<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thank you everyone for contributing your ideas and offers to help.  I
received quite a few responses and selected one by permission of Danna Korn.

I have provided a summary of a few of the responses, including Danna's.
There were some that were just too lengthy to forward, but I found all the
replies very helpful and informative.


Thanks again!

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Check out the Friends of Celiac Disease web site...What is celiac disease?
Possibly you could put just a bit of information, a teaser:

I like this one from the Center for Celiac Research at the University of
Maryland...(www.celiaccenter.org) "How common is celiac disease?

Nearly one out of every 150 Americans suffer from celiac disease, according
to a new study by the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research in
Baltimore. The research indicates that celiac is twice as common as Crohn's
disease, ulceric colitis and cystic fibrosis combined."

Then add a link to the Friends site www.friendsofceliac.com (Friends can
also be linked from the CFCR homepage) Friends goal is to create
awareness so webpage is geared toward non- celiacs, and celiacs are
directed to good resources.

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Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) has a single page (less than 8 1/2 x 11) on
Celiac Disease that has Description, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment,
Prognosis, Questions to Ask your Doctor, and Related Disorders. This
information was designed to have in Doctor's offices for quick information
on Celiac Disease.

I do not know if they will allow you to copy it for your company newsletter
or not.

I suggest you contact Cynthia Kupper, at Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) in
Seattle, WA for information. She is available by telephone after 1:00 p.m.
in the afternoons, Monday through Friday, (unless she is traveling).

Gluten Intolerance Group
15110 10th Ave SW, Suite A
Seattle, WA 98166-1820

Telephone:         206-246-6652
Fax:                    206-246-6531
Website:             www.gluten.net
Email:                [log in to unmask]

Executive Director: Cynthia Kupper, R.D., C.D. (Registered Dietitian,
Certified Dietitian) (and she has Celiac Disease) is very willing to work
with anyone that calls. Cynthia also has credentials as a former C.D.E.
(Certified Diabetes Educator).

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You could use Ann Whelan's phamplet on Are you Gluten Sensitive.  Email her
at [log in to unmask] for permission.

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"http://csaceliacs.org/newsreleases.html"  CSA/USA has a great website!

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Jennifer:

I am attaching an article on CD that I wrote for Parade Magazine -- feel
free to cut (you'll probably need to cut quite a bit) as necessary.....

Danna Korn
Author of "Kids with Celiac Disease:  A Family Guide to Raising Happy,
Healthy Gluten-Free Children" and
"Wheat-Free, Worry-Free:  The art of happy, healthy gluten-free living."

Celiac Disease:

As common as the cold, yet no one knows about it.


 You've probably never heard of celiac disease, yet it's as common
as the cold.  In fact, you might even have it and not know it.  Do you ever
get bloated?  Do you ever get bouts of diarrhea or constipation?  Have you
ever thought you might have irritable bowel syndrome?  Do you feel tired,
or get easily fatigued?  Irritable?  If so, you might be one of millions of
Americans who has celiac disease and doesn't know it.

 Celiac disease, also known as sprue, is characterized by an intolerance
of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats.
While "classic" symptoms are generally gastrointestinal in nature, some
people feel only mild symptoms, such as fatigue, irritability, or a lack
of ability to concentrate.

A rare condition?  Not at all!

Since few people have heard of the condition, it's thought to be rare.  But
researchers are finding that this couldn't be further from the truth.
Recent studies indicate as many as one in 150 people has celiac disease,
yet only one in 2500 is diagnosed.  Most physicians were taught years ago
and still believe that the condition is "rare," and will only test for it
in cases where symptoms are severe.  In actuality, the majority of celiacs
show mild symptoms or sometimes even no symptoms whatsoever, yet the damage
being done internally can be devastating.

 If celiacs continue to ingest gluten, they become vulnerable to a
myriad of long-term problems, including intestinal lymphoma, osteoporosis,
epilepsy, anemia, infertility, and a variety of emotional disturbances,
including chronic fatigue, attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD)-type
behaviors, irritability, and an inability to concentrate.

The gluten-free diet At first glance, the gluten-free diet may appear to
be nearly impossible.  After all, the American diet is loaded with
breads, cookies, cakes, pizzas, pastas, and other gluten-laden goodies.
But with a little bit of homework, it becomes apparent that the list of
things celics can eat is a lot longer than the list of things they can't.

 Fresh meat, poultry, fish and vegetables are staples of the gluten-
free diet.  Rice, potatoes, and corn provide the carbohydrates that at
first seem to be so difficult to get, once wheat and other gluten-
containing grains are removed from the diet.  These days there are a
variety of online resources with gluten-free mixes for cakes, cookies, and
other treats once unavailable in the gluten-free world.

 The gluten-free diet is an extremely healthy diet, and in fact is
found to be useful in treating people with a variety of conditions other
than celiac disease.  One of the newest and most exciting areas of research
concerns autistic children, who in many cases show dramatic improvement
when put on a gluten-free/casein-free diet.

Who gets celiac disease?

 Celiac disease is non-discriminatory.  Once thought to be only
found in people of Northern European heritage, it is now believed to be
prevalent in nearly every race.  While it is a genetic condition, there are
several factors involved in determining whether you will actually get
celiac disease.  Most people who are diagnosed have no idea where it came
from - although usually they can remember back to a grandmother who
couldn't eat bread, or an uncle who didn't feel well if he drank beer.
Usually those are "hidden celiac relatives" who went undiagnosed.
Why isn't it diagnosed more often?

 In all fairness, it's difficult to diagnose a condition that has
symptoms as widely varied as celiac disease.  While "classic" symptoms
include diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, and lethargy, some people have
very different symptoms:  constipation, vomiting, inability to
concentrate, low bone density, lack of dental formation, or infertility.
Very little time is spent in medical school discussing the condition,
and what is discussed is often out of date, portraying the condition as
being extremely rare, found only in children, and present only if
"classic" symptoms exist.  Until a few years ago, the diagnosis was
invasive and expensive, requiring two- to three intestinal biopsies.
While biopsies are still required for a positive confirmation of the
condition, today there is a simple blood test that can screen for anti-
gluten antibodies.  Fact vs. fiction Interestingly, celiac disease was
talked about more in the early 1970s than it is today.  But research was
limited and anecdotal, and myths were perpetuated.  Some of them include:

Myth:  Celiac disease is found only in children.

Truth:  Celiac disease may present itself at any age.  It is commonly
diagnosed among people in their 50s.

Myth:  Kids outgrow celiac disease.

Truth:  While symptoms may come and go, the celiac condition is lifelong.
Myth:  Celiac disease results from eating too much gluten (or too many
potatoes, or whatever the myth de jour may be).

Truth:  Celiac disease is a genetic disorder.  It may have environmental
triggers, but they have nothing to do with what a person eats prior to
being diagnosed.

What to do if you suspect you have celiac disease The first thing you
need to do is educate yourself about the condition, and be prepared when
you visit your doctor.  Keep track of your symptoms, including the "less-
classic" ones.  Arm yourself with facts and information by visiting
websites such as www.celiac.com or www.niddk.nih.gov.  Oftentimes,
physicians are reluctant to test for celiac disease, but be prepared to
persist.  It might just save your life or the life of someone you love.

Reprinted by permission of the author, Danna Korn.