Welcome to the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog. This blog focuses on living with Celiac Disease and successfully navigating the Gluten Free Lifestyle in Raleigh, NC.
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1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people or 1% of population) has Celiac Disease.
97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.
CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.
Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.
30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.
2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.
There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.
CD affects more people in the US than Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
500,000 new Celiac diagnoses are expected to occur in the US by 2012 -- thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of the disease.
People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.
It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.
The average cost of misdiagnosis is $5,000 - $12,000 per person per year. Improving the time to diagnosis could save the health care system millions of dollars annually in unnecessary medical care.
A recent study by Packaged Facts projects that the sales of GF food will reach $2.63 Billion by 2012. The GF market is also projected to hit $5 Billion by 2015.
GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.
The smallest amount of gluten which has been shown by a biopsy to cause damage to a Celiac is 0.1 gram per day - or 1/48th of a slice of bread.
The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD but the law only requires labeling of wheat. Nearly 5 years later, the FDA still has not finalized what it means to label a product Gluten Free.
12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.
8% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.
Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with Celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease. First degree relatives should be tested yearly for CD even if previous tests were negative.
There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.
Special thanks to Gail for taking meeting minutes during the last North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting on 10-21-2010. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.
North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
October 21, 2010 7:00-9:00 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, Raleigh, North Carolina
To open the meeting, Pat welcomed everyone, requested help with our printing fund, and announced a guest for the evening.
Pat introduced a student from North Carolina State University who represents a team that is investigating options available for gluten testing as an engineering class project. Current methods are expensive and can be complicated. At NCSU they are looking into developing a gluten testing system that uses disposable, single-use refills, similar in concept to those used by diabetics to test blood sugar. The support group expressed many ideas regarding testing and offered best case ideas for the students to investigate. Cost per test was a major issue with the group.
More gluten-free products are coming to market and our group receives many of them to try. Whole Foods is developing a new gluten-free and dairy-free sandwich loaf. Many samples of Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse products, in addition to the new bread loaf, were tasted. Eco-Planet Organics brochures and samples were also shared.
Miltons, a local North Raleigh restaurant, provided delicious tastings of their new gluten-free pizza which is produced in a dedicated area. The feedback on the “Choice Batter”, the gluten-free food coating mix distributed last month was positive. One tester even baked the chicken with excellent results.
Rosie’s Plate has scheduled many upcoming happenings. Please check out her website at www.rosiesplate.com to review all the classes, demos, tastings and contests.
General discussion followed all the great food.
Our next meeting will be held at Rex Hospital on Thursday November 18, 2010.
Submitted by,
Gail Harris
Click the gavel for the latest information on the case of the fraudulent Gluten Free Baker.
Food Allergy Poster
Please click the link below to view the Food Allergy Education Poster.
Restaurant owners - please download, print and post in your kitchen to educate your staff!
Please see the following posts about my Petition to Wake County, NC for the requirement of posting a food allergy poster at every restaurant in the county.
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