Celiac Rates are Rising

Celiac disease is on the rise and scientists now know that the increased numbers are not just due to better diagnositics.  Even if you haven't been diagnosed with this puzzling digestive disorder chances are good that someone you know has celiac disease.

Rates of diagnosis have been increasing at alarming rates over the past decade and some researchers believe that most people with celiac disease don't even know that they have it.  One is every 100 persons in the US have already been diagnosed with celiac disease.

An Auto Immune Reaction to Gluten

Celiac disease is characterized by an inflammatory reaction to gluten.  Gluten is present in many types of grains, including wheat, barley, and rye.  Other grains, like oats, don't contain gluten but may be contaminated with gluten during harvesting or processing.

Gluten-triggered inflammation inhibits the normal absorption of nutrients, resulting in diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, abdominal pain, and other health problems—including the potential for permanent damage to the small intestine.

New Information

Until recently, scientists had no way of knowing if the increase in celiac disease was due to improved awareness and diagnostics or something else.  A recent study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic helps to shed some much-needed light on the subject of celiac disease.

By comparing blood samples collected from army recruits between the years of 1948 and 1954 with blood samples from contemporary army recruits, researchers found that celiac-specific antibodies were 4.5 times more prevalent in the most recent recruits.  A second test compared the early blood samples to blood samples from older men who would have been the same age as the recruits when the original samples were collected.  Those results showed the celiac-specific antibodies were now 4 times more prevalent.

Environmental Change

Clearly, something has changed in the environment over the past 50 to 60 years, triggering the rise in celiac disease.  While multiple theories abound, no one knows for sure why these changes have occurred.

There is Hope for Celiac Disease

Fortunately, the symptoms of celiac disease can be reversed when gluten is totally eliminated from the diet.

Buffaloberries™is a Celiac-Friendly Cafe!

If you or someone you care about has celiac disease, you'll be happy to know that nearly every item on the menu at Buffaloberries™is available gluten-free.  We know how difficult it can be to meet special dietary needs when dining away from home and we're here to help make things just a little bit easier.  Check out our menu—you'll be glad that you did!  And if you're hosting a party, we can provide some great celiac-free appetizers—just give us a call at 605-271-8280 or send us an email.