Can Celiac Disease be Diagnosed without Biopsies

2/7/2024 by Anna Hall, MS Nutrition and Dietetics Researchers are exploring whether clinicians should skip biopsy for diagnosing celiac disease in adults with very high levels of a specific blood marker called tTG-IgA. Current guidelines for children use this blood test, while an intestinal biopsy is the current “gold standard” for diagnosing adults.   A Read More

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Boosting Bone Health in Celiac Disease

Written by: Robin Holliday, MS, CN, Bastyr University Dietetic Intern If you have celiac disease, you may be more likely to develop osteoporosis, which makes bones less dense. But there are simple things you can do to protect your bone health and reduce your risk of fractures. Read on to learn more about the link Read More

Get Cozy This Winter with These Hearty Soup Recipes

Brrr, winter’s arrived, and what better way to warm up than with a steaming bowl of soup? We’ve got some traditional recipes that’ll delight your taste buds and keep you snug as a bug during these colder months ahead. Gluten-Free Creamy Tomato Soup Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced Read More

How to Heal Gut Inflammation with a Gluten-Free Mediterranean Diet

Written by: Robin Holliday, MS, CN, Bastyr University Dietetic Intern Do you want to know how to ease gut inflammation naturally? In this article, we’ll explore the topic of gut inflammation, the benefits of anti-inflammatory foods, and how combining two gut-healing diets can be the ideal choice for improving your gut health. Gut inflammation is Read More

Low FODMAP Diet for Non-Celiac Gluten/Wheat Sensitivity

Written by: Audrey Hummel, Bastyr University Intern Are you among the many individuals who experience discomfort after consuming gluten or wheat, yet have tested negative for celiac disease? If so, you’re not alone. Those living with non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity (NCGS/NCWS) may find relief with the low FODMAP diet – a promising dietary approach that could Read More

Navigating a Plant-Based and Gluten-Free Diet

Written by: Audrey Hummel, Bastyr University Intern Curious about embracing a plant-based lifestyle? Uncover the key nutrients and actionable strategies to effortlessly integrate a plant-based approach into a gluten-free lifestyle. Plant-based diets have increased in popularity in recent years, offering a more sustainable and ethical approach to nutrition. Whether you’re looking to go entirely plant-based Read More

Managing Inflammation Through Natural Remedies

Every person deals with inflammation in their lives for at least a short while, sometimes for a longer time. Recent research has shown that ongoing serious inflammation affects about 43 million people in the United States, aggravating medical conditions and also acting as a medical problem by itself. Inflammation can often be dealt with outside Read More

Kitchen Smarts: How to Use Fresh Herbs

Using herbs is a delicious and easy way to change your gluten-free cooking for the better! Not only are they a wonderful way to add flavor and aroma without adding extra salt, fat, or sugar to a dish, but they also contain antioxidants and phytonutrients that support health. Although they may seem intimidating at first Read More

Virtual Event: Insights & Information to Inspire Your Gluten-Free Life

So many aspects of life are affected and need to be considered as you’re aiming to optimize health and happiness when living gluten-free. One good way to view these considerations is to think of fitting them into three main categories: 1) Diet and Nutrition; 2) Health and Medical; 3) Lifestyle/Social. Of course there is overlap Read More

Virtual Event: Is There Gluten in That Food? The Ins and Outs of Testing

GIG’s 4th quarter virtual education event took a deep dive into this important topic. In case you missed the live event, here’s a link to the session. Our guest panelists addressed why gluten testing is so complicated, how testing fits into the scheme of gluten-free labeling and certification, and what to keep in mind if Read More

How to Celebrate a Gluten-Free Oktoberfest

The German beer celebration, Oktoberfest, takes place each fall, originating in Munich in the Bavarian region of Germany. Even if you are not heading to Germany to enjoy the festivities, most Oktoberfest celebrations in other parts of the world feature foods – and drinks – that contain gluten.  If you’re planning to be at an Read More

9 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Naturally Gluten-Free Produce

When you are eating gluten-free, you are probably more used to hearing what you need to avoid than what you can add to your diet. Would you be surprised to learn that there are some food groups where the saying, “The more, the better,” applies? What more should you be adding to your meals? Fruits Read More

Managing the Stress of Getting “Glutened”

Getting “glutened” is an unofficial (and non-medical) term for consuming gluten without realizing it until it is too late. After being so careful about avoiding gluten, getting glutened in an unexpected way can be especially stressful. Feeling emotionally stressed can also compound the physical reactions you might have when gluten gets into your system. According Read More

Staying Safely Gluten-Free: At Home and Beyond

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQWwhohPu4Q May 3rd, 5 pm PST/ 8 pm EST  You know the sources of gluten, are familiar with gluten-free alternatives and are feeling good. What else do you need to know for optimal health?   How can you avoid even tiny amounts of gluten? What do you do when gluten accidentally gets into that “gluten-free” food Read More

Gluten-Free Irish Cuisine

When exploring international cuisines, Ireland may not be on your radar until St. Patty’s Day, but if you are avoiding gluten, you could find some dishes to enjoy year-round that are typically gluten-free. Many traditional Irish dishes feature meat and potatoes. The meat tends to be lamb or mutton, and hearty, root vegetables like carrots, Read More

Renowned Expert Weighs in on Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity

We held a virtual event on January 18, 2022, with Dr. Stefano Guandalini, Professor Emeritus, Founder and Director Emeritus of the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center and former Chief of the Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology of the University of Chicago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jRx-Y0KhQY&t=2238s   Dr. Guandalini answers some of the attendee questions we didn’t get to Read More

Disordered Eating and Gluten-Related Disorders

If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), the only treatment is a medically restricted diet. You must pay more attention to what you eat — or don’t eat — and stick to eating gluten-free. For some, paying close attention to food in this way can lead to disordered eating Read More

Setting Healthy Boundaries When You’re Living Gluten-Free

  As you transition to living gluten-free, your day-to-day interactions around food can be stressful. Many people aren’t familiar with gluten-related issues and disorders. Some may think going gluten-free is a fad rather than a medical necessity. How can you successfully navigate the different reactions and attitudes toward your gluten-free requirements? We’ve got some tips Read More

What You Need to Know About Gluten Sensitivity

If you’ve ruled out celiac disease but eliminating gluten from your diet seems to alleviate your symptoms, you may have gluten sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity, also referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS), is a condition when ingesting gluten leads to intestinal or other reactions. If excluding gluten from your diet relieves symptoms, and eating gluten causes symptoms to return, you could be diagnosed with gluten sensitivity simply through a process Read More

Experts Weigh in Regarding Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity

Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) held a panel event in the Fall of 2021, “Getting a Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity Diagnosis,” that provided valuable information on seeking a gluten-related disorder diagnosis. Since there wasn’t enough time to address all the questions raised by attendees, we’ve compiled some additional answers here. Watch the full panel discussion.  Read More

Does Your Family Health History Determine Celiac Disease?

How important is your family’s health history in diagnosing or ruling out celiac disease? Believe it or not, approximately 35% of the general population has the genes that predispose a person to celiac disease, but only 1% of the general population develop the autoimmune disorder.   Celiac disease is considered a hereditary autoimmune disorder. However, experts say that while having a family history of celiac disease makes you Read More

The Tools to Replace in Your Gluten-Free Kitchen

WOODEN UTENSILS  Wood can be tricky to thoroughly clean. Wood fibers could harbor gluten particles and enter your food with the next stir.  CUTTING BOARDS  Be cautious with cutting boards. If they are pitted or scratched, gluten could settle into crevices. It’s better not to risk using your former bread board for your new gluten-free Read More

The Connection Between Celiac Disease and Reproductive Health

When you think of the effects of celiac disease, digestive system, namely the intestines, probably come to mind. Yet symptoms of celiac disease, can present in many different ways, including your reproductive health. For example, if you have undiagnosed and/or untreated celiac disease, you may be more likely to experience infertility. While research is limited and results of studies are mixed, here’s why and how gluten intolerance could impact fertility. Gluten intake in individuals with celiac disease may impact reproductive health in two Read More

Gluten and Your Muscles, Joints, and Skin

If you are experiencing unexplained joint or muscle pain, bone issues, or even a rash on your body — and some other factors are in place — these issues could be related to gluten intolerance.

VIRTUAL EVENT 10/19: How Do You Get a Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity Diagnosis?

What might lead you to consider that you have a gluten intolerance? And if you suspect that, what happens next? Should you start eating gluten-free? That’s what we’ll be discussing – in detail – on Tuesday, October 19 at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET with three experts who will explain what happens once you start looking into the possibility of a diagnosis.

Gluten and Your Mental Health

A common way of thinking of gluten-related disorders – whether celiac disease or gluten sensitivity – is that the main symptoms are related to the digestive system – the intestines, the stomach, even the mouth. Gluten sensitivity and celiac disease can affect other parts of your body as well, including your brain.  There are two main ways gluten can affect your brain and mental well-being:  In people with gluten-related disorders, gluten can cause Read More

3 Steps to a Celiac Disease Diagnosis

You’ve been experiencing some discomfort, pain, or simply feel unwell. You go to the doctor to try to find out what’s wrong. At what point should the topic of celiac disease and getting tested come up? If it does, what happens next?

Eat Your Vegetables: Nutrients You May Be Missing When Gluten-Free

Published June, 2021   Cutting out wheat, rye, and barley – and products derived from those grains – is the way people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) eat gluten-free. Sticking to a gluten-free diet helps heal intestinal damage caused by celiac disease, specifically, and improves health. NCGS does not cause intestinal damage but is also treated with a gluten-free diet. Eliminating gluten-containing grains and grain-based products from your diet, however, can reduce intake of some key nutrients. How can Read More

Self-Advocating: From Diagnosis to Living with Celiac Disease

Published May, 2021 Each step of your celiac disease journey comes with different sets of challenges – not just physical, but emotional ones as well. One part of living with celiac disease or a non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is standing up, or advocating, for yourself.   Standing up for yourself takes many different forms. Being your own advocate can be a major part of dealing with healthcare providers. You may find you also have to self-advocate when interacting with Read More

Building Your Healthcare Team

Published May, 2021 The purpose of this article is to explain the different types of expertise that may be beneficial when taking a comprehensive approach to treating a person diagnosed with celiac disease. GIG acknowledges that not everyone has access to all of these options, and some have access to very few of them. This is an important point to note and a conversation we will Read More

Celiac Disease: Barriers to Diagnosis

Published April, 2021 If getting your celiac disease diagnosis is taking (or took) a long time, you are not alone. The journey to diagnosis can take a while for individuals with celiac disease. We spoke to some experts who treat celiac disease patients to better understand some of the barriers that can interfere with a prompt diagnosis.        Patient Confusion/Attitudes  When you’re not feeling well, Read More

Dealing with the Stress of a Celiac Disease Diagnosis

Published April, 2021 Are you feeling stressed out? If so, you’re not alone. Many things in life can create stress, and when we are stressed, our brains release hormones like cortisol into our bloodstream. While you can usually adapt to “short term” stress, long term stress – like what you might experience when you have a chronic Read More

4-Week Vegan and Gluten-Free Meal Plan

Are you gluten-free and vegan, too? Meal planning around multiple dietary restrictions can be challenging. This Gluten-Free Vegan Meal Plan is filled with delicious options to make it easier to shop and prepare healthy meals. If you are glutenfree and looking to make your diet more plant-based, this meal plan can be a great resource Read More

Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2020

Published September 29, 2020 GIG Research Update The 2020 Digestive Disease Week (DDW) conference was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there was still much to be learned from abstracts that had already been submitted and accepted. Following are summaries of selected abstracts related to celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Probiotics for celiac disease Read More

Eating Out: 7 Tips For Staying Gluten-Free

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published December, 2021   Tips for Dining Away from Home Staying gluten-free when dining out can be a source of anxiety. Many restaurants have “gluten-free” offerings, but how can you be sure that procedures are being followed to avoid cross-contact and that all ingredients used are truly Read More

Medications and the Gluten-Free Diet

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published January, 2023   Staying gluten-free involves more than just dietary changes.While use of gluten as an ingredient in medications is uncommon, medications must also be evaluated for their gluten content. Many pharmaceuticals have an additional filler called an excipient, used to make a particular dosage form Read More

Guide to a Safe, Gluten-Free Hospital Stay

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published April, 2022   Full version of this article is in the print pdf. Being admitted to the hospital can be a stressful experience, especially if you have an autoimmune disorder like celiac disease. Whether you are there for a day-surgery or for a longer stay, hospital Read More

Healthy Weight Gain in Celiac Disease

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published August, 2021   The term “weight management” generally brings to mind the issue of how to lose weight, or at least how to prevent gain. But sometimes there are health-related reasons to gain weight, and one scenario where this may be the case is in celiac Read More

Pregnancy and Celiac Disease

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published October 17, 2019   Pregnancy and celiac disease both call for extra considerations when it comes to nutrition. What if you fall into both categories? Do some of the needs overlap, and are there special nutritional issues that arise for pregnant women who have celiac disease? Read More

Diabetes and Celiac Disease

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published August, 2022 What is celiac disease? An autoimmune disease which is the result of an immune system response to the ingestion of gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley) in susceptible individuals. This response to gluten damages the small intestine, leading to malabsorption of Read More

Celiac Disease & Thyroid Conditions

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published October 17, 2019   Celiac disease and thyroid disease: the connection Researchers have found autoimmune thyroid diseases to be more common in people with celiac disease than in the general population. Similarly, individuals who have autoimmune thryoid disease are more likely to develop celiac disease compared Read More

Celiac Disease and Anemia

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published February 24, 2022   What is Anemia? Anemia results from a decrease in the size or number of red blood cells, or in the amount of hemoglobin, which is the red pigment in red blood cells. Think of red blood cells as ships that deliver oxygen Read More

Weight Management and the Gluten-Free Diet

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published January 31, 2023   Individuals with undiagnosed or untreated celiac disease may experience unintended weight loss over time due to malabsorption of nutrients caused by damage to the intestine. However, when a gluten-free diet is begun and the intestine heals, lost weight is sometimes re-gained and Read More

Women and Gluten-Related Disorders

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published December, 2023   Some symptoms of gluten-related disorders (celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity) are also more likely to exist in women than men in general. Therefore, if you have any of these conditions or symptoms, it’s important to consider both gluten-related disorders and non-gluten-related issues Read More