Going Gluten-Free -- For Many Reasons

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*Going Gluten-Free -- For Many Reasons * (For the entire story, go to:

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-gluten7-2008jul07,1,6122576.story

)

By Janet Cromley, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

*Diagnosed with celiac disease, or self-diagnosed. Sensitive to foods, or

related to those who are. The gluten-free diet trend is getting a warm

embrace.*

At the Whole Foods Market in El Segundo, two women stand scanning a

refrigerator case filled with packages of gluten-free food -- carrot cake,

rice flour bread, scones, ginger cookies, pecan pie and chocolate chip

muffins.

Judy Beckett, a retired educator, was diagnosed with celiac disease two

years ago: Her gut cannot tolerate gluten, and switching to these foods has

improved her digestion and quality of life. , a housekeeper and

mother of four, is looking for gluten-free food for herself and her family.

She recently switched to it at the urging of a health expert she heard on

Spanish radio.

Beckett and have plenty of company as more and more consumers embrace

the gluten-free trend. Users run the gamut: There are people like Beckett

with celiac disease who must be on the diet; others who believe the diet can

alleviate chronic intestinal complaints and boost energy; still others who

believe the gluten-free diet may help in the treatment of autism and a host

of other disorders, including schizophrenia, chronic fatigue, multiple

sclerosis, attention deficit disorder, migraine and even fertility problems.

And some people are trying the diet simply because they've heard it is

healthful.

" A lot of people are going gluten-free . . . but they really don't know

why, " says Suzy Badaracco, president of Culinary Tides, a company that

forecasts food trends. " It's just like, " Quick, it's gluten-free, it must be

good!' "

*A hit at food expo*

It was full-speed ahead for gluten-free foods at this year's Natural

Products Expo West, held in March at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Attendees at the event -- truly the Super Bowl of natural food shows --

swarmed around counters featuring gluten-free breads, pasta, steaming pot

pies, brownies, warm muffins, cosmetics and even dog treats.

(One exhibitor even advertised a flavored water as gluten-free -- cheerfully

admitting that, yes, water is naturally gluten-free, but what the heck.)

According to a March 2007 survey by the market research company

Mintel<http://www.mintel.com/>, 8% of the U.S. population look for

gluten-free products when they shop.

Nielsen Co., which tracks gluten-free food in U.S. grocery, drug and mass

merchandiser stores (excluding Wal-Mart), reports that the gluten-free

sector increased 20% in the 12-month period ending June 14, to $1.75 billion

from $1.46 billion a year ago.

The variety of choices is also expanding. In 2007, 700 new gluten-free

products were launched in the U.S., up from 214 in 2004, according to

Mintel. Consumers of gluten-free products can wander down the aisles of

their local health food store -- in some cases their local supermarket --

and choose from an array of gluten-free pastas, cake mixes, waffles, bagels,

pizzas, cookies, baby food, even beer and cosmetics. Mintel projects a 15%

to 25% annual growth rate for gluten-free foods over the next few years.

Gluten-free food manufacturers can thank growing awareness of celiac

disease, also referred to as celiac sprue, for putting gluten on the map.

People with celiac disease experience a severe immune reaction to gluten --

a set of proteins in wheat, rye and barley -- that interferes with the

absorption of iron, folate, calcium and fat-soluble vitamins. The disease

can cause serious gastrointestinal symptoms and weight loss and has also

been linked to osteoporosis, anemia, Type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroid

disease, says Case, a celiac researcher, registered dietitian and

author of the book " Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide. "

Even very small amounts of gluten can spark an inflammatory reaction in

celiac patients, Case says.

Until recently, celiac disease was thought to be extremely rare in the U.S.,

says Dr. Alessio Fasano, medical director of the Center for Celiac Research

at the University of land. In 2003, there were 40,000 diagnosed cases.

Then the center published an epidemiological study estimating that about 2.5

million people in the U.S. had the disease. Shortly thereafter, the National

Institutes of Health boosted the estimate to 3 million, igniting a flurry of

business investments in gluten-free foods.

Because of the severity of symptoms and difficulty of preparing gluten-free

foods, after a child is diagnosed with celiac disease, parents will often

put the entire family on the diet, further expanding the market.

Gluten's ubiquity makes it hard to eliminate entirely. Found in pasta,

crackers, cereal, breads and other baked goods, gluten also lurks in less

obvious places such as malt vinegar, soy sauce, breaded meats, many

flavorings and emulsifiers, beer, gin, whiskey and rye, and gravy and sauces

thickened with flour. Ten years ago, celiac patients struggled with meals

and menu planning. When gluten-free foods began landing in stores, celiac

patients snapped them up.

Parents of children with autism are also snapping them up. Diets that

eliminate gluten and/or casein are the most common alternative treatments

tried for children with so-called autistic spectrum disorders, says Dr.

Christison, a professor of psychiatry at Loma University School

of Medicine and parent of a child with autism.

" The medical literature to date contains no clinical trials of adequate size

or design rigor to provide clear evidence to say either that these diets do

work or . . . that they do not work, " he says. But after sifting through the

stories he's heard from parents, Christison thinks the diet may indeed be

beneficial for a subgroup of children.

And in the absence of formal evidence, parents are forced to arrive at their

own conclusions, and many opt to try the diet.

" No parent of a child on the autism spectrum wants to look back when the

child is grown and say, 'If only we had tried . . .,' " Christison says.

Another group embracing gluten-free foods are people who do not have celiac

disease but have gastrointestinal problems that improve when they go on a

gluten-free diet. In " gluten sensitivity, " there is an immune response or

asso ciated condition even though the patient might not have the

small-intestine findings on a biopsy to meet the criteria for celiac

disease, says Dr. Esrailian, director of general gastroenterology at

UCLA's Geffen School of Medicine. " Gluten intolerance, " on the other

hand, refers more to the symptoms a person feels, similar to the term

lactose intolerance. No one knows how many people truly fall in these two

categories, Esrailian adds.

(For the entire story, go to:

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-gluten7-2008jul07,1,6122576.story

)