The gluten-free market is exploding with an annual growth rate of over 25% over the last eight plus years with no end in sight. Recent mainstream articles have questioned the benefits of a gluten-free diet stating that there is absolutely no proven benefit to avoiding gluten except for cases of diagnosed celiac disease and have gone as far as labeling the gluten-free diet as a fad.
Based on the scientific literature it seems likely that there are individuals who can benefit from a gluten-free diet beyond the clinical cases that meet a celiac diagnosis.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease often confused with food allergies. In celiac disease eating foods containing wheat, barley, rye and other common grains sets off an immune response that can cause damage to the small intestine. The treatment for celiac disease is strict adherence to a gluten-free diet. An estimated 3 million Americans or roughly 1% of the population have celiac disease although 97% of the people who have celiac disease do not know that they have it according to the University of Chicago, Celiac Disease Program. A recent study by Alberto Rubio-Tapia et al (Gasteroenterology 2009) indicates that during 45 years of follow-up, undiagnosed celiac disease was associated with a nearly 4-fold increased risk of death and the prevalence of undiagnosed celiac disease seems to have increased dramatically in the U.S in the same time frame.
A. Vojdani, et al, states in a paper published in 2008: "Gluten sensitivity, celiac disease (CD) and gluten-sensitive enteropathy are terms that have been used synonymously to refer to a disease process affecting the small bowel and characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms and malabsorption. However since 1966 scientific evidence has been accumulated demonstrating that gluten sensitivity can exist even in the absence of enteropathy." Vojdani's paper indicates that other organs well beyond the gastrointestinal system can be affected by gluten sensitivity including joints, the heart, thyroid, bone, brain cerebellum and the neuronal synapsins, which are involved in the regulation of the neurotransmitter release. Additionally he points out that gluten sensitivity has been associated with the following neurological disorders: cerebellar ataxia, epilepsy, myoclonic ataxia, chronic neuropathies and dementia. Ataxia is defective muscular coordination especially that are manifested when voluntary muscular movements are attempted. He also suggests that the variability of neurologic disorders that occur in gluten sensitivity is broader than previously reported and includes "softer" and more common neurologic disorders such as chronic headache, developmental delay (autism), hypotonia, and learning disorders or ADHD.
Lundy first learned of the comprehensive medical research on gluten and the impact of gluten on human health seven years ago from a retired Registered Nurse, who also happens to be a cloistered nun. Lundy became friends with Sister Mary Theresa, who also coincidently has celiac disease, when she learned of the nun's need for gluten-free shopping. Cloistered nuns, as a rule, do not leave the convent except on special dispensation and grocery shopping does not fit the standard exceptions for leaving the convent. Unfortunately, Lundy did not save the research studies given to her by Sister Mary Theresa, so she had to create a new list of studies - something that she did with the help of Laurette Janak, a researcher who has presented at Autism One Conferences. "It is important that consumers understand that there are published medical studies about the benefits of a gluten-free diet outside of a clinical celiac diagnosis" said Lundy who believes educated consumers are more likely to get the best medical care. "Consumers should get tested for celiac disease before starting a gluten-free diet," she added.
As the author of The Super Allergy Girl™ Allergy & Celiac Cookbook, a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, peanut free, tree nut free and other allergen free resource filled with helpful information and over 225 recipes, Lundy knows that gluten-free foods can taste just as good as gluten foods. Her website is rich in content all designed to help consumers with free white papers, tip sheets, recipes, videos and a Blog. Her book is available at www.TheSuperAllergyCookbook.com.
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