Gluten-Related Stories ThatYou Might Have Missed

Welcome to the increasing number of new visitors to this site! Many of you are looking for gluten-related information, and early posts I wrote a few months ago tend to get missed by newcomers.

So, here is a rundown of gluten-related stories you might have missed:

The Gluten-Free Diet –
A Recipe for Unhealthy Weight Gain?

The vast majority of people who go on the gluten-free diet as it’s conventionally prescribed gain weight – and nearly one-third who are normal weight become overweight. So says a study in the October 2006 American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Gluten and Wheat Sensitivity Increasingly
Recognized as Common Health Problems

In the course of researching various topics in New Zealand in preparation for my upcoming presentations to the integrative medicine association there, I saw that Dr. Rodney Ford of Christchurch, New Zealand – known as Dr. Gluten – has some interesting news about gluten sensitivity on his website: Fasano says yes to gluten sensitivity.

Gluten sensitivity has long been ignored by many doctors and researchers, so this is very big news! The full abstract about gluten sensitivity about which Dr. Alessio Fasano spoke is posted here.

The Growing Gluten-Free Movement

The gluten-free movement is growing exponentially. Consider this: Two years ago about 40 people attended the Southern Arizona Gluten-Free Faire. Last year 200 to 250 people attended — that took me and the Southern Arizona Celiac Sprue chapter by surprise! This year the Southern Arizona Celiac Support Group planned for higher attendance, rented a gymnasium to hold the Faire, and more then 650 people attended!

Like Humans, Rhesus Monkeys React to Gluten
and Respond to a Gluten-Free Diet

Humans aren’t alone in being sensitive to gluten and having symptoms including diarrhea, bloating, fatigue, depression and skin rashes and blistering. Rhesus macaques, a type of monkey, develop gluten sensitivity and these same gluten-related symptoms. They also recover when put on a gluten-free diet.

Gluten Stimulates Immune Response
in People Without Celiac Disease

A component of wheat gluten stimulates an innate immune system response in people with or without celiac disease, says a report in the British medical journal Gut.

© Copyright 2008 Melissa Diane Smith