May is Celiac awareness month! I was procrastinating, but looks like that’s a good thing!
First, the most exciting…hot off the presses! The Celiac Safety Act was introduced to Congress on the 28th of May. TL;DR:
The Celiac Safety Act will protect individuals with Celiac Disease by:
- Requiring any product containing wheat, barley, or rye to list “gluten-containing grains” as a major allergen.
- Provide an 18-month implementation window for the FDA and manufacturers.
Note: this has been proposed to Congress, not yet passed. It needs more sponsors, but it’s a solid step in the right direction. If you have contacts, you know what to do!
New paper on the prevalence of SIBO in Celiac. it’s common (17.6%) associated with Celiac disease activity, and is correlated with methane. Even more interestingly, people with refractory Celiac were more likely to have SIBO (36.8%).
Racial and Ethnic differences in presentation of Celiac in the US—now, this is interesting, because often health care professionals have an idea of what Celiac looks like, and who has it. We tend to think of malaise and fatigue, and indeed, those are listed as among the most common in white and Asian patients. But nausea and vomiting are listed as the most common symptoms among Black and Hispanic patients, which isn’t something that would make me tend to think of Celiac.
Dose to trigger a reaction could be smaller than we think? A new study suggests that some cytokines (inflammatory markers) are released at small doses—maybe even as little as 5ppm. For context, the current standard is less than 20ppm, although most products test lower. Problem is, we don’t know how that translates in real life, so more studies are needed.
Updated lists of gluten-free bars: I know this says 2016 because that’s when one of the newsletters was published, but I just updated this list of gluten-free bars. Yes, of course, I’m a fan of making your own food and meals when possible; however, bars are incredibly helpful for travel and times when you’re traveling, on the go, and for emergencies.
Speaking of travel and on-the-go, wishing you all a wonderful summertime ahead.
Cheryl Harris, MPH, RD is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Wellcoach working with clients in VA, DC & MD. She helps people with a range of digestive problems, including Celiac, IBS, Crohn’s, UC, gastroparesis, EDS, POTS, MCAS & more. Let’s get you on your way to achieving your goals and feeling great! Email or call 571-271-8742.