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.
Own, Manage or Cook at a restaurant? Are you a Dietitian with Celiac patients? Interested in becoming certified Gluten Free? The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog can help. Click the picture above for more information.
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 9-16-2010. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.
North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
September 16, 2010 7:00-9:00 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, Raleigh, North Carolina
Pat welcomed everyone back after the summer break and collected outstanding printed materials belonging to the support group library.
Whole Foods will host another Gluten-Free Vendor Fair on October 23, 2010. Several members volunteered to staff an information table about our support group.
Pat distributed several copies of Living Without magazine to new members. Pamphlets and samples of Choice Batter gluten-free coating mix were distributed for home taste testing and feedback to the group.
Solas, a locally owned, downtown Raleigh restaurant, has offered to host one of our meetings. They feature an extensive gluten-free menu including seafood, beef, chicken, lamb, duck, salad and other items. A gluten-free pizza tasting has been requested from Mellow Mushroom, a multi-location, local restaurant.
A new study published by the American Dietetic Association questions the safety of many foods that are inherently gluten-free but not labeled as such. “Gluten Contamination of Grains, Seeds and Flours in the United States” warns that any inherently gluten-free food can become contaminated with wheat, barley and/or rye while being harvested, transported, and/or processed. This potential risk of contamination is a health concern for people with celiac disease. The FDA might want to modify their proposed rules for labeling of gluten-free food. Without an FDA regulation in place, there is still no hard-and-fast government definition of what gluten-free means.
There is a notion that the gluten-free diet can help people lose weight or avoid carbohydrates. Several recent articles have exposed this myth. Many packaged g-f products are even higher in carbs, sugar, fat, and calories than their regular counterparts and they tend to be lower in fiber, vitamins and iron. Regular pasta contains 41 grams of carbohydrates per serving versus 46 grams of carbs in g-f pasta.
Our next meeting will be held at Rex Hospital on Thursday October 21, 2010.
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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