American Celiac Society americanceliacsociety.org Gluten Intolerance Group gluten.net Celiac Disease Foundation celiac.org Celiac Spruce Association csaceliacs.org American Dietetic Association eatright.org
Whole Foods Market wholefoodsmarket.com Stop and Shop stopandshop.com Peapod peapod.com Trader Joes traderjoes.com The Gluten Free Mall glutenfreemall.com Vita Cost vitacost.com Glutino glutino.com Udi’s udi.com Schar schar.com
Books of Interest Related to Celiac and Wheat Intolerance: Wheat Belly By William Davis
Gluten Free Girl By Shauna James Ahern
Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers Hardcover David Perlmutter (Author), Kristin Loberg (Contributor)
Terminology
Celiac disease: Celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune disease of the small intestine. The disease is triggered by the ingestion of gluten, the protein component of wheat, rye and barley. Exposure to gluten results in a variable degree of intestinal damage.
Gluten: Gluten is the common name for the proteins in specific grains that are harmful to persons with celiac disease and gluten-related disorders. These proteins are found in ALL forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro) and related grains rye, barley and triticale.
Asymptomatic celiac disease:. Individuals with asymptomatic celiac disease do not manifest any symptoms commonly associated with celiac disease and have no symptoms that respond to gluten withdrawal. These patients often suffer from decreased quality of life.
At risk family members: Family members of patients with celiac disease that test positive for HLA DQ2 and/or DQ8 are genetically at risk of celiac disease.
Blood tests for celiac disease (serology):Blood tests for celiac disease are used to determine whether at risk individuals have elevated levels of certain autoantibodies—proteins that react against the body's own cells or tissues—in their blood. The initial tests will screen for the presence of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTGA) or anti-endomysium antibodies (EMA). The results of these tests will determine whether additional testing is necessary. In most cases these tests are followed up with a procedure performed by a gastroenterologist called an endoscopy. This procedure is performed to determine the damage of the lining of the small intestine. Samples of tissues are taken of the intestine (a biopsy) for pathologist to study.
Endoscope: An endoscope is a thin flexible tube with a fiberoptic light source and a tiny video camera on the tip. Gastroenterologist use the tools on the end of the scope to take small pieces of tissue for biopsy samples, the doctor can also capture specific screen shots (still photos) of questionable areas. These images are displayed on a computer monitor during the procedure.
Oats are naturally gluten free. Unfortunately oats are grown on fields and processed in the same plants that manufacture wheat, barley or rye causing cross-contamination. Current research strongly suggests that the majority of patients with celiac disease can tolerate oats in their pure, uncontaminated form. A very small percentage of individuals with celiac disease do react to pure, uncontaminated oats. Although the cause for this reaction is not completely understood, some literature suggests that a protein in oats can trigger a response similar to gluten.
Individuals who would like to add oats to their diet should do so under the guidance of their dietitian or physician. It is recommended that you only eat the equivalent of one-half cup of gluten free rolled oats per day and you should only eat products containing oats that are gluten free. These products should be clearly labeled gluten-free. If you develop new symptoms after adding oats to your diet, please speak with your dietitian or physician.