Publications

Celebrate Gluten-Free! At the Gluten Intolerance Group, we are on a mission to make life easier for everyone living gluten-free. Getting started on your gluten-free journey with our “Gluten-Free Living: Basics and Beyond” guide or then “Celebrate Gluten-Free” by exploring our e-magazine archives. To always be in the know and receive our publications in your Read More

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Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 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 symptoms: research continues PROBIOTICS Read More

Assisted Living, Gluten-Free

While living in their own home seniors are generally able to control their environment to manage celiac disease (CD) or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). Transitioning to shared living spaces can present a challenge for these seniors in maintaining their gluten-free diet. Awareness of the importance of providing a safe environment is growing, but is not Read More

Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2019

May 18-21, San Diego. Research summaries   GIG’s Education Supervisor, Lola O’Rourke MS, RDN, recently attended the 50th anniversary Digestive Disease Week (DDW) conference in San Diego and has compiled an impressive list of summaries of the latest research on celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and gluten-related disorders.  Be sure to check these out to stay Read More

4-Week Gluten-Free Meal Plan

New to gluten-free?  Check out this 4-week menu plan!  This Starter Kit is designed as a guide to help you navigate the first month of your child’s diagnosis. It contains basic information about gluten-related disorders, dietary treatment, and contains a month’s worth of meal plans and shopping lists to help you answer the never-ending question, Read More

Celiac Disease in Children

What is celiac disease? Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that results from the response of the immune system to the ingestion of gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. This immune response causes inflammation and damage to the small intestine that can ultimately lead to malnutrition and poor health. Celiac Read More

The Gluten-Free Diet: Facts and Myths

FACTS Gluten-free diet and celiac disease (CD): A strict, life-long gluten-free diet is required for health reasons. Ingestion of gluten causes an adverse reaction which damages intestinal cells and can lead to serious health problems. Gluten-free diet and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (also known as “gluten sensitivity”): Individuals with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) require a gluten-free Read More

Celiac Disease

What you need to know about celiac disease Celiac disease is a chronic, 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 nutrients and related Read More

Getting Started on a Gluten-Free Diet

The following information is intended to be used as a preliminary guide for those who are newly diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Not all aspects of the gluten-free diet are as clear cut as portrayed here. For additional details about the gluten-free diet, consult with a knowledgeable dietitian and go to the Resources section Read More

Celiac Disease Centers – Resource List

Updated December, 2019  

Celiac Disease Testing in Children

For parents, there are a multitude of everyday children’s matters and milestone marks that take up plenty of time and concern, so when there is a medical issue (especially one as complex as an autoimmune disease like celiac disease), it can be especially taxing. Doctor visits can feel rushed, confusing, and overwhelming, so we put Read More

Medications and the Gluten-Free Diet

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 of the drug. These fillers are often made from corn, potato, Read More

Hospital Stays Made Safe

Being admitted to the hospital can be a stressful experience, especially for those with celiac disease or other gluten-related disorders. Whether you are there for a day-surgery or for three weeks in rehabilitation, the hospital should be doing everything it can to meet your need for a gluten-free diet. Share this information with your family Read More

Gluten Sensitivity and FODMAPs

Gluten sensitivity and FODMAPs: Is there a connection? Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (also known as gluten sensitivity) is not yet well understood. The currently accepted means of diagnosing this condition is to rule out celiac disease, wheat allergy, and other possible causes of symptoms. Then, if a gluten-free diet leads to improvement in symptoms, gluten sensitivity Read More

Healthy Weight Gain in Celiac Disease

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 disease. Weight loss (or, in the case of kids, slowed growth) is Read More

Pregnancy and Celiac Disease

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? Significant evidence supports the role of a healthy diet in optimizing pregnancy outcomes. Read More

Diabetes and Celiac Disease

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 nutrients and related problems. Untreated celiac disease can also lead to Read More

Celiac Disease & Thyroid Conditions

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. The reasons for this relationship are not entirely clear, but these are the known facts: There is a genetic link among many autoimmune diseases. It is likely that Read More

Celiac Disease and Anemia

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 to all the tissues in the body, and hemoglobin as the crates on Read More

Associated Autoimmune Diseases

People who have celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis (celiac disease which manifests as a skin rash) are at greater risk than the general population for developing one or more associated autoimmune diseases. These disorders share common genetic and immunological linkages with celiac disease. The prevalence of other autoimmune conditions in people with celiac disease is Read More

Healthy Gluten-Free Eating Guidelines

Removing gluten from the diet is the essential first step to thriving gluten-free. Next, learn how to make your gluten-free plate exceptionally healthful.   Vegetables Fill approximately half your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, onions, cabbage, carrots, artichoke, beets, Brussels sprouts, tomato, cauliflower and cucumber. In addition to being naturally gluten-free, Read More

Whole Grains

What makes a grain a “whole grain?” A whole grain is a grain that contains all three of the main parts of the grain (endosperm, bran, and germ). A whole grain has not been refined and stripped of important nutrients. The bran, or outer protective layer of the grain, contains the fiber and a large Read More

Weight Management and the Gluten-Free Diet

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 weight gain continues. One factor which likely contributes to this is the widespread Read More

Gluten-Free Vegetarian

A little extra planning may be needed, but maintaining a healthy diet when you are both gluten-free and vegetarian is absolutely doable. Depending on the degree of dietary restriction in the type of vegetarianism followed, as well as on varied individual food choices, some people who are both gluten-free and vegetarian may require the use Read More

Supplementing a Gluten-Free Diet

Individuals following a gluten-free diet may be susceptible to nutrient deficiencies. In those with celiac disease, gluten damages the small intestine, leading to malabsorption of nutrients. Until the intestine has had a chance to heal, this can cause deficiencies. In addition, after the intestine has healed, nutrient deficiencies may occur due to the fact that Read More

Nutrient Deficiencies

In people with celiac disease (CD), nutritional deficiencies can occur because of both low intake and poor absorption. When there is damage in the small intestine, the absorption of certain nutrients can be reduced. The vitamins and minerals most commonly affected include iron, calcium, folate, vitamin B12 and all of the fat soluble vitamins (vitamins Read More

Heart Healthy Gluten-Free Diet

Once you’ve figured out the basics of staying gluten-free, it’s time to consider other aspects of the diet which can also impact your health. Is your gluten-free diet a heart-healthy one? Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Learn how to reduce your risk by making your gluten-free diet Read More

Gluten-Free Grains

The gluten-free diet requires total avoidance of the grains wheat, barley, rye and all varieties and hybrids of these grains, such as spelt. However, there are many wonderful gluten-free grains to enjoy. Amaranth Once the sacred food of the Aztecs, amaranth is high in protein, calcium, iron, and fiber. Toasting this tiny grain before cooking Read More

GIG’s Gluten-Free Diet and Drug Instruction

The gluten-free (GF) diet can provide adequate nutrition while eliminating wheat, rye and barley from the diet as long as GF grains with high nutritional value are used and the diet includes a variety of nutritious foods. Gluten is a generic term referring to storage proteins in grains. The fractions of gluten protein in wheat Read More

Gluten-Free Flours & Thickening Agents

You’ve likely noticed that there is an extensive selection of gluten-free flours available these days. Where do you start, and what should be used for what? Is there just one that can be substituted for wheat flour? It’s always beneficial to do some tinkering and experimenting with your own recipes to see what meets your Read More

Adding Fiber To Your Gluten-Free Diet

Fiber is an important part of a healthful diet. Consumption of enough fiber can aid in lowering cholesterol and reducing risk of heart disease, and is important for maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal system. High fiber diets have also been linked to lower body weights, since bulkier high fiber foods tend to make us feel full Read More

Cross-Contact

The presence of gluten, the protein found in common cereal grains wheat, barley, rye, and their derivatives, can be problematic even in microscopic quantities for those with gluten-related disorders (celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity). Though the first step in treating gluten-related disorders is eliminating obvious exposures to gluten, it is also essential to avoid Read More

Women and Gluten-Related Disorders

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 are a woman and have any of these conditions or symptoms it’s important to consider both gluten-related disorders, as well as non-gluten related issues as possible causes. Consult with Read More

Gluten-Free Pantry Essentials

There has been a burst of gluten-free products appearing on grocery store shelves over recent years, but it can still be difficult to know where to start in building up your first gluten-free pantry. Having a good selection of gluten-free items on hand will help make meal preparation easier, and remove some of the uncertainty Read More

3 Tips for Gluten-Free Label Reading

1. A product which carries a 3rd party certification such as that of GIG’s Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), is considered safe for gluten-free consumers.         2. As of August 5, 2014, if a product is labeled “gluten-free” and is an FDA regulated product, it is considered safe for gluten-free consumers. The regulation Read More

Easy to Find & Easy to Fix Meals and Snacks

Hungry for a quick bite? Not sure what is safe to eat? Here are some easy-to-find and easy-to-fix foods that make perfect snacks and quick, simple meals to get you started on a gluten-free diet.* Snacks: Fresh fruit Broccoli and tomatoes with ranch dip Carrots and hummus Peanut butter on celery Yogurt Yogurt parfait with Read More

One Step at a Time

Following a gluten-free diet is a major lifestyle modification. There is a lot to know about foods, ingredients, and changes in lifestyle and cooking, and you may be wondering just where to start. Try taking things “one step at a time” to help make your gluten-free transition more manageable. Step One – Yes, you need to Read More

Gluten Sensitivity

(also known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or non-celiac wheat sensitivity)  Some individuals who experience distress when eating gluten-containing foods and show improvement when following a gluten-free diet may have what is commonly referred to as gluten sensitivity (GS) instead of celiac disease (CD). It is important to keep in mind that GS is not well Read More

Could Gluten be Causing Your Health Problems?

To start to find out, answer the following questions: Do you have a family history of celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis? Do you have recurring problems with: Abdominal pain Bloating Constipation Diarrhea Vomiting Elevated liver function tests (AST, ALT) Joint pain Fatigue Tingling or numbness in hands or feet An itchy skin rash occurring on Read More

Celiac Disease, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or Wheat Allergy: What is the Difference?

Celiac disease (CD), non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and wheat allergy are all conditions whose primary treatment is avoidance of specific dietary components. While celiac disease and wheat allergy are well defined conditions, non-celiac gluten sensitivity is poorly understood at this time. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition; wheat allergy involves an immune (not auto-immune) response; Read More

Dermatitis Herpetiformis

What you need to know about dermatitis herpetiformis Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is a form of celiac disease. It is a skin condition characterized by groups of itchy blisters. The ingestion of gluten (a protein contained in wheat, rye and barley) triggers an immune system response that deposits lgA antibodies under the top layer of skin. Read More