Are Celiacs at a higher risk for Coronary Artery Disease?

It's not easy living with Celiac Disease. We have to go through our ingredients with a fine toothed comb, and be mindful of what soaps we use, what makeup we put on, and even what toothpastes we use.

Along with the many life changes we make post-diagnosis, we also have to deal with the other illnesses we are at high risk for; Coronary Artery Disease being one of them.

Those of us with Celiac Disease are twice as likely to develop Coronary Artery Disease than the general population, this according to R.D. Gajulapalli M.D.

Gajulapalli said this about the discovery:
“People with celiac disease have some persistent low-grade inflammation in the gut that can spill immune mediators into the bloodstream, which can then accelerate the process of atherosclerosis and, in turn, coronary artery disease. Our findings reinforce the idea that chronic inflammation, whether it’s from an infection or a disease, can have an adverse role in coronary artery disease and heart health in general.”

Researchers studied medical records of patients from more than a dozen hospitals. Over 24,000 of these patients were diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Compared to the control group, Celiacs had a higher prevalence of Coronary Artery Disease.

Gajulapalli said this in his conclusion:
“This is an important study because it highlights a specific patient population who might be at higher risk for coronary artery disease, even in the absence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. We were surprised by the strength of the association, especially in younger people. Patients and doctors should be aware of this association. Whether patients with celiac disease will need more intense risk factor modification like in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease will need to be studied.”

My thoughts:

I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling overwhelmed by these findings. We Celiacs have enough on our plate to deal with. Unfortunately, this is a reality that we need to face head-on.
I hope all my fellow Celiacs will join me in bringing up this study to our doctors. I see mine next month (both my PCP and my GI doctor). I'm going to print this out for both of them to read. This specific matter of the heart should not be ignored. Our risk is two-fold.

To find out more about Coronary Artery Disease, click here.

Republican Ted Cruz vows ban on gluten-free meals to Celiac sufferers in the military.

If elected president, GOP candidate Ted Cruz will not provide gluten-free options to members of the military that suffer from Celiac Disease or wheat/gluten allergies. Cruz made this decision because he feels anything related to gluten-free food propagates political correctness.

Here's what he said:
“That’s why the last thing any commander should need to worry about is the grades he is getting from some plush-bottomed Pentagon bureaucrat for political correctness or social experiments—or providing gluten-free MREs (meal, ready-to-eat).

My Two Cents:

My head is seriously spinning right now. As a Celiac (diagnosed in 2011), I am nothing short of angry and hurt that a human being would deny a Celiac food that is needed for survival. Those of us with Celiac Disease can tell you that this is no fad. We have a legitimate illness, and if we eat ANYTHING containing gluten, we get very sick. Some Celiacs have even died (RIP Joe C.) from Celiac Disease.

Our brothers and sisters with Celiac Disease that are in the military deserve respect. They are fighting for your a**, Mr. Cruz. I hope to God you are never elected President. You are a disgrace. I hope you never have to watch a family member die from this illness.
I've written many times before about this, but, my grandmother (1926-2007) had Celiac Disease. It nearly killed her. She was bedridden because of the disease. It was heartbreaking to watch her suffer during a time when there was no gluten-free food available. She used to be a healthy and vibrant woman. When I was a young kid, we would run in the fields and climb trees. After she got sick, she never left her bed.

If you have any respect for our military, you will respect the dietary needs of not only Celiac sufferers, but those with gluten/wheat allergies, other food allergies, those who require kosher meals, and those who are vegetarian/vegan/lactose intolerant. They are fighting for your life.

I could not find the exact number of Celiacs in the military. As of 2008, there were at least half a dozen. I'm pretty sure that it is scores more now.

I don't like getting political on this specific blog (I save everything for Blurbal Vomit), but, as Celiacs, we cannot back politicians who don't have our backs. We are in an election year, and we need to elect a president that won't cause us, or our fellow Americans, any harm. Please do not vote for Ted Cruz.

Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate is now gluten free!

Many of us in the Celiac community have mixed emotions about the popularity of the gluten free diet to non-Celiacs. The one truth that we cannot deny is that we have a ton of food available to us because of how popular gluten free food has become. However, not all new gluten free food has been easy on our GI tract (*cough* Cheerios *cough*), but we have had some marvelous additions to our pantries.
The latest addition is one that will garner some mixed reviews as well: Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate.
According to Post, they run the product through rigorous testing to ensure that the cereal tests at 10ppm, or lower. Once cereal has been processed, they are sampled and held until test results come in.

Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate (Gluten Free) is available nationwide.

My thoughts:

After last year's Cheerios incident, I do experience mixed emotions whenever a new product comes out and is labeled 'gluten free.' We Celiacs need to be very careful with these products. We do not want to put ourselves in danger of complications (and we all know what those complications are, and how scary they are).
My advice is, don't try anything that isn't backed by the Celiac Disease Foundation.

Those of you who suffer from gluten intolerance or wheat allergies, I don't see this cereal being a problem for you. I do suggest that you exercise some level of caution, just in case you do have an allergic reaction.

Gluten Free Lucky Charms cereal is now available!

Are you the parent of a gluten free kid? Are you a 'kid at heart' and gluten free? Well, I have some news for you: gluten free Lucky Charms are in stores everywhere!

Last year, General Mills released news that they were in the process of making Lucky Charms gluten free. They were going to create the cereal using oat flour, the same kind of oat flour that is being used for gluten free Cheerios*.
Lucky Charms will have the same great taste as regular Lucky Charms, minus the gluten and wheat.

My Two Cents:

I was very excited about this cereal when I heard about it going gluten free. *However, when I found out that General Mills is using the same oat flour as the gluten free version of Cheerios, I became a little apprehensive. Last year, this Celiac became ill from eating the gf Cheerios. Now I worry it might happen again with the Lucky Charms.
Celiac friends, unless this cereal gets the Celiac Disease Foundation seal of approval on it, I wouldn't trust it.
If you suffer from an intolerance, or are gluten free for other reasons, I will recommend this cereal to you.

Celiac friends: Will you be trying this cereal? Have you already tried it? Any reactions?

Photo credit: General Mills

Can dogs suffer from gluten intolerance?

For the past couple of years, the topic of gluten has come up quite a bit in this country. With the increased understanding of Celiac Disease, more people are being diagnosed now than ever before. Gluten Intolerance has also increased in this country.
With all this talk about humans with Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance, is it possible for our pets to have Gluten Intolerance or Celiac Disease?

While Celiac Disease has not been found to affect dogs, a very tiny percentage of dogs may exhibit symptoms of Gluten Intolerance.

For the most part, dogs can tolerate food containing gluten. For dogs that cannot, they may develop inflammation in their small intestine whenever they eat food containing gluten. 
Symptoms to look out for:

Persistent diarrhea

Weight loss

Poor hair coat

Lack of body conditioning

Failure to thrive

When dogs have this condition, they may have a delayed reaction tot he ingested gluten. Like in humans, dogs who have an issue with gluten intolerance have a body that constantly attacks itself. The immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract whenever gluten enters the body. Gluten destroyed the villi in the small bowel, causing the dog to be malnourished.

Gluten Intolerance can affect any breed, but it is well-documented to affect Samoyeds, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers, and Irish Setters. The onset of symptoms can occur at 6 months of age.

How is Gluten Intolerance in dogs diagnosed?
Veterinarians will assess the dog's history of diarrhea, weight loss, and illness before running blood and urine tests. In some cases, your vet may order a fecal examination to look for parasites.
To be absolutely sure, your vet may recommend putting your dog on a grain-free diet for 2 to 4 weeks. If there is marked improvement, the vet will conclude that your dog has a gluten intolerance.

Just like in humans, the condition is completely treatable. Dogs must stay on a grain-free diet for the rest of its life.

If you suspect that your dog may have a gluten intolerance, contact your veterinarian so they can assess the situation.