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Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. Two and one-half million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications. When people with celiac disease eat gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley), their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small finger like projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi...

There is perhaps nothing quite like the struggle of unexplained infertility. It is baffling, it is exhausting, it is all-encompassing, and above all it is so, so hard. It is also confusing. For couples struggling with unexplained infertility, anything and everything can seem like the culprit behind the thwarted desire to have a baby. You wonder, maybe you’re not exercising or sleeping enough—then again, maybe you’re exercising and sleeping too much? Maybe it’s your diet—maybe you’re eating too much of something, or not enough of another? And while you run through the laundry list of possibilities, and long desperately for...

Norwegian scientists have discovered the cause of coeliac disease, the auto-immune disorder which causes gluten intolerance in about one in a hundred people Professor Ludvig Sollid and his team at the University of Oslo have discovered that coeliac sufferers have one of two defective human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) which cause the immune system to see gluten molecules as dangerous, triggering an immune response which causes severe inflammation and other symptoms. “When a person who has coeliac disease eats gluten, the immune system reacts to gluten as if it were a virus or a bacterium,” Sollid told Norway’s NRK. “It attacks...

Swiss researchers have discovered a way to stabilise enzymes in the digestive tract by linking polymers to the enzymes. It offers a route for developing protein-based drugs that can be administered orally without rapidly degrading, and could provide new therapeutic strategies for conditions involving abnormal enzyme activity such as coeliac disease.Modifying enzymes with polymers for pharmaceuticals is nothing new and has been done for years to prolong their lifetime in the body and dampen any immune response. But protein-based drugs are typically injected or administered in a way that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract. The protecting effect of the polymer may...

My husband bought me some of my favorite soup, Campbell's Cream of Potato. My mouth got all ready and I sipped the first spoon. I spit it back in the bowl. It tasted TERRIBLE! I thought it was spoiled. Nope. Now! With Sea Salt Added! If I wanted sea salt I'd go float in the ocean! I just discovered that they've done the same to Vegetarian Vegetable. No more Campbell's soup for me. And I wrote them to tell them where they can stick their sea salt! I don't buy Healthy Choice soups because they taste awful. So they are...

A wide range of gluten free cereals have been studies in detail as part of the HEALTHGRAIN project of the European Union, and their impact on product quality has been assessed. Enzyme technology, bioprocessing as well as high-pressure processing technology have been successfully applied to improve the quality, safety and nutritional attributes of gluten free cereal products. In genetically susceptible individuals, the ingestion of gluten and related proteins triggers an immunemediated enteropathy known as Coeliac Disease (CD). Recent epidemiological studies have shown that 1 in 100 people worldwide suffer from CD. Such a rate establishes CD as one of the...

Recent research findings indicate a possible connection between virus infections, the immune system and the onset of gluten intolerance, also known as coeliac disease. A research project in the Academy of Finland's Research Programme on Nutrition, Food and Health (ELVIRA) has brought new knowledge on the hereditary nature of gluten intolerance and identified genes that carry a higher risk of developing the condition. Research has shown that the genes in question are closely linked with the human immune system and the occurrence of inflammations, rather than being connected with the actual breakdown of gluten in the digestive tract. "Some of...

A new report by Packaged Facts reveals that the market for gluten-free foods and beverages in the U.S. currently stands at almost $700 million, and is due to reach around $1.7 billion by 2010, according to an article seen on foodnavigator-usa.com. Most gluten-free products are alternatives to traditional grain-based goods, including bakery products, pasta and cereals. These are made with alternative grains and flours, such as rice, corn, amaranth and quinoa. In recent years, demand for gluten-free products has surged on the back of an increased diagnosis of celiac disease, which is characterized by intolerance to gluten, a protein found...