<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Newsletter Roundup, cont. ------------------------- ................................................................. : : : Excerpts from _Derby City Celiac_ : : --------------------------------- : : Spring 1997 Marge Johannemann, President : : Summer 1997 Greater Louisville Celiac Sprue Support Group : : PO Box 7194 : : Louisville, KY 40257-0194 : :...............................................................: From the Children's Hospital Conference held in Columbus, Ohio last fall, come these highlights of a talk by Steve Plogsted, PharmD. Steve said that there are now over 300,000 drugs. 15 years ago many drugs had gluten in them, but over the last 10-15 years most drugs have become gluten-free (GF). It costs about 2-3 million dollars to develop a single new drug and takes 5-7 years to get it on the market. Steve offered to answer questions about medications; he can be called at (614) 722-2195. -=-=- -=-=- GF Fat Replacer: Sunsweet has a new product called Lighter Bake, which can be used to replace butter, margarine, oil, and/or shortening in your favorite recipes and packaged mixes. A phone call to the manufacturer revealed that this product is GF. Simply eliminate the fat from the recipe and replace it with Lighter Bake at half the amount called for. [For example, replace 4 oz. of butter with 2 oz. of Lighter Bake.] This product gives a moistness to cakes and chewiness to cookies that can not be achieved with traditional ingredients. It can be found in most grocery stores in the same section as shortening or in the health foods/produce section. -=-=- -=-=- Fast Fuel Gels for Runners: If you're a gluten-free (GF) runner, triathlete, or bicyclist, there are two brands of GF fast fuel gels: * Power Fast Fuel Gel, from the makers of PowerBar (1-800-500-5634), comes in vanilla, lemon lime, and strawberry banana flavors. * GU Fast Food for Athletes comes in several flavors including orange burst. For more information call Sports Street Marketing (1-800-400-1995). These gel packs contain complex carbohydrates that metabolize quickly and are easy to digest. They should always be taken with plenty of water. -=-=- -=-=- Simply Potatoes can be found in your grocer's refrigerator case. These shredded hash browns are delicious and quick to prepare. They can also be used to make potato pancakes. According to the Northern Star (1-800-259-7335), this item (plain hash browns only) is GF. Hidden Wheat Alert! According to Kroger (1-800-632-6900), Kroger brand dark brown sugar contains wheat, and should not be used by celiacs. However, Kroger brand light brown sugar does not contain wheat and is safe for celiacs. [For Domino's light brown and dark brown sugar, it states right on the package that it is Kosher for Passover, and since it does not contain matzoh, that means it is also gluten-free.--ed.] Centrum and Centrum Silver are NOT GF according to Lederle Pharmaceutical (1-800-762-4672). Both have traces of gluten due to cross-contamination during processing. Tums 500 is GF according to Smith/Klein Beecham (1-800-456-6670). Premarin is GF according to URL Pharmaceutical (1-800-666-7248). ............................................................. : : : Excerpts from the _CSA/GC Newsletter_ : : ------------------------------------- : : June 1997 Lois Walter, editor : : Celiac Sprue Association of Greater Chicago : : 124 Newton Ave. : : Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 : :...........................................................: Amy's Kitchen has six gluten-free (GF) products: Whole Meal Enchilada Dinner, Shepherd's Pie, Black Bean & Vegetable Enchilada, Cheese Enchilada, Veggie Loaf Dinner, and Mexican Tamale Pie. Amy's Kitchen, Inc., PO Box 7868, Santa Rosa, CA 95407, 1-707-578-7188, Fax 1-707-578-7996. Taj Gourmet Foods makes cooking sauces and frozen dinners, all of which are GF according to the company. In a letter they state that their products are "...all natural, free of any chemicals or artificial colors, flavors, and additives of any kind. Taj products are sold through more than 400 natural food stores and supermarkets throughout the [USA]." Taj Gourmet Foods, 190 Fountain St., Framingham, MA 01702, 1-508-875-6212, Fax 1-508-875-6457. ..................................................... : : : Excerpts from the Westchester CS Support Group : : ---------------------------------------------- : : newsletter: June 1997 Sue Goldstein : : 9 Salem Place : : White Plains, NY 10605 : :...................................................: Dr. Peter Green, Westchester's medical advisor, is co-author of some abstracts on celiac disease (CD) that were presented at Digestive Diseases Week in May. Some excerpts: * "Celiac Disease: A Physician Survey"<5>: New York City gastroenterologists were surveyed. They averaged only six celiacs each, but diagnosis in recent years appears to be increasing. Most do not perform bone mineral densitometry or give Pneumovax [Merck Labs' pneumonia vaccine<6>], suggesting a lack of awareness of the high rate of osteoporosis or hyposplenism among celiacs. Also, only about half refer their patients to celiac support groups. * "The Endoscopic and Biopsy Appearance of Treated Adult Celiac Disease"<7>: In the study, adult celiacs rarely had normal appearing duodenal mucosa, with reduced folds and subtotal villous atrophy. This may be the norm for adults. Refractory patients have more marked changes including scalloping. Mucosal fissures are seen both before and after commencement of the diet. ........................................................ : : : Excerpts from the Healthy Villi Celiac Support Group : : ---------------------------------------------------- : : newsletter: Spring 1997 Melinda Dennis, editor : : 95 Orchard St., #2 : : Somerville, MA 02144 : :......................................................: Product Information: * Bristol Myers, (800) 468-7746. According to Pam Polis, these products are gluten-free (GF): Comtrex (caplets, tablets, liquid), Nuprin tablets, Bufferin Extra Strength, Excedrin Extra Strength (tablets and caplets), No Doze, and Theragram vitamins. Pam said the starch in these products is from corn; the gelatin is from animal sources; and that there are no incidental ingredients in these products. * Pillsbury, (800) 767-4466. Their GF product list is outdated and they do NOT plan on updating it. They will check the status of specific products but will not send anything in writing. Current GF products: Green Giant vegetables (plain without seasonings) and Pillsbury Frosting (French Vanilla and all chocolate flavors; but NOT the plain Vanilla flavor). ...................................................... : : : Excerpts from the Midwest Gluten Intolerance Group : : -------------------------------------------------- : : newsletter: May 1997 Lillian Stich, editor : : 62 12th Ave. NE : : St. Cloud, MN 56304 : :....................................................: Tips for Successful Baking: * Add an extra egg to recipes for lightness and moistness. Beating egg yolks and whites separately before adding to the batter also lightens the product. * Use white rice flour for lighter texture and brown rice flour for added nutrition. * Some cooks combine the liquids in a recipe with the rice flour, bring the mixture to a boil, and then let it cool before adding it to the other recipe ingredients. This can reduce rice flour's grainy texture. * Buttermilk used in place of regular milk will lighten baked goods and reduce crumbly texture. * Baked goods made with gluten-free flours dry out fast. Frosting them and keeping them in airtight containers will help preserve moistness. * A mashed banana or 1/4 cup of applesauce in muffins or quick breads will help preserve moisture. ........................................................... : : : Excerpts from the Greater Philadelphia CS Support Group : : ------------------------------------------------------- : : newsletter: June 1997 Phyllis J. Brogden : : 6318 Farmar Lane : : Flourtown, PA 19031 : :.........................................................: Pretzels: A new (and apparently very tasty) gluten-free (GF) pretzel is available. They are called "Glutano". The cost is about $3 per bag. These can be ordered from a Canadian company called De-Ro-Ma. De-Ro-Ma carries nearly 400 GF products so be sure to request their product list. The only drawback is that there can be some hefty shipping charges for orders from the USA. For more information write to De-Ro-Ma, 910 Jarry Blvd., Laval, QC H7W 2W6, CANADA; call (800) 363-3438; or visit their web page at <http://www.cosmo2000.ca/deroma>.