Tag Archives: celiac disease

Universities Must Accommodate for Food Allergies

Parents of teens who have celiac disease, and who will be heading to college this year, may have concerns about what will be served in the school cafeteria. You may not be aware of it, but the Department of Justice announced in December that universities must make meal plans that are inclusive of students will food allergies. Last year, I wrote a blog about something that will make parents of young adults with celiac disease, or a gluten allergy, rest a little easier. Some universities were starting to make accommodations for students who had celiac disease, or a gluten allergy … Continue reading →

A Pill for Celiac Disease?

It appears that some researchers are working on a pill for celiac disease. The idea is that, someday, this medication would help adults and children who have celiac disease to tolerate foods that contain gluten. Could this really work, or is it “too good to be true”? Before you get too excited, please realize that this amazing sounding pill is not yet on the market. It is currently being worked on by two different groups of researchers. You cannot, at the time I am writing this blog, go to your child’s doctor and request the pill for celiac disease. One … Continue reading →

September 13 is National Celiac Awareness Day

Did you know that National Celiac Awareness Day is September 13? There are many ways that you can celebrate Celiac Awareness Day with the members of your family who must stay gluten-free. The date was selected to honor the birthday of Samuel Gee MD, a British physician and pediatrician who published the first clinical description of celiac disease, and to connect the disease with diet. Celiac disease affects about 1% of the population. It is a genetic condition that causes the body to be unable to tolerate gluten. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, barley, all … Continue reading →

Colic May Lead to Future Disease

Researchers are studying colic in babies, the one gastrointestinal condition that can stump even the experts. They have some interesting news about it, including identification of a bacterium that may be causing the condition, as well as a link between colic in babies and the later development of gastrointestinal disease into adulthood. Colic is characterized by inconsolable crying in an otherwise healthy baby. It has long been thought that some form of gastrointestinal discomfort is to blame. Colic can be dangerous not directly but because it can lead to frustration in parents, post partum depression and even harm to the … Continue reading →

Wheat Allergy vs. Gluten Allergy

I sometimes use the two terms interchangeably when explaining it: “My roommate has a gluten allergy — he’s allergic to wheat.” But the two really aren’t the same thing. If you have a gluten allergy (also known as celiac disease), the cause of the problem is a mixture of protein fragments in wheat and other common cereal grains like rye, oats, and barley. Different kinds of wheat, like semolina and spelt, are all unsafe. If gluten is your problem, you’ll have to eat other grains, like corn, rice, millet, sorghum, and quinoa. If you have a wheat allergy, the cause … Continue reading →

Could You Be Suffering From Celiac Disease And Not Know It?

Did you know that October is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month? Studies show that an estimated 1 out of 100 Americans suffers from the disease and many don’t even know it. I first learned about the disease from Aimee’s blog earlier this year and just a couple of weeks ago I met a woman who shared a startling celiac disease-related story with me. She said her doctor believes her recent miscarriage may have been caused by undiagnosed celiac disease. Isn’t that frightening? For those of you who are unfamiliar with the disease, celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages … Continue reading →

What Is Celiac Disease?

A relatively recent acquaintance of mine took me out to lunch, and was very excited to see that we were near a P.F. Chang’s restaurant — because they offer a gluten free menu. My friend has celiac disease, also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy, celiac sprue, or simply wheat allergy. The real culprit isn’t wheat but the gluten — proteins found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. Celiac disease is actually an immune system disorder; when a person with celiac eats foods with glutens, the glutens cause damage to the lining of the small intestines. This damage makes it hard … Continue reading →