells) within the intestinal surface. The next stage of celiac pathology is "crypt hyperplasia." That's just a fancy way of saying that the "crypts" or valleys between the villi have "plumped" up and are not as deep as they should be in a healthy intestine. Pathologists also need to look for the ratio of "crypts" to "glyphs" (The total number of villi becomes less because the villi tend to "fatten" or get thicker in response to gluten). Finally villous atrophy occurs when the fingerlike projections start to flatten out. Unfortunately, most doctors only look for the most serious villous atrophy, and a person with celiac can go misdiagnosed longer than need be.
Many people with celiac (and associated conditions) suffer because of lack of awareness throughout the medical community, let alone the general population. The average wait for a correct diagnosis of celiac disease is eight years, during which time life-threatening complications can occur.
Unless permanent damage is done, a strict gluten free diet is all that is required to reverse the damage in the intestines of a person with celiac disease. Because the lining of the intestines are constantly renewing themselves, those with celiac can often notice improvement of their condition within a few days of starting the gluten free diet. The gluten free diet goes beyond improvement of digestive sypmtoms. The gluten free diet can also reverse other complications associated with celiac. Or example, some people with "idiopahtic" dementia actually have undiagnosed celiac disease; in some cases, these individuals showed improvement and/or stablization of cognitive symptoms when placed properly diagnosed and then put on a strict gluten free diet.
There are a few nationally-recognized celiac disease resesarch centers throughout the U.S. Some of the better known celiac research centers include ones at the Mayo Clinic, Columbia University, University of Chicago, and the University of Maryland. Also, there are national celiac awareness groups like Celiac Sprue Association and the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America. These research centers and awareness groups will tell you that the gluten free diet is no joke.
The gluten free diet is so powerful that it can improve liver function in those with celiac, even at the point of liver transplantation. One percent of the population with celiac is no small amount; that's roughtly 3 million people in the U.S. alone. To put that into perspective, only about 400,00 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with Mutiple Sclerosis. Yet, many more people have heard of M.S. Celiac disease is a real health problem with potentially devastating consequences. For those with celiac, gluten is a known carcinogen.
We are learning every day about the consequences of the types foods we put in our bodies. The types of foods we eat matter. We need to all take ingredients, food labels, and issues of cross-contamination seriously. Foods are the most powerful drugs we put into our bodies; the health crisis in this country tells us this. The wrong diet can make anyone sick or anyone healthier. You don't need a medical degree to see this happen in your friends and family. You don't need to be an expert to see that food additives we've taken for granted over the years have been linked to all sorts of health and behavioral problems. For those with food allergies and/or food sensitivities, the stakes are even higher. We should not deny those with celiac or other food sensitivities/allergies easy access to safe, properly labeled, uncontaminated foods when medical doctors prescribe drugs for erectile dysfunction, male pattern baldness, and eyelash growth every day.
"We should not deny those with celiac or other food sensitivities/allergies easy access to safe, properly labeled, uncontaminated foods when medical doctors prescribe drugs for erectile dysfunction, male pattern baldness, and eyelash growth every day.: ...... beautiful! i love it. thank you
Wow...could you please send your post to every MD in the country? And while you're at it, every restaurant manager? Love it! Thank you!
: D
Thank you for that post. I have a child with celiac. Exceptionally well written. Kudo's to you my friend.
I like being thin. I've already cut out all sugars from my diet, but last year I put on a few pounds because I started eating noodles. I decided to try eliminating all wheat and corn from my diet. It's worked out well, I am back to my svelte figure. This didn't have anything to do with Celiac disease or not being able to handle glutin but I am thrilled with the results. If you are having trouble losing those last 5 pounds, give this a try.
I enjoy leavened bread and even fried gluten without any harm.. :-P
I am the mom of a celiac 9yr old. My daughter was diagnosed at 2 1/2 yrs old. A 2 yr old doesn't fake symtoms nor is it all in their head. I had a child who had severe stomache pains, bowel problems, and other symptoms that are considered rare: bone/joint pain, muscle spasms, and SEVERE mood swings (mainly because she didn't have the vocab to tell us what was wrong). Even with al of this her doctor didn't believe it could be celiac because she didn't show the classic symptoms. After finally getting tested and getting positive results my daughter went gf. In 24 hrs she started feeding herself again because her hands didn't hurt as much. Now seven years later I have a happy and healthy child who enjoys just about anything you can think of in a gluten free version. YES THERE IS GLUTEN FREE JUNK FOOD. Gf version of oreos-kinnitoos sandwhich cookies. Pizza-gf frozen pizzas, eventhough Uno's offer a wonderful gf menu including pizza and the manager came and talked to us to ask/answer questions and reassure us on food prep. We make brownies all the time, eat gf cheetos, chips, cookies, crackers, candy, etc. The same kinds of stuff that all kids like. And it is possible to go out to eat. If a place doesn't feel they can adapt an item or we get negative attitude then we leave. If she reacts after eating someplace that tried to cater to us then we don't go back. When ordering I stress the importance and amazingly enough most places are more than willing to try. Plus think about it this way- a child doesn't go out to eat by themselves. If they won't try then they loose a fairly large order. If they try and succeed, then they know they will have returning customers. You also have to use common sense, I will never take her to subway and expect them to try to prepare gf. If i want that kind of place then I go without her. It does get expensive eating gluten free ( a loaf of bread is $6) but it doesn't have to be, stick to meat, fruit, and veggies and save the junk food for special treats.
Here's my take on this gluten thing: some people are extremely allergic to it (i.e., Celiacs, with zero tolerance), while others may, or may not, suspect they experience, to some degree, an allergic reaction to it. I liken it to bee stings: some people will react very, very violently to a bee sting. Others will feel pain. Resulting analysis: best to avoid bees. But I'm not allergic to bee stings, so I'm not going to avoid walking in the forest. Same with gluten; I, and family members, have skin issues, including dermatitis, that we see some relief from when avoiding gluten. What is needed is a gradational system identifying how much gluten is in the food product. That way, the average cook doesn't have to freak out that he just cooked spaghetti in the same pot as my "reduced gluten" meal...
Gluten is present in wheat, rye, barley, and related grains. They all contain similar proteins called prolamins that are part of what makes up gluten, and are the part that causes a reaction in Celiac Disease.
The prolamins vary from grain to grain: In wheat the prolamin is called gliadin, in rye it's called secalin, and in barley it's called hordein.
A small percentage of people with Celiac disease are also sensitive to oats, even when they are certified gluten free, because oats are closely related botanically. They have a prolamin similar to gliadin called avenin.
Prolamins are present in all the grains of the grass family, which also includes corn, rice, millet and others. This could be the reason some people think that these other grains also contain gluten.
But corn, rice, and millet are only distantly related to wheat, rye, barley and oats. Their prolamins do not contain the specific amino acid sequences that cause a reaction in Celiac sufferers. The problematic amino acid sequences are found only in wheat, rye, barley and oats.
For more information and references so you can get a better understanding go here: http://www.gluten-free-around-the-world.com/what-is-gluten.html
I have read through all the comments and though there have been plenty of ignorant ones( mankinds only been around for 6000 years-its called science moron) at least no one has blamed celiac disease on Obama...yet
ANATOMICALLY MODERN HUMANS evolved from archaic Homo sapiens in Africa in the Middle Paleolithic, about 200,000 years ago. By the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic 50,000 BP (Before Present), full behavioral modernity, including language, music and other cultural universals had developed.
Wow, so much to comment on. First, people only been farming for around 10k years. Never trust Wiki as a viable source. I have an archaeology degree and my area is early farming (some call it the Neolithic). It is also true that in underdeveloped countries where wheat is the primary food source, there is almost no instance of Celiac Disease reported. What you have to ask yourself then is what is wrong with the grains in developed countries or what is wrong with the way the food is processed?
There are a plethora of reasons. Some I have figured out through research and others I am still investigating through reading scientific research and a bit of personal research on myself. I suffer from Celiac Disease. There has never been anything more real in my life. There is one baker here in the Los Angeles area that actually makes bread with wheat and other gluten containing grains that I can freely consume with no problems. Without getting too far into it, I will say that it is because he employs a very traditional method and only uses organic products. If your curious, you can look him up online at Bezian's Bakery. He doesn't tell you exactly how he goes about making the bread etc, it's a secret that many of us have been attempting to figure out. Why? there are many who suffer in my area that can eat his bread. There are a few testimonies on Yelp. So if we can eat his gluten laden bread but just a small portion of it from any other source makes us sick, there has to be something wrong with the way other flours are manufactured and the way that other wheat containing baked goods are processed.
A little about me, I have suffered from Hashimoto's Disease for 18 years, Migraines since I was a young child, RA, and the IBS was not present until the last couple of years while I was still eating the bad stuff. If I get any gluten in my system (other than Bezian's bread) symptoms come on within 30 minutes. I get sharp pains around my liver, nausea, intestinal cramps and sometimes headaches. I am lethargic for days and the other symptoms sometimes last a few days as well. I suffered for years and years even though my diet was much better than most Americans. Balanced, low fat low carb for at least 10 years. I have been on the diet for 8 mos now and have seen major improvements in my Hashimoto's disease (Dr. thinks she may be able to completely take me off meds), have no RA symptoms, my migraines are gone, my energy levels are better than most of my adult life and no IBS. My body is still healing but every day it improves.
To the Naysayers. If you think this is all in our heads or that this is some kind of fad thing. Think about this for a moment. Whenever something in ones environment is changed, there is a response. At times the response is to adapt to it and at other times the response is to repel by reacting strongly to it. When the body reacts in a negative way, it is trying to tell you something. It is saying that you need to do something about the problem. Would you ingest known poisons because they won't kill you right away? Well, you do it all the time if you eat most of the processed foods in this country.
A person with gluten intolerance of any sort has a body that is responding to a poison. The numbers are growing for a reason and I hope you are not next. It's a horrible to feel your body dying and not be able to find the source of the problem. To not be able to function in day to day life not knowing why. To get excited when you find the source and start to feel human again, only to have ignorant people balk at you and dismiss you as if you are a nut. Keeping gluten free is no easy task and not something I would wish on anyone. Why do some of you feel the need to make it even harder on us?
Fascinating, Kimberly, that you can eat this bakery's bread. Thanks for the interesting post.
Thank you for a thoughtful post! : )
hey – Sarah LeTrent - Eatocracy associate editor – In your article: Clarified – what is this gluten of which you speak?
"... commenters kvetched about restaurants’ insensitivity to issues surrounding it in a recent lunchtime poll."
"kvetched" ?? speak English or define your terms, please.
Linda Legg
It's a Yiddish loanword that means complain.
Seriously? "Kvetched" is such a head scratcher for you that you felt you needed to complain? Look it up, dummy. Just because you don't know the meaning of a word doesn't mean the rest of the world needs their news dumbed down to your level.
Cynical in Cyberspace... i'll 2nd that. it is hard enough finding out your sick, or your child in my case.
I have just discovered I am gluten-sensitive and I am struggling trying to avoid it. I might be the person you see ignorantly putting soy sauce on my rice because I don't know any better yet. I find out later when I start flu-like aching all over, get sluggish, feel like I took a "stupid pill", for the next week or more. I wish there was a more comprehensive list of EVERYTHING we need to avoid. The other day I actually forgot myself and put gravy on my turkey and potatoes. It was only about 4 tablespoons but it has been kicking my arse ever since. I wish when stories like this get published that those of us with serious concerns and questions and issues related to the topic could simply discuss it in peace without arrogant stupid assholes coming on here spewing their crap for kicks. Can we please have a world without human garbage yet?????
I don't have Celiac's, but I have developed an allergy to wheat (hives, sinus issues, etc.) in the last two years; I've also gotten a soy allergy. Between those two, there are almost no commercially prepared foods I can touch without incurring intense itching and misery for 24 hours. So not worth it.
I realized finding options for eating were limited and very, very pricey, so since I've always been a food adventurer anyway in the kitchen, so I've had fun figuring out how to make "safe" food on my own by adapting. I make almost 100% of my food from scratch (including grinding my own buckwheat, rice, and tapioca flour). I avoid anything not "organic" because I also discovered the hard way that foods that are genetically modified often give me a reaction even if it doesn't list wheat or soy on the label. It has actually been lots of fun, and I now have my own recipe book filled with the recipes I've adapted and created to meet my need. It's not a fad, and it's truly miserable when you have a reaction. It took me a long time to figure out the culprit–I can only imagine the misery of Celiac.
I have both Celiac disease, and a corn allergy. It sucks.
oh wow. long distance hug. that has got to be hard
Sure, there are many folks affected by gluten intolerance. However, it is slowly becoming the straw man of all of society's gastrointestinal problems.
Oh look, there is only one chemical that is making u-so-fat. How convenient!
Gluten is fine unless you have celiac's disease. What bothers me is the "fad" of people who do not have any disease or any reactions avoiding it for the sake of avoiding it without knowing "why".
(CD diagnosis one month ago) I've heard that soy sauce is a no-no, but I recently read that Kikkoman's soy sauce only contains less that five parts per million of gluten. I have no idea if this is okay, not, or varies by person. Also, did someone say yellow mustard has gluten?
I think it depends on the person, but eating it is the risky way to find out. San-J makes a truly gluten-free soy sauce that you can enjoy, no worries. Regarding mustard: I have to watch it with anything grain-derived, and that includes distilled vinegar. So that lets out most pickled stuff like peppers and olives, and also mustard, ketchup, sauces, salad dressings, etc. Some folks have told me that the distillation process removes the gluten, so I wonder if I have a wheat allergy on top of celiac...I am not sure. All I know is, it makes me sick so I avoid it. Does that help?
Well, I feel it necessary to be an ass here... If you are gluten intolerant, it is your bag. Learn, if you must, what it is you can or cannot eat. But, for the love of god, DO NOT PUT YOUR IGNORANCE ON THE FOOD SERVICE PROFESSIONALS!!!!!!! It's like going to a movie theater and asking the cashier to tell you what movie to see. It is not their job to be knowledgeable in all matters nutrient or allergen related. If you have food intolerance, know what it is you can consume! It is your disease, your intolerance, your problem!
I agree with the sentiment, but I think what you fail to realize is that it is often impossible to know if a dish might have gluten in it or not. A celiac sufferer wouldn't just need to know everything that goes into a dish, but what brand or from what source those ingredients are from. It's amazing when you start to look for gluten that you find it or the threat of it in almost everything. And too often if it's not included in the ingredients the dish will be fried or otherwise prepared on a contaminated surface.
My gf has celiacs and I can't tell you how much she hasnto miss out on. No pizza no fried food no subs no sandwhiches, nothing with any kind of sauce (unless you know what's in it), nothing with "natural flavors" listed in the ingredients, no pasta... The only thing we can find fairly regularly for her is loaded nachos... So long as they use corn chips and not flower.
You've gotta ask because a dish which is safe at one restaurant may not be at another. Many times you'll only find 1 or 2 entries on a menu. Gluten is in effing everything.
Robert, I personally have no problem with food service personnel not understanding Celiac Disease in general. If a restaurant or any other place that sells food doesn't feel the need to educate themselves, fine. That is not the problem as a whole. The real problem is that there are restaurants and food manufacturers that advertise their goods as gluten free when they are not. I have also had experiences from wait staff at establishments that say they offer gluten free yet fail to educate their employees. Employees at some of these places have given my seriously bad attitudes when I ask. As if I am simply attempting to be trendy. I do know what I can eat, the problem is that when I ask for the exact ingredients of a food, I am given attitude. Trust me, all Celiac sufferers know what we should or should not eat. It is the only way we can live, this stuff is life threatening.
How can I order a salad if I don't know what is in the dressing, whether or not there are croutons, what kinds of cheese if any? How can I order any sauce if I do not know the exact ingredients? or a steak if I don't know what it is seasoned with? All of these things and more have the potential to contain high amounts of gluten. Yet, there are many that don't contain it. Heck, even some ice cream has it. It's not as simple as just ordering something you can eat. It's in so much.
Unfortunate choice of words, Robert; "do not put your ignorance" is non-sensical. It is not the person with a disease that is ignorant in these instances. Are they ignorant of the server's thoughts? Some variation of "Do not put your assumptions" or "do not put your specific needs" may be better terminology utilized here...
I hope you don't work at a restaurant, Robert. Your comment is stupifying in its insensitivity. Yes, it is my disease. I need to be as knowledgeable as possible because I am responsible for myself. After 25 years living with this disease I have spent most of my life gaining the proper knowledge so I can be responsible for my disease. But a restaurant is responsible for what they serve. Do they have to know as much about gluten as I do or offer a gluten-free menu? Of course not. I know that I am at risk every time I eat away from my house. I need to be responsible and know enough to stay away from fast food or chain restaurants that reheat food prepared somewhere else. But a real restaurant that actually cooks should know what is in their food. And if they cook on premises and care about their customers, they will take the few minutes to listen to me about what I can and cannot eat and work with me - check with the chef if a certain dish has flour in the sauce, check on an ingredient, use a separate pan to make my dish. After 25 years, I have eaten out responsibly, even travelled abroad, and eaten incredible gluten-free meals made by restaurants who want to serve delicious food that nourishes people and doesn't make them ill. I truly appreciate the efforts of chefs and wait staff who are kind to me. But, if they are not willing to work with me, if there is a communication problem with the wait staff, or they seem as insensitive as you are...I leave.
wow, people like "Really?" really scare me. Aside from the amusement of having someone so ignorant comment and include calling people who do know what they are talking about ignorant, what scares me is that people like that are dangerous to those of us with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, because they think they know what they are talking about and give us gluten containing or gluten contaminated foods while assuring us it is not.
One of the biggest problems I run in to is eating at someones house-for example, they may say their home made soup is gluten free because it does not have noodles in it, but they forget that most prepared broth has gluten in it. I also have problems with restaurants frying french fries in with battered (therefore glutened) things like chicken fingers or fishsticks.
Hey, Really?, next time you get a stomach bug, eat your words. That is what a gluten attack feels like. And while you are at it, educate yourself before you speak. Moron.
Actually the rise in Gluten-free seems to me to be linked to learning disorders. I have a boy with autism and people constantly ask if I've tried GF diet. Also I know several kids (6 out of 9 kids) in his class are on it and one lady who thinks it is benefitting her ADHD dx child. Plus about 9 kids who are diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, I adopted my son and that is where I met these folks in an adoption group, have also touted the GF diet. My youngest son has no learning disorders but in his pre-K class they state that if we celebrate is birthday please bring GF foods for 5 boys out of the 20 in his class and diary free for 1 boy and nut free for 6 boys. All 5 boys on GF diet have therapeutic aides working with them but I only know for sure that 2 of these boys are diagnosed as Autistic and one as ADHD.
There is a really good gluten free blog at http://glutenfreedirtcheap.com/
This is written for people who people who don't want to go broke cooking gluten free foods, and who enjoy a variety of foods that might not normally be available to the gluten free cook.
for those of you who "poo-poo"those that suffer from celiac, my husband was diagnosed with celiac from a lower intestine biopsy when the gastro dr saw his villa were totally flat (think laminate flooring instead of shag carpet) it is real and it does damage someone's body because no matter how much food you eat you do not absorb nutrients from your food. my husband weighed 160 lbs and ate everyone under the table. there is now new scientific research into the development of type one diabetes from celiac spru as well as autisum disorder. my husband has had type one diabetes for almost 52 years and his celiac was not diagnosed until he was in his mid-forties. by then a lot of damage had been done, including osteoperosis, gatropersis (SP?) and most likely the above mentioned diabetes life style changes saved his health as much as possible. the only thing we want is for companies to be honest and open about what they are really putting in our foods. give us the choice to eat "clean" foods and hurrah to all those who embrace the changes needed to help those who SUFFER from celiac
I thought that when Obama was elected president, all restaurants would have 100% gluten-free menus! We've been screwed!
LOL
Yes, there are people with Celiac Disease as confirmed by blood testing or small bowel biopsy. I also think there's a lot of people without any gluten intolerance that have improved bowel symptoms from a gluten-free diet – a lot of this is probably a placebo effect.
I know many many people who use this an excuse to cover for having an eating disorder.
So how do people with Celiacs disease make up for the lost grains...healthwise I mean? What can substitute for that?
for one other grains, that don't contain gluten. for another everything in any grain has another source in nature. whole grains aren't a huge source of anything that couldn't otherwise be found in a well balanced gluten free diet. I could give you a more to point example but your talking a big list of grains and nutrients they contain.
I use organic ground flaxseed on my cereal, in my yogurt, etc. It's great nutrition and works well for the, er, intended purpose. Besides which, it tastes great.
And then there's always brown rice, basmati rice, and quinoa.
This article is flawed. Gluten can't be in communion wafers because by the time we eat them they have been trasfigured into the body of Christ.
i think my head just did a cart wheel over that one.
Excellent point!
I had lunch at Zio's today–I believe it is a national chain–and was pleased to note they had a gluten-free menu along with their regular menu! Didn't even have to ask! It was just inserted in the menu. I think more and more restaurants are becoming aware. However, I wonder if they understand the extremes one has to go to in order to be completely gluten free. No bread on the grill you cook meat on, no pasta cooked in the same water as the wheat pasta, nor potatoes fried in the same oil as something with breading, etc. It's not easy being GF!
Some understand it and some don't. I work for a gluten free company and this topic is brought up alot at the conferences. I know P.F. Changs and Outback go to great lengths for gluten free menu's. I would simply ask to speak with someone. Most of them will be happy to answer any questions you have.
It is not unlike keeping a kosher kitchen - typically involves separate pots, pans, bowls, plates, cutlery, etc. for meat vs dairy or other things.
I wonder how much of this is caused by mothers not breastfeeding their babies. A whole host of allergies and illnesses have been linked to this, as many of a child's antibodies and digestive enzymes are absent if fed only formula.
i beast fed. so did my mother, and of course her mother did to. My child still has celiacs and autism. so there goes that.
My husband's mother breast fed him for a year and he has CD. Wwe have changed our food too much–too many GMO's!
how about eat more at home than restaurents having seperate fryers for gluten free foods. We will all benefit by eating at home and eating more healthy foods. I myself had lots of gastric issues and i feel better after eating at home now a days.
I got sick at home after eating oatmeal. Three months later I was diagnosed.
even i don't expect separate fryers. I can't take my son out to eat much. No chucky cheese b-day parties for him. So i make everything at home. But let me tell you what any restaurant with a profitable enough eye to offer gluten free foods gets my money. Just for the experience of a family night out. It isn't something i want everyone to have to do though. It would be amazing if there was a drive threw item other then apple wedges my son could eat on those days when life happens and you can't seem to find enough time to run home. I always keep a bag of gf chex mix i make as a back up in the car.
I thank heavens i love to cook but even i have days when i just don't want to or can't. Between drs appointments, speech therapy and schooling for my special needs son, wow even with my nutritional standards, i wish he could just eat a happy meal. :)
Here is a website supported by GIG that might be of some assistance in finding restaurants:
http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/find.php
hey thanks :)
p.f.changs, olive garden, longhorn, red robin and many other main stream eateries now offer gluten free menus, just ask those near you and ask for the gluten free menu when you arrive ..... no need to suffer thru all the questions to food servers who have to ask the cook, the cook has to ask the manager, etc i even had one resturant bring me the box one of their foods came out of for me to read the label before they wanted my husband to eat something that would make him sick. they really do care nowdays and most will work with you ..... these are the ones that get my money with my smile and thanks on behalf of my husband
i've done that too. especially the reading the labels on there food. its a little harder for my son since milk is also a very big problem for him. Makes him so sick even in the smallest amounts.
there have been many a time of him eating a plate of cucumbers, and tomatoes, thankfully he loves them. Some places have allowed me to bring in food for him since others will be ordering food off the menu. Golden coral let me do that when my family ate there after burning thanksgiving dinner. :) last year. There is even a pizzeria in my town here that serves gluten free pizza which would allow me to bring in milk free cheese for it. But it would cost about 50.00 when all was said and done so I haven't. Most of the gluten free food i find outside the house hot and ready contains milk products. Like i said. I don't expect the whole world to conform for us. But I am so grateful when i find a place we can all go to.
wow not a single place in my area on that website. But i'm not very close to many cities. it was the trade off of moving out here.
Mom, you might look for entrees in the frozen section–Amy's brand, especially, offers some gluten-free stuff. But definitely read the ingredient list anyway!! Always, just in case. Also, check out Amazon.com–they ship groceries and offer some gluten-free things. You might find some GF mac and cheese you can whip up on those nights you're tired. : ) And buying it through Amazon, in bulk, is definitely cheaper than some health-food stores! (I know all this 'cause I just hate to cook...) : D
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_11?url=search-alias%3Dgrocery&field-keywords=gluten+free&x=0&y=0&sprefix=gluten+free
This should be titled, "Exactly what is a bandwagon?"
Eat real food such as meats, vegetables, and use fruits and nuts sparingly. Do not eat anything processed. Think how our ancestors ate. By ancestors I am speaking about hunter gathers. Our bodies have not adapted to the lifestyle brought on by the agriculture revolution. The agriculture revolution has brought on cancer, heart disease, auto-immunity, and mental disorders.
I was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 16. I have been gluten-free now for 25 years. Very little was known at the time of my diagnosis, no foods had "gluten-free labels," there wasn't an internet to look anything up, there wasn't even a gluten-free cookbook back then. There is a lot of information to process when being diagnosed and, though I credit CNN for raising awareness, I was shocked at how cursory this overview was. The plethora of responses shows just how much needs to be covered when talking about gluten. Though celebrities and those interested in changing their diet can certainly go gluten-free, for those of us who must adhere for medical reasons, it is not a fad and certainly not hogwash. I have a disease that challenges me every day, every time I eat, every time I go to the market and will continue to do so my entire life. It takes a long time for most celiacs to be properly diagnosed, and thankfully due to increased awareness, that period of suffering has been diminished as more doctors are becoming aware of the vast symptoms. Once diagnosed properly, it takes a long time to gain the knowledge needed to live a gluten-free life, to learn how to navigate the market, to learn how to cook in a new way, to know how to safely eat out with friends and family, and to learn how to be happy "living without." But, ultimately, it is worth the effort to be in good health. I would like to thank those who wrote in about local gluten-free bakeries. I will be doing some online shopping this evening! For those who want to find out more about celiac disease, there are many resources, but http://www.celiac.com can be a great start. Dr. Peter Green who heads up a celiac clinic at Columbia University has also written an excellent book on the subject. For those who like to "cram their pie-holes" with any sort of food, congratulations on not having an ill-effects from your diet and kindly give us an open forum in peace to discuss what is medically and vitally important for our health and well-being. And, for those who have questions about their own health, especially those who may suspect they have celiac disease, I urge you to visit your doctor - either a gastroenterologist or a general practitioner who can refer you to one. Many celiac forums can also help you find a doctor who specializes, or is at least has experience diagnosing, the disease. Good luck, my fellow celiacs!
thanks cj
I was at a conference last Saturday in Iowa that Dr. Green was speaking at doing a demonstration for Bready North America (www.mybready.com). He appeared to be very knowledgable and humorous. Unforatunately, there is a lot of misinformation in the media and in the comments posted on this site. I just can't get over some of the comments on here. You though, seem to have similar thoughts that I do. I wish you the best.
When i self diagnosed my son, and implemented the diet. I was met with a family member (his grandmother) who refused to believe that there was such a thing as celiacs. Even threatened to feed my son wheat to prove me wrong. Needless to say he hasn't seen much of her since. It took from birth to 3 years of age to figure it out. all the gi problems. flashing orange like he was jaundice, behavioral problems that would come and go, a seeming addiction to starchy foods. He was diagnosed severely autistic. Never spoke a word until 3 years old.
2 weeks of gluten free food and he talked for the 1st time. Not mommy not cat but a whole gosh darn sentience. I've met a lot of people who don't believe. People who even have the guts to tell me i am depriving my child of necessary nutrition.
I know more about nutrition now then i did when i was studying it before i got pregnant with my son, and trust me there is nothing but gluten found in a bagel, or mac and cheese, or whole wheat toast that isn't found in gluten free foods. My son now has no gi problems since he lives gluten free. And as "the fog" as i call it cleared it led to a diagnosis of mild autism. He now talks and acts as a person his age would. Gains weight normally and is even athletic. As far as i am concerned gluten free living, saved my sons life. And now his doctors agree.
Hang IN there, Mom!! You are doing the right thing by your son!!
Did you have your son through IVF or hormone therapy? I think there is a link between that an autism.
nope oh natural
Anna i wish i could find any link between me my child and the suspected causes of autism. Or celiacs. If i had a real idea of what might have done this. Then i would fix it and have more children. But I'm spread to thin already. The sad truth is that we just don't know. We have ideas. No real fact. Its hard to have this happen to you and your family. You spend a lot of time trying to figure out what you did wrong. Maybe one day we will find out that it is Teflon pans, or immunizations, or human growth hormones in milk, perhaps it was some medication my mother took in the 60's and it affected my son 40+ years later. Maybe we will never know.
Broke Mom,
Good for you! My wife and I had a similar experience with her son. For the first 12 years of his life, he was in a "FOG" as you said. It seemed he was drugged! Trouble in school, way behind his classmates. We tried special tutors, and Sylvan for over a year, and nothing helped. We found out that he was alergic to almost all grasses, wheat, soy, peanuts, and numerous other items. My wife did a lot of research on the issue of Gluten intolerance, and discovered that most often it is not digested completely and breaks down to an 'opiate' that is then absorbed into the blood stream. That explained alot. It seemed like our son was drugged all the time, and he basically was. WIthin a couple of weeks of doing our best to remove Gluten from he diet, the change was obvious. Behavior problems and attitude problems were significantly improved. Now when we slip up, and he accidently eats something with gluten (typically Wheat) in it, it is obvious within a couple of hours. He cannot concentrate or focus, gets angry, tired, and doesn't feel good at all. I am so glad that we found out. All through his school years the teachers would say that "Something is not right" but nobody could offer any ideas or help. Going Gluten Free has made the difference in D + grades to B+ in just months. He is alert, focused and happy. Amazing! I think more people are Gluten Intolerant than what know about it.
I am so glad to figured it out too. I wish i could reach out and hug your or give your child a plate of my cookies. :). it isn't easy for us but its a world better then before.
http://www.glutenfreedesserts.com/
I wish
And there's scads of money to be made from its exploitation. Funny how it's associated w/ HFCS. Funny how most health issues of the 21st C are linked to corn syrup. God Bless farm subsidies that make healthy foods unprofitable for farmers.
There is no link between HFCS and Celiac, HFCS and gluten intolerence, or HFCS and wheat allergy.
Just to clarify – this is NOT a health food issue. Some people try to avoid gluten thinking its another "bad" thing like transfats or non-organic food.
If you dont have celiac disease, there's absolutely no reason to avoid gluten.
And why would anyone WANT to?? There's enough bad stuff to avoid!
I wonder if in the age of GMO's, that has something to do with gluten intolerance.
As long as I'm here, last I checked 1 in 133 Americans have celiac. But only 1 in 4000 know it. Due to recent attention, more people likely know it now.
Now this is important. If you have celiac or type 1 diabetes in your family, you should know they are made possible by the same genes. Celiac is a bad disease. Diabetes-1 is a horrible disease. If you have children or young adults at risk for diabetes (because of celiac or diabetes-1 in the family), I suggest sending the child to the doctor frequently. I understand there are treatments (possible cures) for diabetes-1 if, and only if, you catch it before all the beta cells die. Once those cells die, there currently is no known cure and the treatment doesn't really work. (It's like driving your car on spare tires all the time.)
There is no cure for Type one diabetes. The only treatment is diet and insulin. There are medicines used to treat type two diabetes. There is some evidence type one might be prevented by extra niacin, but it is by no means a sure bet.
A lot of people get Celiac confused with wheat allergy and even diverticulitis, but they are not the same.
Celiac can only be treated by going gluten free. Specifically the gluten precursor gliadin needs to be avoided, but because where ever you find gliadin you also find glutenin, which together form gluten, going gluten free is effective at avoiding gliadin.
My sister has celiac disease and our children have gluten allergies. With so little help out there, my wife started a business to help and share with others what she has learned. It’s called Rosie’s Plate in Raleigh, NC http://www.RosiesPlate.com
Ok, so let's clarify this. Gluten Intolerance is NOT the same as Celiac Disease. Also, when celebrities find it trendy to go GF, it's a disservice to the Gluten-Free community. In the beginning stages of diagnosis, my wife had gotten very sick from restaurants supposed to be gluten-free. Thankfully, now we're aware of just how easy it is for restaurants to be un-informed about cross-contamination. For instance, a certain restaurant touted there gluten-free capability, and my wife ordered a burger with no bun. When her burger came to the table, with a bun, we asked him to get us another one. When my wife started feeling symptoms, we asked the waiter if he simply took off the bun. He sure did, and my wife paid the price until the next afternoon.
Sadly, sometimes I've had to get mad. People just don't understand. I've seen servers just pick the croutons off my salad, and they get defensive when I explain to them that I need a whole new salad. It is sad, but true.
I don't now if this was mentioned, but there are those who might just be allergic to wheat or just gluten. I myself have celiac and am allergic to both. However, I do know of people who are only allergic to gluten and can happily eat wheat products.
Actually all wheat contains gluten, especially if the flour is mixed with liquids and then kneaded. So you really can't be allergic to gluten and still be able to consume wheat. You can, however, be allergic to wheat yet still consume gluten.
What is needed is a glutton free diet.
What is needed is less people like you on the internet.
For years I have been feeling lousy but thought it was all seasonal allergy related. I'm a year round inhalant allergy sufferer. My primary and ENT doctors also believed that my symptoms were allergy related but we could not find a way to relieve them. My friend recommended that I see her holistic doctor. Diagnosis: wheat, buckwheat, cow's milk, and whey intolerant. These foods were causing so much irritation that I could not absorb my nutrients and vitamins. I was ordered to stay off these foods for at least 30 days. Since I am new to this "eating world", I soon realized that it was easier to go gluten free. Because of the growing popularity for the need of GF products, the items are readily labeled. Also, some restuarants have GF menus. My symptoms have definitely improved and my seasonal allergies are more tolerable. It hasn't even been 30 days yet. I never understood GF consumers before. Now I am a believer!!!!
Celiac is a terrible and debilitating auto-immune disorder that manifests in different ways, depending on the individual. We discovered my son had celiac disease at age 4 after years of complaining to his pediatric team that something wasn't right. He never slept well (waking up every 45 minutes), was very hyper-active, stopped growing around age 2 and was extremely thin. Our pediatricians (all 4 on the team) repeatedly assured us they weren't worried b/c at least he wasn't obese and that he would be fine. At age 4, he fell off the growth chart completely for height and weight which prompted us to find a new pediatrician. This one immediately saw the red flags and directed us to an endocrinologist who first suggested celiac and the diagnosis was confirmed with a biopsy. After embarking on a strict gluten-free diet, he grew 3.5 inches in 7 months and started sleeping through the night. It is a struggle to maintain the diet at times because of cross-contamination and temptation (especially at birthday parties), but he is learning to manage this condition and doing well. We learned the hard way that we should trust our instincts and not put blind faith in our doctors. We were lucky that the damage was not irreparable.
and another thing, I dont think John was saying that all restaurants should have a separate fryer for gluten free foods, just places that offer "gluten-free" items on their menus. If they want to offer a gluten-free menu, then it should ACTUALLY be gluten free.
Now please stop talking.
If they are saying their fried foods are gluten-free, yes, they should have a separate fryer for them. Cross-contamination is a huge issue. I was crying over this one because I LOVE french fries... : (
I believe Wendy's uses a separate fryer for their fries. Breaded items go in a different fryer. You have to check with each Wendy's to be sure, however.
??? – "A wheat allergy is like any standard allergy, with a reaction similar to what a sufferer might have to animal dander or shellfish – hives or mild nausea." Bullsh!T!!! A wheat allergy can also cause a full anaphylactic reaction same as shellfish or peanuts. It is life-threatening. This is the attitude that keeps me in danger from waitstaff at restaurants who think I am being dramatic when I say I cannot have ANY wheat in my food.
I stay away from ethnic restaurants unless i speak their language. It usually ends up hurting with inadvertant wheat exposure. It is very hard to get an honest answer regarding the cooking practices of restaurants ( most people get defensive). I agree with you Lea, that people think we are making this up. I dont like the attitude at all. There is one restauranteur in town whose wife has Celiac, i feel like at home eating in there.
@VS- you may want to try the Triumph Dining Cards. They come in various languages and address Celiac needs according to the cultures of the language. One one side will be say; Spanish and the other side everything is in English. You can have the wait staff give it to the chef. Many of the "ethnic" restaurants are the best places for CD sufferers. Thai, Indian and Mexican foods are particularly well suited to our needs. Here is the link to Triumph Dining. http://www.triumphdining.com/
Lea,
I have a anaphylactic shock reaction to wheat as well. It took a couple of years to figure out what was going on, but I am glad I did. I finally saw a reputable allergist and my wheat allergy skin test was positive, along with the fact that wen I eat wheat my throat and face swells and I get wheezy and can't breath.
I used to feel people at restaurants did not take me seriously so now I tell them that I have a wheat allergy that causes an anaphylactic shock so can they please help me and make sure what I order is wheat free.
I have found when I phrase it nicely like this the restaurant staff takes it seriously.
I also make aure my EpiPen is close at hand as well when eating out. ; )
To anyone who has digestive problems, I highly recommend a visit to an allergy testing professional who does "applied kinesiology." After four days in the hospital for ongoing digestive issues, my doctor forgot to check for celiac. I went to a chiropractor who does applied kinesiology, and she said gluten is toxic to me. Most people who have celiac are undiagnosed, so it's likeley to be more than 1% of the population. In Italy, they have routine screening of school kids for celiac ~ it's that common. At the very least, the simple blood test to detect celiac should be part of routine GI patient testing in this country.
I'm with you, I think the blood test should be standard. I really wonder how many people who are miserable because of GI issues are really undiagnosed celiac? Doctors in the US only look for it if the patient is underweight and has chronic diarhea
This is good idea, however and unfortunately, you can have celiac, gluten intolerance and wheat intolerance, whatever combination or all of the above and still test negative. It's not a conclusive form of testing. Even doctors (good ones) will tell you that you can best negative and still have celiac, etc.
I have a 7 year old daughter who was diagnosed with Celiac about 2 years ago. We had some routine blood tests to determine if the antibodies were present and followed up with a GI scope for a more visual documentation of any damage that had been done. The process was quick and we knew for certain that she had Celiac.
What was amazing was how quickly her symptoms went away once we removed gluten from our diet. Within days she no longer had stomach pain after a meal.
I won't lie. It's a huge pain in the ass. We have to plan our time away from the house very well. Long gone are the days of tossing the kids into the car for a long drive and not worrying about meals. We've learned where we can and can't eat because of what's on the menu. It's basically forced us to cook even more of our meals at home from basic foods instead of using packaged items.
We make our own breads and baked goods using blends of different gluten free flours with excellent results. I'd put my cupcakes up against a traditional cupcake any day. Bread on the other hand is not quite as good but passable.
We made the decision to make the house gluten free because it was easiest and left no chance for a little kid to feel like an outcast. But sometimes, in the middle of the night, when the kids are asleep, we eat a traditional pizza quietly.
I cannot eat regular pasta or whole grain breads....strangely white bread doesn't seem to affect me. At least I can eat rice pasta and I'm fine. For years, my doctors thought I had irritable bowel syndrome and basically told me I just had to live with it. All through my teens and twenties, I would get horrible cramping and loose bowels several times a week. I thought it was something I just had to live with. When I was about 30, I stopped eating pasta and really watched what I was eating and lo-an-behold....the symptoms stopped almost completely. All my former doc said at the time was "Oh, okay." It seems like if doctors can't figure it out, they just call it a syndrome and tell you to deal with it.
If you have Celiac, white bread will affect you whether it causes obvious symptoms or not.
As white bread contains tons of gluten, it is less likely that you have Celiac and more likely you have some kind of wheat allergy or even diverticulitis.
I am a physician and have had the diagnosis for ten years now. My symptoms were more neurological also and inability to gain weight. I had severe pains all over my body, chronic fatigue, burning sensations in feet and upper, and lower extremity tics. This was associated with anemia and inability to gain weight. I have been on very strict gluten free diet ( different kitchen utensils even) and I am glad to see all of symptoms go away and i have gained a little bit of weight. There has been only one time i was accidently exposed to Gluten ( very recently) , my symptoms of faituge, tics and neuropathic symptoms came back, with a vengence. ( However gladly lasted only few days). The reason i am writing is to give my own two cents on it. Any time one sees symptoms which one's physician cannot put away into a diagnosis, idiopathic neuropathy, movement disorders otherwise unexplained, i would recommend getting evaluated for Celiac's. It does present with a lot of non GI symptoms.
Get vitamin D levels checked earlier (males too). Now a simple question : Any one drink a better new gluten free beer ( besides bards tail or redbridge)
I gave up on beer and switched to wine or Woodchuck.
My wife had atypical presentation as well. Overweight, fatigue, pain, and neuro symptoms included. It's interesting that you mention the movement disorder, she has PLMD which affects her sleep. I hadn't seen anything that suggests a connection between that and celiac. I wonder if that will decrease over time now that she is GF.
oh, and for the beer question, try crispin cider. Some of their products are not GF, but the one I had is, and seemed likely to be pleasing to a beer drinker. I am not a beer drinker myself. The crispin cider was not as sweet as woodchuck, and the flavor reminds me of an un-hopped beer. If you like hops, I can't help you...
Where are you located? There's a good brewery in NY, Ramapo Valley Brewery. Google it.
New Grist is a good GF beer and so is Greens (if you can find it). I believe Greens is Belgium beer, but it comes in blond, lager, dark, etc.
Ramapo is a honey beer. Mangens is a good cider, as if Stone____ , which you can get on draft at Claddagh irish pub (a chain). Yum-o!
There is a LOT of misinformation about what gluten is. Gluten is actually a composite protein formed from gliadin and glutenin . It is NOT found in corn or rice. Corn and rice lack gliadin. Natural glutens can be found in some grasses, but by processing and mixing the flour with water, the gluten levels can be dramatically increased because the gliadin and glutenin bind together and form more gluten. This is what you are NOT supposed to over mix pancake batter – it forms too many glutens and becomes doughy.
Gluten sensitivity is "diagnosed" by many alternative health care providers, such as acupuncturists. I've been told that I fit the "type" for gluten intolerance. And yet, not only have I never had digestive issues, my colonoscopy revealed a healthy colon - and I eat loads of gluten-rich foods. Celiac sufferers have my sympathy, but whenever I have someone tell me that their lives were changed when they went gluten-free, I think, "Here is a self-obsessed nutcase.". After all, it's a way for someone to declare him or herself as special and delicate. It can be a control game.
A colonscopy would not reveal celiac, the symptoms do not occur in the colon. You need to get the probe inserted on the other end to diagnose celiac.
RB, no one ever suggested to me that I had Celiac disease, and I am not trying to cast doubt on anyone's diagnosis. I had a health care provider suggest that I might be "sensitive" (very vague) to gluten because of some very vague "symptoms." But a large chunk of my diet is whole grains (lots of wheat). If I really did have trouble with gluten, I would not have such a healthy colon. I know so many people who self-riteously announce that they have gluten sensitivities, and they make everyone else around them (at parties and food-oriented gatherings) miserable. The fact is, if you stop eating gluten you must stop eating processed foods and junk foods. If you are truly gluten free, you are probably eating whole foods, prepared at home, most of the time. And you will, by by the way, have drastically reduced your sugar intake as a side effect. So of course you will feel great, will lose weight, have great digestion, and have healthy skin. But it's not the lack of gluten in your diet - just a good diet.
...that should be "self-righteously," and i should point out that Vegematic c'est moi.
Does rice bread containe gluten as well? I have not been diagnosed with the disease but I have a strong feeling I have the disease base upon the symptoms described in these posts. I have stopped eating wheat bread for about 3 months hoping to get some relief from bloating but the result is not definitive. I have used cucumbers to alleviate the bloating and that works very good.
Depends on the bread. If it's safe, it should be marketed as Gluten-Free. If you are buying rice rolls or rice bread and the packaging does not say gluten-free, it probably is not. 100% rice bread is hard to make, tends to be very dry and crumbly, that's why rice bread from a bakery has wheat added, to hold it together and make it feel more like regular bread.
See a doctor that specializes in this disease. Don't try to diagnose, you could be totally off the mark and end up having something very different or even more dangerous. The symptoms of Celiac can be very similar to dozens of other diseases, even cancer.
See a doctor, see a doctor, see a doctor. If you self-diagnose you can obliterate the symptoms, but by so doing, make any future tests inconclusive. And yes, these symptoms can be caused by other problems. Only a doctor can tell you for sure. DO NOT SELF-DIAGNOSE.
I miss the days when I thought all this was hogwash.
I've never really bought into the "special diets" and I never saw any science behind it. Then, about a year and a half ago, I spent 5 days in the hospital because I couldn't hold anything down. They put me on medication, but no matter what I kept getting sick. Finally, earlier this year, I went to a doctor after getting sick after almost every meal (and dropping 30lbs in two months...which I needed to lose the weight anyway) and he diagnosed me with Celiacs. He told me to lay off gluten and even showed me the science behind it.
Suffice it to say, there are quite a few people out there who are chicken little's when it comes to a gluten-free diet. Then there are others who do have legitimate reasons to avoid gluten. Though humans have adapted to using grains in the past 10,000 years, that's hardly enough time for evolution to kick in. The fact is, history is replete with individuals who had stomach issues, but no one really knew how to fix it. Most likely they had Celiacs.
As I await a cure (which will never come since the disease only requires a diet change), I'll simply sit back and enjoy a gluten-free beer.
From wikipeda "In some East African ethnic groups lactase persistence has gone from negligible to near-ubiquitous frequencies in just three thousand years, suggesting a very strong selective pressure." Why do you think it would be different for gluten? Especially considering there does not appear to be any geographic/ethnic association with people who are and are not able to digest gluten. Unlike lactose where only societies that developed the use of cows for milk production show lactose tolerance. Considering the large amount of calories that can be easily obtained from grains I would think that there would be strong selective pressure for the spread of any genetic changes necessary for its digestion. Though I don't know this for sure, just makes sense.
I was just diagnosed with Celiac Sprue (via endoscopy), while trying to find the cause of continuing "digestive issues" (frequent trips to the bathroom and diarrhea too often), plus falling iron numbers (anemia). I thought it was all related to a partial colorectomy I had a year and a half ago. Never suspected celiac. My question: everyone who has celiac talks about feeling sick or having pain if they eat wheat or gluten. Me, never feel sick, no pain. Just diarrhea. What exactly are the "symtoms" people have who have celiac and ingest wheat or gluten?
It differs for each person. There isn't a lot known about the disease yet as it was recently discovered ("recently" is a relative term). For those who caught it late, the mere ingestion of gluten will make them sick. For those who caught it early it may only cause bowel symptoms.
For me, it depends on how much gluten I ingest. I will warn you that if you know you have Celiacs, the more gluten you ingest the more adverse symptoms you will have later in life.
For me diarrhea accompanies severe stomach pain for me plus bloody stool, feeling "weak", among other things.
Alot of people are just like you. When you are always taking in gluten, you always feel not quite right. And you can continue to keep doing the same things, with the understanding that you're at higher risk for some cancers, and other problems caused by nutrient deficencies. Or you can go GF, feel alot better, but have the understanding that if you accidentally ingest gluten you are going to be horribly ill for up to three days. Bad headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, there's quite a long list as to how you might react.
Kinda depends on exactly what i eat and how much. Stomach cramping (VERY severe), diarrhea, headache, nausea, body aches (especially in my arms), itchy eyes, itchy throat...usually it's a mix of one or two of these.
Is celiac a real disease? Yes. I have a friend who started losing his teeth, due to the condition. Are there people out there who have self diagnosed themselves with it and don't actually have it? Yes. Your GI system forms enzymes that breakdown the gluten. If you decide to abstain from gluten products for a long enough period of time then your body will stop producing as much of the enzyme because it is not needed. If you then eat gluten products again you may show GI symptoms because you don't have enough enzyme. If you continue to eat gluten products your body will again ramp up enzyme production and you will no longer have symptoms. The same process happens if you abstain from dairy (decreased lactose production) or carbohydrates (decreased insulin production). This is why one should be skeptical of anyone claiming to have self diagnosed. If you think you have Celiac see a doctor. Many people may be avoiding gluten for no good reason.
I suspect many people with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease may be a form gluten intolerance. The problem as many have noted is that gluten products are in some processed foods you wouldn't even suspect. However, what confuses me about this story is that 1 out of 133 people have some form of gluten intolerance and we are only now becoming aware of this problem? As the story notes there is more to gluten then just wheat products and sub products-you do have the problem of corn gluten al la production of HFCS. Corn intolerance has been thought to play a role in depression and gastric physical aliments-just like HFCS & gluten intolerance
Apparently 20% of CNN readers have Celiac disease. Stop believing the hype people. Quit jumping on the latest food bandwagon. Eat bread and be free of your silly fears!
lol
I WISH I didn't have it. It SUCKS. Please tell me a way I can "WILL" it away. I would much rather eat pizza.. drink a beer... eat spaghetti... etc.
The reason it probably appears that way is because most people who would even click on the link to read the story actually HAVE Celiac Disease and want to see what CNN has to say about it.
Take some Imodium. Eat bread and Imodium and be free of your fears!
I'm with you, Tommy. I would love to be able to say "it's all in my head" and go dive into a pizza! : ) But if it were all in my head, I wouldn't get blindsided by stuff that "should" be safe...
Yeah, the Imodium works great! At least until you get cancer or osteoporosis. :P
Ryan- you're such a troll... in some cases it can progress to a situation where fully body shock occurs. Then what just take an epi-pen four antihistamine and dive in? Grow up a little and for heaven's sake don't have kids.
You are an absolute moron and everything that is wrong with this country. Would you tell a diabetic to just go ahead and eat some sugar and get over it? It's not that much different.
I'm with you KarenG. Ryan is a moron. Too bad that there isn't a diet out there that can help keep the disease of stupid at bay.
It's not a scientific study, dear. I'm sure the percentage is high because only those with celiac or the ones who care about them would be interested enough to stop and read the article. People new to the subject who desire to spout uneducated, thoughtless opinions in a sad attempt to feel superior might also be drawn to the article title.
Sure. We have positive blood tests, identified genetic markers, and positive biopsy tests showing celiac disease, but some brain surgeon on the internet thinks he knows all the answers, so clearly, bread is safe now.
There are a lot of people responding to this article who have the disease, or have family members with the disease, because we are the ones who care about the problem.
Let's be realistic here for a second. While some of the population does suffer from a gluten intolerance, it's a very very VERY small percent of the population. With the "gluten free" everything in stores now, you would think that it would be a large majority of the population. The problem is that people are all about the new hype in the food world whether that be eating "organic" or eating "low carb" diets. Now, for a population where 1% or less is affected by the problem, the logical business decision would be not to market "gluten free" products. The business world is smart though and they know that a good amount of the population (possibly 20% if this article is any indication) hop on the latest food trend. Follow the money and stop being naive. Businesses know how to sell snake oil to the masses. The majority of people who believe they need to have a diet free of gluten are just riding the bandwagon. To the 1% of you who actually have a gluten issue, don't get your panties in a bunch at me. Be mad at all the sheeple who are stealing your thunder.
Ryan, it is quite a luxury to be commenting so pompously about a disease that you clearly have no real understanding of. My husband was suffering from severe malnutrition and a liver enlarged to three times its original size when he was diagnosed with celiac. That was before all of the labeling "hype" that you speak of. We literally spent months researching, reading labels and laboring over every food choice before he could put anything in to his mouth. You can't even begin to imagine how difficult it was for my husband eat a meal without being sickened by some seemingly innocent ingredient. The food industry should be applauded for all of its efforts to mark their products not only gluten free, but dairy free, nut free, etc. Food allergies and intolerances are difficult enough to live with without having to uber analyze ever last ingredient contained in food. If you had any experience with celiac you wouldn't be making insensitive broad brush comments such as this.
First, 8% of the population has diabetes. 1% of the population has celiac. Based on studies, as much as 85% of Americans with celiac disease have not been diagnosed. That would translate into 15% of the population. Even if the study is off by a few factors, we are looking at a significant portion of the population. I don't think anyone would suggest diabetics are delusional or buying the corporate line. If they don't manage their blood sugar, they get sick. If I don't manage my diet, I get sick. I write this not because I have any interest in arguing with you. I simply want to make sure any other readers get as complete a picture as possible. I will add, however, that I do understand where you are coming from. I used to roll my eyes at gluten free too. I even used to call it hippie food. Good thing words are gluten free, because I've eaten a great deal of them since I was diagnosed.
If you don't believe my internet ramblings, check this link out and listen to the experts. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/painter/2008-08-17-gluten_N.htm
If all the expected 3 million people in the US were diagnosed it would equal... drumroll... 1% (technically a little less) of the population. I have no issue with people who ACTUALLY suffer from the problem, but I stand by my comment that the majority of people who think they have this issue are just following the food trend of the day. Go on living your life gluten free until the next trend emerges. Maybe we can all go protein free in 2011?
Well, my mother has to follow a low-protein diet. She has gout, which is caused by excess uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a byproduct of protein metabolism. Ergo, low-protein diet.
My cousin's daughter not only has celiac disease, but allergies to peanuts, soy beans, dairy, corn, strawberries, and citrus fruits. My cousin has to carry her daughter's food EVERYWHERE! Almost makes me glad to be childless...
WOW. Have you ever tried to actually shop "gluten-free" in a store? I've been eating only Chex cereal for a year, because that's the only cereal available at most grocery stores. The "specialty" GF food selection is NOT good or abundant at most grocery stores.
Well I live above a Whole Foods and they are full of gluten free stuff. I typically shop at Harris Teeter which also has tons of stuff. It's a section that is slowly expanding to cover more and more items. I would check Whole Foods if you want a large variety to choose from. I suppose one good outcome of this gluten free fad is that 1% of the population actually gets more choices at the grocery store. On a side note, Gardetto's is much better than Chex mix.
Hi, it is a very interesting place in here. I see that some people are not even care about it.
Here is my story. It started 4 years ago when we noticed that our kid, he was only 4 years ago, began having diarrhea and big belly. He also stopped growing comparing to kids his age. After blood test and additional exams we found that it was a Celiac disease. The only way to cure it is to have a strict diet. And that is what we did and keep doing since. To avoid contamination we completely changed to gluten free food. Gluten free bread, gluten free soy sauce and all the gluten free products such as a cereals, cookies, rice, pasta, sausages, flour. It became a habit that I guess made things better. My kid is in third grade and he is doing great. He is growing and doing very good. He actually follows the diet and very critical about what kids are eating in school. He knows what is good for him and what he should not eat. No matter where we are going, it could be vacation or party, we are always caring his food. It could be a bag of gluten free bread or gluten free cookies. It is very expensive diet. Unfortunately not so many restaurants have a Gluten free menu. Someone in here made a good point. The way the food is processed makes people unhealthy. The refined food does make healthy people seek and seek people more seeker. The corn syrup, the baby yogurts full of sugar, the school lunches, the cereals, the hot dogs, the bread and drinks are full of unwanted ingredients that makes our immune system to suffer. The big food companies are making profits and do not care about what people eat. This is your choice to be healthy and nobody else is going to take care of that, no government or doctors.
I'm so glad your child is doing better! Doctors told my parents that my baby sister would "outgrow" her "wheat problem." She never did, and finally received a diagnosis at age 22. I was 24 when I got my diagnosis. You are so lucky to have found out early!
I hope both your son and you and your sister are doing better. I can tell you from personal experience that the intolerance (in my case to the point of shock) will fade in time. I have been wheat free for almost 8 years and recently (last week actually) I decided to try some bread. Now- please don't think Im saying go out and have a pizza but in time your body will simmer down and you may be able to have it in moderation. It's a good feeling to be able to eat 'normal' food haha
I am not celiac but was diagnosed with a wheat intolerance. I'm 35 and have been on a gluten-free diet for 8 years.
I was never a terribly unhealthy person, but did have some symptoms. Acne around the forehead and chin, and always near the sides of my neck; a lot of phlegm in my throat, especially during pollen season. It seemed as though when a cold or flu was going around, I got hit harder than most. Occasional but usually moderate bloating/diarrhea. I do have a family history of digestive disorders (colon cancer, chron's, etc.) but also a family history of poor eating habits.
Going wheat and gluten free changed the way I thought about eating very profoundly. Previously, I had never thought much or paid attention to what I ate, or the labels on food packaging. Suddenly, doing so became a necessity. Avoiding gluten meant basically cutting out all processed foods (although things have changed in 8 years). It meant changing my snack routine from crackers & sandwiches to fruit, and relearning how to cook meals with whole foods rather than something from a box.
After a few years, all of the above symptoms cleared up. No more acne, very little phlegm buildup in my throat, more energy, hardly ever get sick anymore, never any digestive problems. I don't think it's a coincidence – but whether it's specifically because of the gluten avoidance or rather because of my larger change from junk food to healthy food is debatable.
I've never thought of my change in eating habits as a "diet" per se. Awareness of gluten – and of my vulnerability to it – was the gateway to opening my eyes to the fact that what I eat is important, that I should be aware of what ingredients I'm putting in my body, and that simpler, less processed meals are more satisfying and healthier. It's really just a part of being a responsible, healthy adult.
I was told that gluten free foods are good for people with diabetes and help control the diabetes. True?
I would say yes... However not just based on not eating gluten and other foods.
I'd say it's because those people became MUCH more health concious after they were diagnosed... eating healthier.. working out more.. etc. Which would in turn help diabetes
Ho, it is not true. Avoid Gluten food and carbs. Switch to unrefined food. My kid is diabetic and allergic to Gluten.
My kid has both diabetes, celiac and asthma. Are you sure the wheat allergy isn't really celiac? Same genes are needed to make a person "eligible" for diabetes and celiac. There's a cross-over of 2.2% (last I checked). I also suggest you make very sure your kid's medical team is routinely testing for thyroid disease. (I'm sorry to tell you that it's likely not a matter of if but when.) I also suggest you make sure your kid doesn't have asthma. The treatment for bad asthma is prednisone. Prednisone raises BG to high levels (like 500) and, at least in my child's case, makes her look drunk for the first 4 or 5 hours. It's not fun.
What kind of gluten-free foods? Foods that are naturally gluten-free like fruits and veggies and chicken and beans and fish ... yes, they are wonderful foods. But breads and muffins and such that are gluten-free, no. Absolutely not.
Not true. You are still eating carbs, just different carbs. Now, if you are going GF by going high protein, than yes. A high protein diet used to be the only way to treat diabetes, before insulin.
Two statements in the article require additional information.
"Gluten pops up in surprising places, including soy sauce, sausage, lunchmeat, some instant coffee, soups, sauces, and even Communion wafers." There's more–and where you would least expect it! Some supplements and oral medications use gluten in the filler that helps to bind everything together. When a label doesn't say "gluten-free," you have to contact the company to find out. For medications, there are some lists on the internet that provide answers for some drugs. But some aren't on the lists, or you might find a brand name but no generics, etc. So you need to call the pharmaceutical company. And if your pharmacy gives you a generic for any of your meds, first you need to find out which company's generic they're using.
"If Celiac disease is left untreated – that is to say, if gluten is still consumed – it can go so far as to cause anemia, gall bladder failure or osteoporosis." The consequences are actually more extensive and potentially more serious. The potential for anemia and osteopororis aren't direct consequences of celiac disease, but would result from the malabsorption of nutrients due to the damaged villi in the small intestine - which is where nutrients are absorbed into the system. The villi are the structures there that are responsible for this absorption process. So when they are flattened and damaged - they can't do their job. So there are nutritional deficiencies of ALL sorts in people with this disease who continue to eat gluten. In addition, the risk for intestinal cancer is much higher.
YES...and PLEASE, ANY PHARMACISTS OR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY EMPLOYEES READING THIS–PLEASE PLEASE START MAKING GLUTEN-FREE DRUGS!!! I've had to go OFF of prescriptions because there was no GF alternative available!!
Something most people are not aware of is that the wheat hybrids we eat has three times the gluten then the ancient grains. So its no surprise more people are showing gluten intolerance. Hmmm, mabye people can start making a connection between GMOs and the increase of diseases. Probably not, people have been so brainwashed here in America. If it's to be, its up to me to take care of.
Everything is genetically modified, even us. Wheat hybrids were cross pollinated into existence, not GMO'ed.
And Celiac desease has been around forever, it's not something new. It's just easier to diagnose. Also, when you have it and it's undiagnosed, the symtoms can be liveable, some bloating, diarrhea, and gas. It's when you've been on a GF diet for awhile and then either cheat or make a mistake that it hits like a ton of bricks.
The symptoms can be confusing too. My wife was misdiagnosed for over a decade. She is overweight, which is not textbook presentation for celiac, although new research is finding that 40% or more of people with celiac are in fact substantially overweight. She had digestive symptoms and so on, and general discomfort and fatigue, but no doctor connected that to celiac until just recently.
Once she had been GF for a while, the immediate symptoms of exposure are much more severe that what she was experiencing before, although we are stuck wondering how much is just that she has gotten used to not being miserable.
@Tom- not true for all of us. I was literally on my death bed. I could not breathe, I could not get up and do the dishes without feeling like I had run a marathon. I have suffered from Hashimoto's Thyroiditis for years,I had cramping all over my body and sharp pain around my vital organs, not to mention the horrieble migraines since I was a child that sometimes had be bed ridden for a couple of days. Only 3 days after taking gluten out of my diet, I many of my immediate pains went away and my energy started to return. Bloating, stomach aches and diarrhea were the least of my problems. I have talked to many others with similar stories as well. This is not just some nagging gastric disorder.
First of all, Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease; there is no such thing as a gluten allergy, unlike wheat allergies which are actual allergies and can be dangerous to those that actually have a wheat allergy.
Second, if you are tested for Celiac disease when you are already on a gluten free diet, the tests will come out negative for any gluten intolerance.
Third, there are not different levels of Celiac disease such as mild or serious, but there are different levels of suffering for different people, which increase over time if those with the disease do not stop consuming gluten containing foods. What gluten free girl did not mention is that continued consumption of gluten containing foods by a Celiac also puts that person at risk for cancer in the digestive system.
Fourth, yogurt itself does not contain gluten, but some food manufactures add gluten containing ingredients to yogurt as well as to other foods that do not naturally contain gluten.
Fifth, if you have been tested and without a doubt are not gluten intolerant, there is absolutely no reason for you to be on a gluten free diet because it will not make you healthier. The reasons people with Celiac disease feel better on a gluten free diet is because they were so terribly ill to begin with.
Last, if you are not gluten intolerant and think you feel better on a gluten free diet, make sure it's not because you've reduced your carb and sugar intake. Remember that we were originally hunter-gatherers and only recently (11,000 years ago) began to cultivate grains, so our bodies have not had time to fully evolve to a high grain diet.
Okay, I want eveyone to try and focus here. If a restaurant promotes itself as a "gluten free" enviornment, then they should absolutly be held to that standard. Not all restaurants are in the position to do that.
Absolutely....
But MOST can definitely adhear to both GF and non GF diets. If you want to figure out how it's done... go to P.F. Changs. They have both GF and non GF diets and pull it off perfectly. I have never been sick there after ordering a GF meal. They also haven't always been this way.. they adjusted to their customer base needs. (i know this isn't the only place.. but it's an excellent example)
PF Changs is an international company-lots and lots and lots of money. Not that many restaurants have those kinds of resources.
Which is why i said it's just a great example.
Have you ever thought if you expand your menu to meet other peoples needs that it could bring in more money?
Understood, but I hope, as a restaurtant manager, you understand how important dining is to our culture. I understand things happen in a kitchen, but I should be able to enjoy dinner with friends and family at a restaurant with some confidence that my food has been handled properly. I don't ask for complicated dishes. I simply ask for a gluten free menu and, if there is none, I order burgers with no bun, salad with no croutons and skip dessert, unless the establishment has ice cream. I don't feel I should be shunned from a common human experience such as a shared meal simply because keeping certain foods off my plate is too much trouble for you. Remember, all celiacs have friends and family. If you pass on the celiac customer, you pass up a great deal of revenue.
One of the first things my friends ask me is, "Where can you eat?" Restaurants with GF menus are my staple. But not all of them are chains! So there is hope! : ) Ask around a bit and see if other restaurant managers/owners can help you. It is not necessarily a pricey problem, or a difficult fix. It is more about awareness and the willingness to be flexible (and pay attention). You can do it! (And we'll love you!) Just make sure to educate, educate, educate your staff!
Don't fool yourself, it is a REAL issue out there!! My wife suffers from Gluten/ oats intolerence border line celiac. When we go out to eat it is very difficult to find gluten free foods. I"m not sure if this has always been a problem for her or if wheat is GM to contain more gluten today. Either way this is becoming a bigger issue and it's even affecting our children. Now I understand why Europe has been banning GM wheat from the US. It's just not safe for ALL humans.
What does "border line Celiac" mean? Is that what the doctors told you?
A lot of doctors diagnose a non celiac gluten intolerance with a term called "border line celiac disease".
It just seems they don't really know a difference and the person tested negative for celiac but still has similar symptoms so that's what they call it.
While I don't have Celiac disease (I finally got tested in my 40s), eating gluten foods causes such uproar in my gut that it is disruptive, socially prohibitive, uncomfortable and even painful. It's definitely disruptive enough that it would cause problems with work performance/times and concentration.
I also have to avoid rye, barley, hops products, tapioca and a few other things that don't contain gluten. Go figure.
I don't pretend to understand it all, I just stick to home cooking/preparation of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, a small amount of nuts, legumes, lean dairy products and safe alternatives to bread, pasta and anything else that might be made of or derived from wheat and other offending foods. It's not always easy but planning helps.
I have been gluten free for 4 years this month. I feel so much better than I ever did before. It was hard at first trying to weave through the huge glut of information, some accurate some not so accurate..... The biggest thing I have learned is CHECK LABELS and if you aren't sure, DON'T EAT IT! I made a gluten free queso/salsa dish for a pot luck last Saturday night. By the time I got home, my gut was in a knot. I couldn't figure it out until my husband said somebody took the spoon from a different queso dip and used it in mine. You just can't bee too careful. I'm still feeling the effects of it, and these little times when I do feel ill, serve to remind me that eating gluten free isn't so bad at all. It is when I don't that things are really bad!
"people with gluten intolerance – also called Celiac disease"
Is this accurate? If you are gulten intolerant, do you therefore have Celiac disease? Misleading...
yes that is misleading
there is a BIG difference between being gluten intolerant and being full blow celiac.
You are right. There is Celiac (which is also called gluten-intolerance) and there is non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance. The difference being that Celiac is an autoimmune disease and presents with intestinal damage, versus non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance which is not autoimmune and does not present with intestinal damage. Many of the symptoms can be the same, but Celiacs have heath risks not shared by the non-Celiac Gluten Intolerant. At least, that is the current understanding.
well stated!
There are several. Wheat intolerance/sensitivity, gluten intolerance sensitivity, wheat allergy, gluten allergy and celiac disease. gluten cannot be separated from the wheat, barley or rye. So if you can't have gluten, you can't eat any of those. Then there is the intolerance or sensitivity which may have mild symptoms. Wheat allergy can be very dangerous if the allergy is severe. Although these are different than Celiac disease. The gluten for celiacs is toxic and creates an autoimmune disease because villi is what absorbs the nutrients from food. It flattens the villi in the intestines. It took me 3 years of a strict diet to get that villi back to somewhat normal. Unfortunately, some celiacs, like me, can't have dairy either. There is plenty of information on the web about these allergens and celiac disease. It ruined it my life. I can't travel, eat out and going to family functions, picnics-I always have to bring my own food due to cross contamination.
I've been eating at a Gluten free bakery that makes lamb chops, pizzas, cupcakes, chocolate mousses, hell invented a new bread made out of acorn flower called Sweet Sin Bakery in Baltimore, Md. You can find their stuff in whole foods or call em up and they probably deliver to you some how.
I actually order bread from a place in Florida when my wife doesn't have the time to make it herself for me. I'm sure they will deliver too. Most GF bakery's do b/c typically local business isn't enough to sustain how expensive it is to do.
Sweet Sin is amazing. I ate there when I was in B'more to see my celiac specialist. They have cupcakes that taste better than most of the gluten-filled cupcakes I used to eat. And their cafe is great.
Here's one, guys. And they ship. Their stuff is very tasty!
http://www.glutenfreecreations.com/
Oh, I thought this was about glutton, which the pig knows of well.
Its cause is no mystery. Nearly everyone who's acquired this disease has been prescribed certain antibiotics or undergone surgery with Propofol administered, just months before the onset of this disease. Our doctors are causing it. Questionable new antibiotics and anesthesia are unnecessarily prescribed, which are poison to our digestive systems — all in the name of avoiding malpractice suits.
The way food is processed today is a MAJOR cause of Celiac Disease... Not some conspiracy theory that our doctors are doing it.
By the way.. I have celiac.. i'm not just making ignorant statements about it.
My sister has it, and I have mild symptoms resembling it. Both of us had antibiotics just months before our first symptoms. These things don't just happen on their own. There's a trigger. The way food is processed hasn't changed much in the last 30+ years, so food processing would not be a likely candidate for its cause.
I have never had surgery- and the antibiotics I have taken have been to cut off infections that were progressing rapidly. Don't try to turn this into an argument for "no doctors and no medicine."
This is untrue. I was born with it (natural childbirth, no drugs) and I know many who developed it as children or adults without any of these factors you mentioned. You should refrain from commenting on things you are uneducated about.
You should provide some evidence for this ridiculous staatement.
It's not a new disease... just a new diagnosis b/c they didn't know what it was then.
It's been around for a long time.
Do you have any references behind what you are saying? I would be very interested in looking at the facts if there are any.
Hugh – sorry – but this sounds preposterous to me!!! :(
From what I have read, a traumatic event (whether physical or emotional) can cause someone with the genetic predisposition to develop celiac disease. So if you had surgery or an illness that required extensive antibiotics, it might make sense that such an event would kick your body over the edge. That was definitely the case for me.
Im really starting to think that has some grounds. My sensitivity and "temporary" allergy developed after my grandfather died to whom I was very close. It was emotionally devastating for the whole family- and I'm sure it led to some chemical changes due to the stress.
Hugh, meet Scott. Scott, meet Hugh. Or are you the same person?
About 8 years ago when I was in high school I started going into shock every time I would eat bread. Needless to say it only took two times and we made the correlation. After removing wheat entirely from my diet, my IBS faded away and my overall health improved. Now- I can safely eat a regular sandwich once a week with no problems. This whole ordeal is very complex and there aren't enough doctors who know enough about it to be able to see what's really causing the issue. I hope that everyone can one day share in the joy of eating wheat again- it really does steal your life from you.
I have been gluten free for about a year and a half and I would never describe following this diet as "stealing my life from me." I felt terrible when I was eating wheat – I was in pain after every meal and lost many hours of my life either in the bathroom or hunched over on my side in awful pain. Once I removed gluten from my diet, my symptoms immediately, almost magically, resolved. I feel like my life has been given back to me! Sure, it's a drag to have to avoid certain foods, and eating in restaurants is always an adventure, but I eat healthier now than I ever did, and I feel fantastic. Just consider how you phrase things and the impact your words have on others who may actually need this diet. It's not a death sentence!
What I was trying to say is you cannot eat with your friends at a pizza parlor, you can't have a piece of their birthday cake, and you can't even go to a grocery store and just buy normal food. I am sorry that you've have this condition- but you really haven't had it long enough to feel its full effects. I hope you never to do feel it- but know that food is what brings people together and when you can't have the food their eating- you are often left out.
I was diagnosed with celiac disease about a year ago and since switching to a gluten free diet I feel 1000x's better. The pain is almost unbearable at times that occurs when I used to eat bread/pasta/etc. I got tested multiple times and no doctor could ever figure out what was causing my pain(and other gross symptoms I won't mention). Even today it's still a VERY new disease. A lot of doctors still don't even check for it unless you spefically request it.
SHIRLEY:
Being a Restaurant manager doesn't make you a "food expert". I know people that are managers at restaurant's and don't even have a college degree. I'd be willing to bet you don't even know what all contains gluten. This disease wasn't even known about less than 10 years ago so to say you've never heard of it until 4 years ago doesn't really mean all that much. You probably wouldn't have heard about it then either but the OWNER of the restaurant made you find out what it was. Up until the last year or so you never really heard of it unless you knew someone with the actual disease.
if you think it's some sort of "play" that people are switching to a gluten free diet then you are ignorant. Until you feel the pain that comes along with it then you have absolutely ZERO right to talk or judge people.
DAVE:
You are correct.... Beer also contains gluten (so does a lot of liquor by the way). But Budweiser and a few other companies have made gluten free beers. Bud's is called REDBRIDGE. It's actually rather good.
Scott, while you are filling your pie-hole with every conceivable food as you stated, please remove your foot as well. You have no idea what you are talking about. I came down with Celiac Disease a couple of years ago and let me tell you it is really hard to live like I have to being a bread and beer lover myself. But it beats the alternative of being violently sick and not able to keep any food in my body. Ignorant people like you should not jump into spaces like this and drop nonsense especially if you have no idea what you are talking about. It just proves how difficult life is for who really suffer from the disease having to put up with people like you at restaraunts and other venues. Mis-Diagnoses goes both ways as well. A lot of people who have gluten intolerance and lactose intolerance get diagnosed with irritable bowel disease or similar and continue to suffer unnecessarily.
Bruce...try Udi's white sandwich bread-no freezing or refrigeration required and you can leave it on the counter! Doesn't crumble. Expensive, but well worth it. Whole Foods has it. You don't have to toast it-but you can – makes great sandwiches – Made french toast using a non-dairy milk. I can't have dairy, sugar, fruit either – so it is nice to have this treat. Saved my life. Beer – I don't drink much, but Redbridge and Green are gf.
A good friend thought she was gluten sensitive because of gastric problems and hives when she ate bread and other wheat products. It turned out that her real problem was the soy lecithin that is used in most packaged breads. When she has homemade baked goods – no problems. Finding out what your real allergy is can be a really complicated process, with a lot of wrong turns along the way.
Current wheat is a product of modern civilization. Gluten containing wheat was create through selection of seed to make wheat based products, like bread, more commercially good looking. Doctor Luigi Greco wrote
"Over the last 200 years of our modern age active genetic selection, and actual genetic manipulation, have changed the aspect of the original Triticacee enormously: from few grains and little gluten to great wheat harvests very enriched in gluten (50% of the protein content), well adapted to cultivation practices and ready to be handled by monstrous machineries. "
Could it be possible that Celiacs Disease is a heriditary condition? Is there any cause that could stem from a mother consuming too much gluten while carrying a child? I have had some exposure to the gluten-fee diet and talked to my doctor about the benefits of it as well. It is a difficult diet to maintain, but I will say that I did feel the positive side affects when I was eating gluten-free(ish). Having multiple friends who have Celiacs, I have seen the difficulties first hand as well.
It is heriditary, and it seems to run more on the female side then the men.
exactly.. you are correct. I found out that I had it and had my mother get checked. Sure enough.. she has it as well. She just never knew what was causing her problems.
It is known to be genetic, nothing to do with how much gluten was consumed during pregnancy.
You said in an earlier post (or implied) that people with wheat allergies wouldn't have as disastrous consequences from consuming gluten as those with Celiac would. I don't think this is true. Couldn't a person with a wheat allergy go into anaphylactic shock??!!
I have been told that most people are allergic to gluten and don't know it, although not to the degree it affects people with the disease. I wanted to try cutting it out of my diet just to see what I would feel like if I went a couple of weeks without it and it turned out to be so hard to find bread products without gluten I gave up. If you read the labels almost all bread products of any kind are based on wheat as the main ingredient, even when it it advertised as oat, rye or whatever, the main ingredient will be wheat. I wish they would make breads from other grains without the wheat in it so we could have choices without having to go to a health food store.
Really? health food stores or another name for them, "stores that sell healthy food". Why is it suprising that big markets arnt interested in your "health" ? PS there are alot of big markets that sell gluten free now. But really, think about it. Why support stores that for years have been trying to provide, "healthy food"? dosnt seem American.
Gluten-free baked goods are hard to pull off, because gluten is what give breads their elasticity and moisture. No gluten, all you have is loosely held together crumbs. There are several ways arould this, but none are perfect. Most recipes call for gums as a replacement for gluten, some use mashed potato to provide moisture and bind the dough.
if you have celiac disease you can't eat Rye and Oats either...
If you want to TRULY try a GF diet then you need to read what you can and can't eat... you'll be hard pressed to find any bread products that are truly GF anywhere other than a gluten free bakery (or if you make it yourself)
There are some specialty food makers that are expanding into major grocery chains and GF breads and such are much more widely available now. Two of the three grocery stores I do my shopping at carry GF breads and baked goods.
Oats do not contain gluten. However the way they are cut and prepared determines whether the final product contains gluten. Udi's makes a very tasty granola oat mixture that is gluten free.
Gluten Free Girl's comments in this article are very uneducated and dangerous.
She states the following which is simply not true.
- A wheat allergy is like any standard allergy, with a reaction similar to what a sufferer might have to animal dander or shellfish – hives or mild nausea. -
I take offensive to Gluten Free Girl's reference to being allergic to wheat as a "run-of-the-mill wheat allergy".
Bing someone that is diagnosed with a wheat allergy, my reaction to eating wheat can be life threatening and causes me to have an anaphylactic reaction.
Due to my wheat allergy I have to carry an EpiPen and be extremely careful as to what I eat. I would not say that wheat allergies are run of the mill.
I don't think GF Girl wrote this? I don't see a by line.
Also, beware of some yogurts! Had a friend who had a gluten sensitivity. He had cut it all out, but still found he felt like crap if he ate yogurt. He didn't know it was in there. It's sneaky!
That's called the attack of the "modified food starch". Unless it states corn starch or potato starch or tapioca starch, stay away! The cheapest modified food starch to use is wheat, so if it says modified food starch you have to assume it's got gluten. Unless it also says "gluten-free" on the packaging.
Tom - modified food starch in US products is always made from corn, that's a USDA law so don't scare people.
That is simply not true. The source of modified food starch is not required on labels by the USDA. It can be made from a variety of sources, including wheat. Foods containing this may or may not be gluten free.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Help/glossary-m/index.asp
Anna, The USDA does not require the source of the starch in MFS to be included on labels, meaning it can come from several sources. It is supposed to be separated from the source's proteins, making it a less likely source of gluten, but depending on the process it may not be completely separated. MFS can come from corn, wheat, potato, or any other source of starch.
This is not a fad. This is a medical condition that chefs don't understand. Everything has to be seperate pots pans utensils. Chefs do not understand a night out at a restaurant can turn into three days of bathroom hell. Because of that I do not go out and I don't trust anyone in a kitchen to actually understand what gluten does to chrons and celiac patients. What we need is a restaurant that does it right and alows us to go back and enjoy a meal instead of wondering when the time bomb will go off between eating the meal and running to the bathroom literally.
I have found that the higher-end restaurants do a better job of this. The servers tend to be better educated and the chefs get it (or they are willing to be educated!). AND it's easier to get something simple, like grilled chicken and steamed veggies, because not everything back in the kitchen is pre-breaded, pre-marinated and engineered for rapid fixing. I STILL ask for everything, "What is in this? Is it marinated? How is it cooked? What is it cooked in? What is it cooked with?"
I was test for wheat allergy and it came back negative. However, I had rosacea, pms, and autoimmune issues. I had almost no vitamin stored in my body, and low magnesium. Do NOT rely on medical tests to discern whether or not you have an issue with gluten. If you have sluggish digestion, skin issues, blepharitis, autoimmune diseases or a family history of autoimmune disease, try for at least a month without gluten. Add it back in and see if you notice any reactivity. If you have a low level gluten intolerance, and even if you aren't destroying villi in your intestines, there is still a possibility your body is holding wasting matter, unable to move it out.
This isn't a "lifestyle" choice or a diet, it is acknowledging that all bodies are different and some bodies don't process certain substances effectively.
I was diagnoised with a mild wheat allergy 23 years ago. I found that the diet was extremely expensive at the time and I was a single mom raising 2 children. I ended up just trying to limit my intake of gluten (which my allergist said was also present in legumes such as peas). I am so thankful that I was classed as "mild". It's hard to imagine living with this if it was severe. I also resent the "me-too's" who jump on every fad diet out there. What's next, the stomach cancer diet? Cripes people, exercise more and eat a balanced diet and get a flipping hobby or something.
As a restaurant manager, I can tell you that more than half of the people who purport to have a "gluten allergy" have no idea what gluten even is. Half believe it's some health/weight loss fad (never heard of a gluten allergy before about four/five years ago and I'm a RESTAURANT MANAGER), the rest just want what the people next to them are getting. I will be thrilled when people and Dr.'s move on to the next health crisis.
You didn't hear about it 5 years ago, because it was massively unerdiagnosed, and people who had the problem settled for not eating out. Doctors still don't understand the problem very well, and still don't look for it in their patients, but it is real. Some of your customers are hopping on the bandwagon, but you can't tell which ones are, and which ones actually have the problem. Not from your perspective. But if providing them with food they can eat without days of symptoms is a problem for you, you should be in another line of work.
If your medical degree, I mean, experience as a restaurant manager, has left you skeptical of people's needs, I invite you to spend a few days with someone who has celiac. Slip a good sized bread crumb in one of their meals, and two hours later, observe the effects. When your restaurant contaminates a meal, we know. We talk. You lose business. Tell the owner of your restaurant that you are tired of gluten free, and you don't want to cater to people with this need. I dare you.
in the 1920's and 30's as food was becoming more streamlined for mass production, a key enzyme that aids in digestion was in fact removed in the process of making most products of which today we could classify as glutenous, thus causing long term effects for a much higher % of the population than before it. it was all about saving time and $ to enhance production, not protect the public interest. Those who disputed the findings were shunned.
We don't do gluten free; gourmet burgers, hand breaded onion rings and fries, corn dogs, footlongs. Understand where I'm comming from. Not gluten free food! Yet people with these allergies still expect to be able to eat this food. Actually they expect my staff to "pick the breading off" as if thats going to do any good? Residual flour. If someone wants a burger or hot dog with no bun or to pick the breading off a corn dog or onion rings with no breading(we will sautee onions in a pan for those folks, and yes they do ask, more out of spite I think),come on...but there are more appropriate restaurants for those with allergies. Yet they still come and expect us to magically remove the flour.
Shirley:
You are exactly right. People with celiac disease (truly) should not even step foot in your store. You should specify what type of restaurant you are the manager of so people understand your statements.
You can't just pick the bread off that stuff and expect it to still be "ok" to eat.
Ok, if they are saying "pick the breading off" then they don't know what they are talking about. I would tell them that that approach will result in contamination to their food, and if they insist, hey, the customer is always right, and giving them exactly what they want is a free spin on the karma wheel.
As you say, there are menu options. The burger can be served sans bun, if you don't toast the buns on the same grill you prepare burgers on. A hot dog can be served bunless. If you have multiple fryers, you can set one aside for fries only, but that depends on the size of your kitchen. The customers who have the problem know all that stuff. One of our favorite, and most reliable, gluten free restaurants serves primarily burgers and fries. Hmm, they have a corn dog on the kids menu, but I don't think they have a footlong. Probably not the same chain.
Celiac is not an allergy, it's an autoimmune disorder. Some people have wheat allergies, and they all get lumped in the same category, but people with celiac are the ones with the really strict requirements, because the consequenses are crushing.
Really Shirley? I hope you are careful with those people who claim to have an allergy or celiac. It is not your place to judge whether they are telling the truth. I have eaten out many times at restaurants who have assured me that my meal is gluten free, and then I end up sick for 24 hours because they didn't care enough to actually be careful with my food. I make sure to tell ALL my friends (celiac and non-celiac) about my experiences, and those restaurants lose customers as a result. I don't care if places don't want to cater to me and other celiacs; I just don't want to be lied to. Just because people aren't falling to the floor and dying after eating restaurant food (like they would if they had a peanut allergy and you gave them nuts) doesn't mean their body isn't reacting negatively to it.
Too true, Lindsey. On average, I have to send back 50% of the meals I order because someone "forgets" to make the salad without croutons or "forgets" to leave off the gravy. Restaurant managers, if you want our business, please educate your servers and your cooks, and we will love you forever (and we'll come back)!! Oh, and please don't hire Scott.
Oh, please. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? You need to change your ways – the world owes you nothing. I have had food allergies for years and have never expected restaurants to cater to me.
I expect nothing but honesty when I walk into a restaurant. If a pizza place says they have gluten free crust, and I order it, then they bring me wheat crust, I have a right to be upset. I don't expect anyone to cater to me; I just expect what is advertised.
Oh, and I don't EVER eat out unless the restaurant ADVERTISES that they ARE CHOOSING to cater to celiacs by specifically offering GF food (ie: a gluten free or allergen-free menu). Sadly, their training and procedures are rarely adequate. All celiacs I know follow the same eating-out policy.
Just because you had not heard about it doesn't mean it just suddenly appeared within the human race. Most ceoliacs I know avoid restaurants like the plague! (I know A LOT). It isn't just the risk of being exposed to gluten that is the bother, it is also having to explain to ignorant restaurant staff who couldn't care less about what gluten is every time you want to eat out!!!
If you're Celiac, you don't become ill until some time after the meal. With my gf, it was 2 to 5 hours. And with few exceptions, restaurant staff are the least informed about this desease. When we went out, she would have to stick to salads and grilled items, so long as it wasn't marinated or sauced. One time she wanted soup, so we asked the waitress if they used wheat flour to thicken the soup, hoping they used corn starch. She checked, came back and announced that they didn't use wheat flour–they used white flour.
That one always makes me laugh! "We don't use wheat buns, we use white." Pretty scary when servers don't know what's in the food they serve...
Being a Restaurant manager doesn't make you a "food expert". I know people that are managers at restaurant's and don't even have a college degree. I'd be willing to bet you don't even know what all contains gluten. This disease wasn't even known about less than 10 years ago so to say you've never heard of it until 4 years ago doesn't really mean all that much. You probably wouldn't have heard about it then either but the OWNER of the restaurant made you find out what it was. Up until the last year or so you never really heard of it unless you knew someone with the actual disease.
if you think it's some sort of "play" that people are switching to a gluten free diet then you are ignorant. Until you feel the pain that comes along with it then you have absolutely ZERO right to talk or judge people.
Shirley, please tell us where your restaurant is so I can avoid it in the future.
My husband's grandmother (who would be over 100 now) had Celiac disease... so it's NOT a "new fad" by any means. It's much more recognized now than it ever has been, which is why it seems much more common now. My best friend has a sensitivity to gluten also (not officially diagnosed as Celiac at this time), so I'm very aware of it even now. I myself have a different "sensitivity" that seems to also be a considered a "fad", but I can tell you it's very real to me. As long as I avoid the offending foods/additives, I'm symptom free.
Restaurant manager =/= (does not equal) doctor or nutritionist in the appropriate fields knowledgeable about Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, and associated conditions.
Gluten-free is actually a complex topic. For instance, many restaurants use prepackaged soups, marinades and sauces and don't definitively know if these contain gluten containing flours or gluten containing derivatives (various thickeners, flavorings and fillers). The vast majority of manufactured sauces and marinades contain gluten.
Also, even products that don't list gluten foods may be made in same factories with the same equipment as gluten foods, and thus may or may not contain some amount of gluten.
In other words, just because it doesn't say "wheat flour" or "flour" on the container, it doesn't mean a food is gluten-free.
It takes most people, even very intelligent people, a while to investigate all the information and disinformation out there, something you clearly haven't invested yourself in...
As a human being, I can tell you that you are not a very nice person. At least you don't sound like one here. GF diet saved my life. I have every right to ask a restaurant manager how they prepare their food and where they get their ingredients from. I have every right to ask that something be prepared a special way. If you don't like it, just say no and I will move on.
WOW, Shirley, do you slide peanuts in to the dishes of those whiny, fad slave customers who tell you that they have nut allergies too? My husband, a celiac, has been horribly sickened for weeks thanks to the ignorance of the likes of restaurants managed like yours. Your clear lack of sensitivity towards and ignorance of a disease that is debilitating to say the least is unprecedented. Shame on you.
I totally understand your frustration with people who "pretend" to have gluten issues when really they just want to lose weight or have something to relate to. However, there are many of us who experience serious symptoms when we ingest gluten. Most of the time, I do cook my own gluten free meals. I love to cook, which is definitely a good thing for someone with Celiac Disease. But, is it too much for us to ask to be able to be "normal" every once in a while. Some times I want to go out for a nice dinner with my husband, but it is always a huge risk, even at restaurants who have Gluten Free menus. I understand that it probably makes your job more difficult, but it is entirely intolerant for someone to say that because I have Celiac Disease, I can't ever eat out. I'm sorry that you have encountered people who say they have a gluten allergy without fully understanding the implications of that, but there are people out there who get it and who have to do the gluten free thing for their HEALTH. If I were to ignore my gluten free diet I would be at a MUCH greater risk for various cancers, my small intestine can be damaged beyond full repair, I could become malnourished to the point of death. I don't want to put myself at risk for these things, but at the same time, I shouldn't be shunned by the restaurant industry because of my auto-immune disease. Please understand that this post isn't intended to make anyone angry or ashamed. More than ever I feel like it is our duty, as people who have Celiac disease to spread awareness about the TRUTH of this auto-immune disease. Hollywood certainly isn't helping so it's up to us.
ARGUMENT OVER GUYS, RESTAURANT MANAGER IS HERE
My gf has celiac's and so I too have come into a partly gluten free diet. I still get my fair share when we eat separately, at a restaurant or I'm in the mood for a beer (something they didn't mention in this article), but I'd say I've cut it about 75%.
I can speak to the real consequences when a celiac's sufferer eats gluten and to the benefits of the diet to someone without a gluten intolerance. ...so far as the latter goes, I haven't see any benefit, no weight loss and no difference in overall health of any kind. I wonder if the hippies pushing the gluten free diet are eating gluten replacements or avoiding grains all together... there's a massive difference there.
If someone without a legitimate medical requirement cuts gluten out of their diet for whatever ridiculous reason, I simply can no longer respect them as a human being. Be that way, you stupid hippies. More bread and beer for me.
I was misdiagnosed with Celiac's awhile back. I was on a true gluten-free diet for a long time, until my doctors rechecked and found out I didn't have it. So I know the diet very well.
So now I can eat gluten again, but I still keep many of the gluten-free habits that I had during the misdiagnoses. Furthermore, I really understand what it means to be gluten-free.
That why it bothered me when someone I knew announced she had a wheat allergy and now had to eat gluten-free, while eating chicken salad made with mustard, soy sauce on her rice and gravy on her mashed potatoes, all the while announcing how great she feels and how hard it is to have a wheat allergy. She clearly doesn't have one. It bothers me because she gives a bad name to people who really cannot eat any kind of gluten and are severely limited in their choices.
I agree about the people who don't have the problem but have jumped on the bandwagon, but I wanted to mention that I can make everything you saw her eating and still have the meal be gluten free. There are gluten free soy sauces and mustards, and gravy can be made with alterate flours. If she was eating that in a restaurant, I would say it's a risky meal, even if it's labeled gluten free, but it can be done.
As you know, celiac disease and "wheat allergy" are two different things. People may say "wheat allergy" to explain celiac, but they are different. A person with a real wheat allergy can get by with different food restrictions than someone with celiac, or at least, will have different reactions.
So noted. Though in this case she was using normal, non-gluten-free products. In her case, it was simply "DON'T bring rolls! I'm ALLERGIC to wheat!!" There's much more to it than just not eating bread.
But some of those gluten free products are great, aren't they? I still use gluten-free, low-sodium soy sauce. It tastes just the same as some of the soy sauces out there. I still have rice and tapioca flours in my house for baking as well. It's strange how you just keep up with a lot of those things.
I do sometimes just say I'm allergic instead of trying to explain it fully. If I say I'm allergic, everyone gets the idea. If I say I have Celiac disease, they just look at me with blank stares most of the time.
Please be careful. If you were on a gluten free diet then the blood test will not work because you need to be eating gluten for the antibodies to be present in your blood.
Well, they did an endoscopy to find it out. Would they catch it with that?
evil:
They have to do a blood test and the "envasive" method to diagnos is. It's correct you can not be on a GF diet before these tests b/c your test results could turn up a false negative.
If you have been gluten free for long enough, your intestines will recover from the damage, and an endoscopy won't reveal any damage. Usually for diagnostic tests, to get an accurate result, you are supposed to start consuming glutens again for a period of time prior to the test.
I agree! I would re-evaluate what the doctor is telling you. If you were not consuming gluten there is not going to be intestinal damage or a positive blood test. Very few doctors understand Celiac. The book Real Life With Celiac Disease would be well worth your time. Not that we want you to have Celiac, but we really don't want you to suffer from long term complications of untreated Celiac. And all because you were given bad information.
Human beings have been eating food containing gluten for hundreds of thousands of years. This is bunk unless you happen to be alergic to it. Just the latest fad. A waste of News space. Eat sensibly and in moderation and you are fine. I have crammed all manner of food in my pie-hole for almost 50 years with no il effects. The problem Americans have is that we consume too much. However instead of admitting this simple fact we go on and on about what we eat instead of dealing with how much.
Having a gluten intolerance is not just a fad, but yes, those who are just using it as a new way to diet irritate me too.
The diet can lead to a healthier eating habit, but no it is not a diet to lose weight although you can. Actually, it is something that can lead to a weight correction and you could even gain weight if you are underweight. I know a lady, who does have severe reactions, and tells the restaurant who puts croutons in here salad that they need to make a fresh one and not just remove the croutons in the current salad unless they have an ambulance standing by. She is rail thin too. My wife lost 30 pounds, but that is not why she is doing it.
Sure the latest fad that effects a significant part of the population. You could be gluten intolerant and it is dormant. It is sometimes triggered by some event like a major car crash or something else that is very trumatic.
It is not only traumatic stressors which can cause Ceoliac disease to show it self. It has now been shown that smoking cessation can also trigger this disease. Perhaps it has to do with the anxiolitic effect of nicotine but never the less it would be an interesting study!
So True! Im' 46 and After 5 years of living an over the top stressful life and horible business situation, I crashed. $20k of medical tests with all mainstream doctos saying "there is nothing wrong", a naturalpath put it all together and saved my life. My family acted like it was a personal thing. They just didn't get it since they had never heard of it. Changing my diet improved my life. I wish this was a fad, but it is not. It is a life time awareness. I have been gluten free for 3 years. I was at a party and thought "what the heck I can have a vodka cranberry and some cookies." I spent the next 2 weeks in horrible pain back to square one with symptons. I appreciate all the restaurants that are making an effort, but do take care they do seem to have their own defintion of what is gluten free. Thanks for posting the article. Please dont knock it if you dont have it or have walked in our shoes.
In response to all YES you should curtail gluten if you are adversely effected by it. However the vast majority of the people of the world have no problem with gluten. We were gathering grain foods and consuming gluten when we were still Australopithecus Afarensis. A properly functioning digestive system can easily handle natural levels of gluten. We may get into trouble when extra gluten is added.
Less than 5% of Americans who have CD are diagnosed. It is a worldwide problem because our food is so genitcally modified. Because it is a problem solved with food, pharmaceutical companies put no money into research or public awareness.
You know this from your time in medical school and your study of people with celiac disease? No, you know this because you don't have this problem, and therefore, no one else does either.
Are you Stupid???
100's of thousands of years? WOW thats a leap. Mankinds history in the museums is about 6,000 yrs old. Everything before that is purly speculative. Facts are so cool
Mankind's written history is around 6,000 years old. But there is lot of arceological evidence concerning human beings use of agriculture that is much older. You can also look at the genetics of grains and other similar plants and can gauge how long ago they were domesticated. According to wikipedia (which is not the end all be all of sources but is the easiest to access) wheat was domesticated around 9,000 BC and barley around 23,000 BC.
@KDW1 while gluten and wheat has been domesticated for thousands of years, today's wheat (which is selectively bred or engineered) is vastly different than ancient wheat. There's an article online where scientists harvested ancient wheat and made bread out of it, and fed it to people with celiac – they experienced no symptoms of the disease.
Celiac Disease is a very real auto immunne disorder and is a very serious illnesss.
Scott – I have Celiac Disease. However, I am also frustrated by people who profess that they must be gluten-free, when (in fact) they neither follow a GF diet correctly, nor need to follow a gluten-free diet for a medical reason. I think this behavior undermines efforts of people who MUST adhere to a GF diet. By "going along with the herd", these people foster the kind of ignorant attitude that you display in your post. By the time I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (via endoscopy), the villi in my small intestines were not absorbing any nutrients. I was inexplicably anemic and I had lost 30 pounds for no reason. And, I had disastrous GI problems that no one could explain. I lost so much weight because I was not absorbing or retaining ANY nutrients or any calories. I was miserable. Within weeks after being diagnosed and following a GF diet, my GI problems were resolved. And, I immediately gained a lot of weight - too much weight! Gaining weight when going on a GF diet after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease is common. With a GF diet, a Celiac Disease patient's body begins to absorb nutrients and calories rapidly, while at time still dealing with a slow metabolism. It took two years for my metabolism to stabilize so that I could achieve a healthy weight.
Celiac Disease is much more complicated than one would imagine. And, to dismiss it as "bunk" is simply ignorant.
So, here is the answer to obese people.... just get some of that disease and that's it... problem solved....
Actually, humans have only been eating grains for about the last 10,000 years. Before that, our hunter/gatherer ancestors ate meat and nuts/seeds, tubers, and fruits. Grains are considered a "third choice" food for humans. It takes more energy to produce/harvest (biologically speaking) than meat or fruits/veggies, and has far fewer biogically usable nutrients.
Scott, incorrect. Humans have only been cultivating grains for a few thousand years. Our digestive tracts are designed to eat meats, animal fats, nuts we could find, some green plants that wouldn't poison us, and a few kinds of fruit when it was available and we could fight off the birds to get it. That is the hunter gatherer diet that humans lived on for hundreds of thousands of years and are physically adapted to eat. Grains are not our natural food. There are no essential carbohydrates, only essential amino and fatty acids. It doesn't surprise me at all that many people suffer from intolerance to processed versions of stuff that we weren't made to eat.
"I have crammed all manner of food in my pie-hole for almost 50 years with no il effects." Scott, I hate to break this to you, but your day of reckoning is just around the corner. A person's 50's is when a lifetime of diet mistakes starts to catch up with them. I wouldn't be so arrogant if I were you. You will probably be singing a totally different tune by the time you are 60.
Scott – It is not bunk. Celiac is a serious condition!! Yes, maybe some people are doing it as a fad. I don't have celiac, but I feel better when I keep my gluten intake way down. I have IBS, which is supposed to be aggravated by gluten. My doc says you can have GI gluten intolerance to some degree, that's not celiac. It may not be dangerous, but it is the pits. So I'm not worrying when a canned soup, for example, has a teeeeny amount of gluten, but I'm trying to avoid the big quantities.
Melanie
Why is it so difficult for some people to accept that medical advances identify new diseases that probably existed for hundreds of years – they just have a name now. Voluntarily eating gluten free is a fad. Having celiac disease is not a fad. The next time you are diagnosed with cancer, be prepared for someone to say you are just jumping on the bandwagon.
Actully this is not a fad. Celiac is diagnosed by taking a biopsy of the small intestine and perfoming tissue pathology. The damage to the villi is very evidient in those with celiac. In addithion there are 4 genetic markers associated with celiac and gluten intolerance. This is a genetic condition and can skip generations. Celiac has most likely been under diagnosed or misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This disease can be deadly, my son almost starved to death with a gut full of food. The damage to his villi was so severe that we was not absorbing any nutrients at all. Since going gluten free he has been asymptomatic for almost seven years. This is not something to dismiss as "Just a fad".
Your ignorance and insensitivity are astounding. This is not a fad. It's a real disease that has been misdiagnosed for too long as too many other things...Crohn's, IBS, etc. and it's nice to finally get to the real cause of the issue. Just because you can ingest whatever you like without concern does not mean everyone else can. Hopefully you or someone you love does not develop a real health condition so karma can't bite you in the back side for this. Do unto others, jerk.
my wife has had Celiac disease since she was born 52 years ago. It is not an allergy!
Ok, this has got to be one of the stupidest comments I have seen on here ever. I don't know how long people have been on earth. I don't know how many people have celiac disease. But, use common sense. Through the years, there have been many things diagnosed as time progressed and the medical field learned to test for things. So, yes, people lived years ago who had celiac disease and suffered from it but because of the medical field at the time, there was not a name for it and they had to suffer. NOW we do know what it is, the tests can be done and the person does not have to suffer as much. Personally, I learned about this from my husband. His father had it. And then 2 months ago, I started showing signs of having it. I cut out all products with anything remotely related to gluten...to do a self test. I was ok for a few days, but my symptoms returned so I am pretty sure I do not have this disease. But during the time I was doing this self test, I found that one-if you go to a grocery store to purchase items without gluten in it, you have to allow several hours because very few products list on the front if there is gluten in it or not. So, you have to read labels. Second, I found that the food products that are specially produced for people with this has been priced at outrageous costs. Just to rule it out, I am awaiting the test results now to make sure I do not have this problem. And I am praying that I don't simply because I can't afford the cost of those items. You Scott, are a lucky person. But do not come on here and proclaim to know what other people out here who are truly experiencing a very real disease are feeling. You have no idea what it is like to get up in the morning and have to run to the bathroom all day and have the cramping and the vomiting. When you get a stomach bug...those that lasts a few days, compare that to at a low comparison of say 30% worse and then you might have an idea of what people with this disease suffer every single day.
thanks. I couldn't have said it better myself. Especially the cost. Gluten free son for almost 4 years now I am so broke.
You don't have to go broke to eat gluten free. Yes there are expensive gluten free breads and pastas and pizzas, but you don't need these types of foods to eat healthy. Brown rice is super cheap if you want carbs. Corn is super cheap. Eat more fresh veggies and fruit, which are naturally gluten free. In fact if you follow a paleo diet it's pretty easy to be gluten free. Skip the processed junk and sauces and you'll be fine without breaking the bank.
To do a self test, you really need to cut out all gluten and dairy, as the villi can't process dairy if they are damaged. Stick to the very basics and avoid even the foods from Amy's or anyone else that says "gluten free." Reason being is that gluten free certification allows a certain amount of gluten to remain. I don't remember what it is, but if you really want to be certain, avoid all that stuff too.
I hate to burst your bubble there, Scott, but a gluten free diet is not a "fad". Maybe it is for the rich, but for us folks struggling to get by, it's an expensive land full of foods that can and do hurt us. I suffer from gluten intolerance, and let me tell you, if I get into some gluten, it affects me seriously. It gave me asthma, for cripes sake. And serious GERD. Not to mention the horrible hand/muscle cramps/spasms that I have to deal with. And it affects my brain, makes me have a tough time remembering things, also gives me all kinds of weird feelings and no energy. It's horrible. And it costs about 6 bucks just to bake 1 loaf of bread. So ya, not a fad to those of us that suffer from it. It's harder than heck to eat gluten free, it's in everything just about.
It's not a fad. It's been a recognized disease for a good while, except here in the US. The numbers that they discuss in this article, about 1 in 133 individuals, is very close to the European numbers of about 1 ni 125 or 1 in 130. In Europe, they've treated it for a long time. The problem in the U.S. is the training to recognize it isn't there. I know several people who have celiac. One of them ends up doubled over in pain for days if she has a product with gluten in it. Another just because very sick for a day. Essentially what happens is the gluten protein messes up the scilia, which you can think of as tiny hairs or tenticles in the intestines that move things along (as well as do other jobs). If you've ever seen a smoker who is constantly hacking up junk from their lungs, you get a bit of an idea what is happening in the gut except the gut needs to keep moving as it is far more of a toxic environmnet than your lungs are.
Celiac is a real disorder, the article is actually poorly written. It can be tested for and in many cases is genetic. This isn't a low-carb craze, it's the U.S. finally treating something that existed anyways and that other countries have been treating for ages.
I think Celiac has been diagnosed in children for quite a long time but more recently identified in adults of various ages.
Cool story, bro.
I've been unhappily diagnosed with one of the worst cases of Sprue (Celiac's disease) on record and while I am glad that you are able to consume wheat, rye, and barley until you are satisfied, I have not been given such a genetic allowance. For twenty years, I suffered from intense pains that literally disappeared over night upon finally accepting the restrictions of the gluten free diet. You can say it was a psychosomatic response, but I was the last person who wanted to believe that bread – of all things – could actually be bad for.
A lot of the other problems I was suffering from like asthma, depression, and lactose intolerance have been greatly lessened by my being active in avoiding gluten. This is good science, it's a shame that doctors are more educated on it.
However, I do agree that the gluten-free diet as a means to lose weight as a fad and doesn't work. You lose a very tiny amount of weight, it's great if you want to drop five pounds; but it isn't great for losing large amounts of weight according to a lot of studies.
Scott your a fad. Go try to convince some other blog that you know what your talking about.
gluten-free is a FAD? how ignorant.
Next time some resturaunt messes up and gives my fiance the wrong meal and she accidentally eats gluten, I'll remember that its just a fad when I drive her home, stopping three times for her to vomit. I'll remember that its a fad when the gluten causes her to have more vomitting, diarrhea, and stomach pain for days. I'll remember its a fad when the gluten that she ingested tears up her intestines so much that she cant absorb nutrients properly for weeks, causing her to be physically and mentally weak.
Educate yourself, your ignorance is insulting.
It's not a FAD for 1% of people. It's a laughable FAD for everyone else that does not have this disease but chooses to follow this diet because "it makes them feel better".
I'm sorry your GF cant eat out/has issues at restaurants, but as far as separate fryers/equipment for restaurants is concerned, if that's their specialty more power to them, but if it imposed on restaurants to satisfy 1% of people and the bandwagon FAD dieters it's clearly not cost efficient AND ridiculous at the same time.
@Justsomedude The only reason I believe that people would voluntarily go on this diet is because you essentially can't eat fried foods/processed foods/at restaurants/sweets. Many GF substitutes for these foods are gross, so if you're doing it to lose weight, you'll probably cut all of that out of your diet and eat fruit, rice, veggies, etc.
Scott, you're an idiot. we can all shove food down our "pie holes" and think we're ok. You probably do it all the time, with no knowledge of what crap you're ingesting. You may go along just fine for years until your crummy diet catches up with you. The usage of wheat in a human's diet is a relatively new food in the history of human digestion. We are not meant ot eat wheat – as wheat is a grass and we're not built to eat grass. Wheat must be heavily processed before consumption. Ruminants are the only animals evolved to eat grass and they only appeared after grass evolved (grass has not always been with us). So the idea that the human race, in the few thousand years that we've been suffering with gluten, might have evolved to be able to consume grass (we know we can't – we can't digest it) is stupid in the extreme.
Now I am not saying that these conditions do not exist, because obviously some people do have them. However the "Fad" comment rings truer with people who do not have these disorders, but are simply latching onto the "Glutten Free" diet these days for lack of another popular diet. Doesn't anyone remember how bad Carbs were for us a few years ago? How many people still see "Carb-Free" menu items these days?
Not hundreds of thousands of years. About 10 to 25 thousand years. Evolutionary wise, that is the blink of an eye.
Did it ever occur to anyone that this has been around for as long as humans have been eating wheat but it hasn't been until now that we've recognized it for what it actually is: celiac disease? I wonder how many people died of food allergies but it was passed off as "the will of the god(s)" because people had no idea what an "allergy" was.
That is a horrible thing to say Scott. My two sons and I have Celiacs and it is not fad. Before being diagnosed, we didn't eat a bunch of junk or load up on carbs. We, as a family, have been focused on healthy eating for years BEFORE the diagnosis. We didn't create this disease in our minds or decide it would be fun to be in constant pain when we eat something with hidden gluten. How did my infant think this one up? He reacts violently to gluten and wheat and is fine when on a gluten free diet. You are blessed to be able to shove whatever you want down your "pie hole". Learn to be compassionate towards others instead of being nasty about something you know NOTHING about!
Scott, My daughter was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease after losing 35 pounds. She was down to 94 pounds and they were about to put a feeding tube in her because nobody could figure out why this was happening.
They discovered celiac disease after many internal tests were performed. She has cleared gluten from her diet and in 6 months gained the weight back and is now healthy again.
Please don't tell me it doesn't exist. If they hadn't looked for it. She would be dead today.
Try Google next time before you cram your foot down your throat along with everything else you eat. It's not a fad, not an allergy, not a joke.
A lot of people get Celiac confused with wheat allergy and even diverticulitis, but they are not the same.
Celiac can only be treated by going gluten free. Specifically the gluten precursor gliadin needs to be avoided, but because where ever you find gliadin you also find glutenin, which together form gluten, going gluten free is effective at avoiding gliadin.
Celiac is NOT an allergy.
I have Celiac Disease and i can say that it's not a fad. I love burgers, hot rolls, pasta and all those awesome things that make food taste better. Why would I deliberately give that up? Because I have to. Yeah I can enjoy these awesome foods for a while but later on in the day when I'm curled up in a ball because my stomach hurts so bad, it's not much fun. My mother and Uncle also have this and my grandmother died from it in 1976 when the disease wasn't much known about. I'd choose my words a bit differently, if I were you.
Oh thanks Scott for your expert advice. It is people like you who spout misinformation that make matters worse. Celiac disease is under diagnosed in this country. In Italy they test all school children for it because it is so prevelant. Believe it or not, not everyone can eat what you do, so shut your mouth and open your ears and learn about the world around you instead of being the pompous moron you are currently...
Scott, you are a sad uniformed person. Gluten intolerance and celiac disease is a known diagnosable condition. It has metabolic and physiological objective findings in labs and biopsy and even gross visual inspection of the intestines to prove it is a real condition. That doesn't even begin to touch upon the symptoms people who have this condition are faced with. Should you develop a heart attack or diabetes (also conditions with objective ways to analyze them, but sometimes vague presentations) I hope you don't meet the MD that thinks it is just a "fad".
We live in a fad fetshist society, that's true. Just because something becomes a fad, doesn't mean there isn't a basis in fact. I took gluten out of my diet, experienced more energy, less hunger, and spontaneously lost 20 pounds over 2 or 3 months. I wasn't exercising more nor did I make any other dietary change. My Doctor said I had at least a mild sensitivity to gluten.
Best way to test if you have a gluten intollerence – eat vegetables and meat for a month. If you feel better, you probably have an issue with gluten. No fads required to figure that out :)
This is in reply to all the non believers. Being diagnosed with Celiac disease has nothing to do with over eating. It is an actual condition where the body cannot digest the gluten in most grains. It does not matter how much or how little you eat, what does matter is what you eat. If you have Celiac disease – which is quite common for people of European descent – you get sick when eating gluten. So this is not a matter of being a glutton! I know of no one who willingly just gave up eating regular bread just to fit in with the "new fad": it is very hard and can be very expensive to eat gluten free. It is especially difficult for children and young adults. Gluten free means no pizza, no fast food, no junk food and no to most alcoholic beverages, and not to many personal care products that have wheat. So if anyone thinks that it's a fad to sit at a party staring at people as they eat and drink while holding onto a cup of water, well think again! Good luck to all who are gluten free and keep on educating the rest of the world about this common condition.
Celiac has been around for centuries. In Italy Kindergarten children are tested for it. In the US, we never RECOGNIZED we had it in our country because our medical centers weren't looking for it. Once it was on the radar, surprise, surprise, a lot of people discovered they have it. Having the chance to test through a blood test instead of only an endoscopy increases the diagnoses as well.
Scott, you must think diabetes is bunk too, with your line of thinking. Celiac is an auto-immune disease, as is diabetes. Look it up in the dictionary. Ignorance like your's just makes you sound foolish.
Scott, You have no clue what you're talking about. This ISN'T a FAD. You have NEVER BEEN covered with blisters over your body, due to wheat/gluten. I HAVE, it's not good, it's very painful and itchy. You haven't spent most of a day or night in the bathroom after getting gluten. People who have Celiac Disease or are allergic to gluten, or have Dermatitis Herpetiformis get severly sick, it can cause cancer in the intestines, so don't Your or anybody say the gluten free diet is a FAD, it's NOT! Guess you've been listening to Joy Behar. She has no clue!!!
"...hundreds of thousands of years"??? Where on earth do you get your information from? One more example of a dimwit w/a keyboard.
Wheat has changed a lot in the past 10,000 years. We are eating different types of wheat. We eat genetically modified wheat. It is not sprouted as would happen in the past, and it is rarely fermented since the introduction of baker's yeast. A lot more research needs to happen.
My wife has it. It talks about destroying the villi of the small intestine. It really is underdiagnosed because it depends on which villi are affected in the small intestines. You could be not getting a number of vitamins and minerals which manifest itself with a large variety of symptoms. If you are iron deficient, it could be something elsewhere, but it could also be that you body doesn't absorb the iron in the small intestines from the foods you eat. If you are deficient in something and you are taking large quantities of foods which have it and STILL are deficient, it could be related to gluten. Doctors recognize celiac, but that is only a sliver of the portion of people actually affected by gluten and then they only check for the "typical" symptoms of celiac. They will OFTEN dismiss the notion that gluten could be the cause as they have little or NO training in medical school on nutrition. Other items that can have gluten include chicken which has fluid injected into it, certain medicines can even have gluten. It is used as a thickening agent in so many things. The good news is that it is now a requirement to include if a product contains gluten. You also need to learn the many names it goes by as sometimes it is not called just "gluten" although the "contains gluten" should be there too. Some people say, its not very much so it can't hurt you, but that is NOT true. Even a little bit of gluten can have a dramatic effect like feeling tired and just not right. You truly have to avoid it to not feel the effects and it usually takes 2 days to recover. It has been linked to many things like autism (agravates it) and seizures (causes). People who get off gluten have fewer seizures and feel better in general.
And, there are not a lot of dedicated celiac specialists in the US. A gastroenterologist can treat it, but a patient really needs a celiac specialist to diagnose properly and treat the conditions that cause a person to feel so poorly.
If this is true, that is very scary.
Celiac can also be diagnosed with a blood test, by the presence of certain antibodies...that's how my doctor monitors mine, not just by what makes me sick.
Even things that don't have the wheat in them may contain gluten. Pure corn flours, oats, and other non-gluten grains that have been processed in mills that were used to mill wheat can contain enough traces of gluten to harm a coeliac.
Very true Tina. Cross contamination is a HUGE issue. Restaurants need a dedicated fryer to fix gluten free foods.
You all might make more enlightened responses if you knew what you were talking about.
ALL GRAINS contain gluten – not just wheat. So it's not necessarily "contamination" that causes the gluten to be there.
Not all gluten sets off Celiac's symptoms.
The level of ignorance in most people that comment on here never ceases to amaze me.
It's not all grains, it's wheat, rye, barley, and due to cross contamination issues, oats. Corn, rice and other glutens are different molecules, and don't cause the reaction.
Let's not try to muddy the waters, there is way to much misinformation on this subject.
Also there is different standards. Celiac organizations in the US have a zero tolerance policy, European organizations have a maximum allowable gluten standard. This leads to differences in what is recommended as safe. Most vodka is made from wheat, but since it is distilled, there is no gluten in the final product. Safe in Europe, not safe in the US. Same with white vinegar.
Really?
You yourself seem to have a very limited understanding of gluten. Additionally, "gluten" has clearly been co-opted, for better or worse, by the media to refer to the glutenous compounds in wheat (and others) that contain gliadin and other proteins that affect celiac sufferers.
Restaurants should have a separate gluten-free fryer for the 1 in 133 that have celiac? Really? I understand celiac is a terrible condition to have, but requiring restaurants to keep a second supply of equipment for less than 1% of the population is just a wee bit silly. Maybe they should keep a third set of equipment for those allergic to peanuts, and fourth set for those allergic to shellfish, and a fifth set of equipment for those who are allergic to eggs, a sixth for those who are lactose intolerant, a seventh for those who are vegan, an eight for those who just "don't like the smell of meat." The point: yeah, it sucks having a condition like any of the above, but be realistic in your expectations of what others need to do to watch out for them.
Gluten is actually a composite protein formed from gliadin and glutenin . It is NOT found in corn. . Corn lacks gliadin. Natural glutens can be found in some grasses, but by processing and mixing ground wehat with water, the gluten levels can be dramatically increased because the gliadin and glutenin bind together and form more gluten. This is what you are NOT supposed to over mix pancake batter - it forms too many glutens and becomes doughy.
Really? If you had it, you wouldn't think this way. You clearly don't know what you are talking about.
What Tom J wrote is correct.
The CNN article is not well-researched and so I feel compelled to clarify. Some facts:
- The CNN article confuses corn gluten with wheat and wheat-relative gluten. Corn gluten DOES NOT cause the same immune response in humans due to specific proteins.
- All grains DO NOT contain wheat and wheat-relative gluten, which is the key culprit in immune responses suffered by Celiac and gluten-sensitive people.
- Grains that DO NOT contain gluten include (but are not limited to) Teff, Rice, Oats, Maize, to name a few. Pseudocereals that do not include gluten include Quinoa, Amaranth, Millet. Others include Tapioca, Buckwheat
- Cross-contamination IS an important issue. True Celiacs should only consume foods and ingredients made in dedicated gluten free facilities.
- Some ingredients that sit on the fence, such as Oats, are certified gluten free by conscientious suppliers only after successfully passing enzyme assay tests, on a lot-per-lot basis.
Really? You are obviously the one with the misinformation. Please stop talking about things that you have no idea about. If you had the gumption to put your name down, you would be embarrassing yourself.
Food Scientist, you have it pretty well nailed.
Okay, you've all convinced me to stop eating and drinking everything so if I die it's your fault and I hope you can't live with it. Gluten isn't nearly the problem that gluttony is.
If a restaurant touts part of their menu as being gluten free, then they darn well better have ways to eliminate cross contamination. If they don't specify things as gluten free, if your waiter/waitress has to check, that's your gamble, just like any other allergy sufferer. A restaurant is a private business and they don't have to cater to everyone.
I know a few restaurants in Portland that do have a separate gluten free menu. Any celiacs that don't already know it, Deschutes Brewery does. They always have a gluten free beer on tap and have gluten free bread. I have 3 celiac friends, and they enjoy being able to go to a pub, eat a burger and drink a beer without worry.
Really? You are "really" naive. Of course ALL restaurants should not be REQUIRED to have separate cooking surfaces to eliminate the possibility of food allergens. That would be absurd and impracticable. A restaurant should be honest and say that they are unable to accomodate a GF diner and they will simply go elsewhere. GF practices in kitchens would only make for cleaner, more hygienic kitchens anyway, so I balk at your animosity towards it. You must be a sous chef that doesn't wash his hands after using the bathroom or something like that. Restaurants that advertise "gluten free" should adhere to strict practices and those that do will get my business. Restaurants realize that it is not only the gluten free diner that goes out to eat, but everyone that accompanies that GF diner. It is almost always the GF diner's exclusive choice where to dine. Restaurants are wise to cater to those diners and restaurants like PF Chang's are really spearheading this movement. GF kitchens do not affect non-GF diners, so quit your animosity and become informed.
speaking as a physician, and as someone with a family member with Celiac disease,
it is really disturbing to see someone like "Really?" making comments about something that they
have no understanding of, and clearly, no respect for people who suffer from it.
-this is an important disease which is only now becoming more recognized and diagnosed, and thankfully
being paid more attention to.
Food Scientist – you are correct, but I would add something:
My husband has Celiac's, and we are extremely careful with the food he eats so he avoids gluten. We were surprised then, when he had some fresh corn, that he had a gluten reaction. We checked everything to make sure there was no cross contamination, so we had no idea how this happened. The second time we KNEW there was no cross contamination, it was the exact same corn and he STILL had a reaction. When we spoke to his doctor about it and he told us he had been hearing about this from other people. In his opinion (there are no studies nor proof) it seemed to him that every time someone complained of having a gluten reaction to corn, further questioning had found the corn in question had been genetically modified. We went back to the farmer we bought the corn from, and he confirmed that his corn was indeed genetically modified. We switched to organic corn and my husband ceased to have problems.
I can't say I know what is going on with that.... like I said.. no studies are allowed apparently. Perhaps the genetically modified corn now has some kind of gluten in it??
Tina:
I couldn't agree more. Celiacs have to read every word on every label. I started a bakery last year, Screamin' Good, here in SC (www.screamingood.com). A giant worry is cross contamination. My bakery is 100% gluten free, with no open gluten packages allowed any where near it. I grind my own nuts, make my own brown sugar, even my peanut butter I make from raw peanuts, roast and grind them too. I couldn't be more careful. My inspiration was my autistic son, Marc, who hated every GF product from the stores I bought him after he was diagnosed a few years ago with Celiac. I embarked on my quest from a love of baking, and I know my products are special, because he hoards them under his bed! I invite you to take a look and see if any of them might make you happy. They are really delicious. And I have every Celiac's best interest in mind when I bake. Life really changes when you figure out what you have, and stop the gluten. Marc gained weight from his emaciated body (he couldn't digest food, and we didn't know why,) and even reversed his gum disease! Thank goodness for the doctors who care!
Rise Myers
Wow, what a lovely story; I've been buying products at Screamingood since last Christmas when I received a box as a gift from my good friend, who knew my son had Celiac disease & Diabetes. I never knew the story as to how you got started. My son will no longer eat any gluten free products except for yours. I tasted so many gluten free products, which always had a cardboard taste. Your products are the real deal. Our favorites are the chocolate brownies and chocolate crinkles. Your ingredients are all natural and lower in sugar, which goes well with controlling his blood sugars...and they just taste so darned good you can't stop eating them. Please keep making them....
I have this and was diagnosed back in 1998. It is very true that it appears in things you wouldn't think of. I can't even take One A Day Gummy vitamins because they contain Wheat. I have also found yeast, yes yeast, in vitamins before. You have to be very careful and look at the ingredients of EVERYTHING. I'm so sensitive that if you took a hamburger and put a piece of bread on it but quickly took it off...the damage is done. The crumbs would have a reaction on me.
I was diagnosed to having Celiac Disease due to Dermatitis Herpetiformis, skin version of Celiac Diseases in 2001. I only will eat at one restaurant in Jefferson City, MO, due to Longhorns has a GF menu. I easily get sick if I get any gluten in me. They are very careful on how the food is cooked, otherwise, I'm leery of going to just any restaurant. I agree with several, it's not easy having to be Gluten free, but it's better to remain gluten free. Actually, it's not as difficult for me as it was ten years ago. It's nice to see even the local Wal-Mart in my area starting to carry more gluten free items, as well as the Gluten free Chex cereal, as well as a few of the Gluten free Betty Crocker cake and cookie mix. Cross contamination can be a big issue for me due to the household isn't 100% gluten free.
"Really" sounds like a troll, just ignore them. Restaurants are not required to cater to those with Celiac disease. But I agree, if there is a gluten free section on the menu, safe practice guidelines should be set up in the kitchen. This includes not frying foods in the same fryer.
Corn gluten does cause damage to those with celiac disease. There have been about a dozen research studies documenting this. You can visit the following links to draw your own conclusions:
http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-free-society-blog/corn-antibodies-in-celiac-crohns-and-ulcerative-colitis/
http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-free-society-blog/celiac-patients-react-to-gluten-free-bread/
http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-free-society-blog/corn-gluten-damages-celiac-patients/
All the best,
Dr. Osborne
As a trained immunologist and an individual with dermatitis herpetiformis (a.k.a. celiac disease with skin manifestation) I'm afraid I have to take issue with each the references listed by Dr. Osborne.
The first is a paper that is over 30 years old, and a number of improved immunologic techniques and stringency standards have been introduced since that time.
The second paper references the addition of microbial transglutaminase (mTG, a bacterial orthologue of tissue transglutaminase – a major target of IgA in celiacs) to wheat-free or gluten-free bread doughs, and the subsequent increase in IgA responses in 2 out of 9 celiac patients tested. Not all gluten-free breads, bread mixes, or even the flours used to make corn-based pastas are treated with mTG – as with everything else, it is incumbent on the individual to read labels, call manufacturers, do a little research, etc.
The third paper is rather bizarre in that it discusses the inflammatory responses to rectal wheat gluten or rectal corn gluten (presumably the corn-specific prolamin known as zein) challenge. An increase in inflammatory markers (myeloperoxidase and nitric oxide) was observed in 6 of 13 celiac patients, although the authors correctly point out that the magnitude of the response was far less than that elicited after wheat gluten challenge. The rectal challenge route however is truly an unusual one, and anal and perianal tissues often have an increased basal level of inflammation in individuals with active celiac disease.
None of this is to say that I'm entirely dismissive of the notion of corn-sensitivity in celiac patients. The phenomenon of epitope spreading (development of antibody responses to related proteins and protein domains) is one that is well known in the immunology community, and should be acknowledged as a legitimate and testable hypothesis. Interestingly enough, the question of sensitivity to genetically modified (GM) corn (raised above) is one that has not been well-researched as yet. The single citation that I was able to find (based on a cursory review of the medical literature) indicates that the transgene used to create GM corn may actually survive digestion in individuals with celiac disease or GERD (particularly those treated with acid control meidcations).
All in all it's a very interesting field – albeit one about which our understanding is still in its infancy.
@Dr Zen- Thanks so much for bringing up the mTG. I have been attempting to tell others about this problem and few believe it. I actually read a book that cites this ingredient as something toxic but is used as a treatment and therefore does not need to be listed on the ingredients list. I have also contacted a certain popular GF product manufacturer and asked what they used to treat the dough and/or what enzymes (they list enzymes on the label but do not name them) are being used. I was met with complete silence. I m glad that I am glad to see a medical doctor talking about this problem. I just wish there were better regulations placed upon companies that claim to sell products that are gluten free.