Gluten intolerance is a fairly common concern. It's characterized by adverse reactions to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. There are several potential causes of gluten intolerance, including celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergy
What percentage of the population has gluten intolerance?
According to Dr. Fasano, gluten sensitivity potentially affects far more people than celiac disease. He estimates about 6% to 7% of the U.S. population may be gluten-sensitive, meaning some 20 million people in the United States alone could have the condition.
What percentage of the population has gluten intolerance?
According to Dr. Fasano, gluten sensitivity potentially affects far more people than celiac disease. He estimates about 6% to 7% of the U.S. population may be gluten-sensitive, meaning some 20 million people in the United States alone could have the condition.
A while back I read an article in MacLean’s magazine (Sept 2013, written by Cathy Gulli) that displeased me and I’m finally getting around to writing about it. It seems this gluten-free movement that’s been happening in North America has some authorities quite upset. What exactly is that movement? Well it seems that 27% of North Americans are adopting a gluten-free lifestyle for better “digestive and overall health”. Some go gluten-free because they think it will help them lose weight, some feel they will be better off nutritionally, and others feel that it will help their cognitive abilities or concentration. Gluten Free Train
Apparently even the author of the popular book Wheat Belly, William Davis, is quite surprised and frustrated at the direction it has taken. You may notice that there are more and more gluten-free foods available in the grocery stores these days, particularly in the baking, pastry and bakery sections of your local grocery store. Many of those who shop for these foods have taken themselves off gluten containing foods and it’s really irking some health professionals from the B.C. medical association. They state that there is no need for such a drastic change. The commercial gluten-free bread making industry has taken this mission so seriously that many are participating in the Canadian Celiac Association’s Gluten-Free Certification program. This is a third party program that ensures quality and purity in gluten free baked goods.
Getting Tested
It’s called the cytotoxic or food sensitivity test, and there are a few labs in Canada that do this. With this test, a patient’s finger is pricked to extract a small amount of blood on some sterile tissue. The blood is then sent to a lab where the patient’s blood cells are extracted and tested against many different foods, food additives, chemicals, etc.
Most Common Signs of Gluten Intolerance
Bloating
Diarrhea and constipation
Stomach pain
Headaches
Fatigue
Depression and anxiety
Pain
Brain fog
Bringing people together to reduce food loss and waste
I found this very helpful videos on youtube which explains the difference between a food allergy and sensitivity. Please go here for these two video.
Coming from someone whose child is gluten sensitive and whose brother was seriously sick all his life and passed away because of undiagnosed celiac disease, I feel we can’t be too vigilant about food intolerances, sensitivities or allergies.
What about you? How do you feel about food sensitivities? Have you had any and how have you dealt with them? I’d love to hear from you!