<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
I got permission from the editor of a magazine directed to health food
stores, "Natural Foods Merchandiser", to post this article from their
February, 2004 issue:
"First there was low salt. Then came low fat, followed by low carb. Don't
forget vegetarian, vegan and dolphin safe. Now there's a new food niche --
gluten-free and casein-free foods -- and it has enormous growth potential.
Driving this are two seemingly unrelated disorders, autism and celiac
disease. The incidence of both is on the rise. A 2002 study for the U.S.
Department of Education shows that nationwide, between 1992 and 2000, the
average number of autism grew by 435 percent.
Similarly, a University of Colorado Health Sciences Center study, published
in the September 2003 issue of the "Journal of Pediatrics," found that
celiac disease -- a genetic sensitivity to gluten that can lead to severe
nutritional deficiences -- occurred at a rate of one child out of 100 in a
study of 1,000 children observed from birth to age 7 -- double the rate
previously suspected.
However, in both cases, radical dietary changes often seem to ameliorate
and sometimes eradicate many symptoms. Preliminary research and anecdotal
evidence show that eliminating certain proteins -- specifically casein,
found in milk, and gluten, found in wheat, barley and rye -- can postively
impact those suffering from either disorder. As awareness of such
ailments -- and the number of people impacted by them -- has increased,
manufacturers have responded, offering up gluten-free and casein-free
products.
But those who must eliminate wheat and dairy from their diets aren't the
only ones seeking such products. The appeal extends to the low-carb crowd,
vegans, the lactose-intolerant, people adhering to kosher laws, and those
merely trying to avoid secondary chemical compounds commonly found in wheat
and dairy.
Although physicians and scientists remain unclear on why autism occurs,
diet seems to affect language abilities and behavioral problems associated
with the disease. Reserach and anecdotal evidence indicate that parents
who remove gluten and casein from their autistic child's diet can see
significant improvements within a short time.
"It's amazing. Parents -- not every parent, but a large percentage -- see
great results after putting their kids on gluten- and casein-free diets,"
says a Chicago-based registered dietitian who works with parents of
autistic children as well as those suffering from celiac disease.
A mother of a 15-year old son with autisim agrees. After seeing an allergy
specialist, she discovered that her son had a slight wheat allergy but
nothing that might explain the aggressive behavior exhibited prior to
having dairy and wheat removed from his diet. She did some reading and
found that 90% of food allergies are caused by the same foods. The child
got a lot better off dairy and wheat.
More research revealed that scientists in Britain and Norway suggested a
link between gluten, not wheat, and autism. They found that a correlation
seemed to exist between a body's ability to metabolize these proteins and
autism. As explained by the dietitian, casein and gluten are proteins that
sometimes cannot be broken down in the intestine, which leaves unbroken or
undigested proteins floating around in the bloodstream. Those proteins
actually mimic an opiate and, once they get into the brain, they can affect
neurotransmitters, which is what can cause some behaviors like autism.
While many imagine a bleak existence on a gluten-free, casein-free diet,
this is simply not true. A bigger variety of ready-made and convenience
foods would be helpful, but while the market does not seem to have a wide
variety of ready-made meals, manufacturers like Enjoy Life Foods, Pamela's
Products, Amy's Kitchen and Rizopia Food Products, among others, provide
retailers with a multiplicity of gluten-free products: snacks, cookies,
pastas, bagels, pancake mixes -- convenience foods greatly missed and
appreciated by people with special dietary needs.
The casein-free food market is arguably more developed than the gluten-free
market. Consumers are more aware of their options for avoiding dairy.
They can buy rice or soy milk, and a variety of soy and other casein-free
cheeses exists, as do casein-free snacks.
However, for both gluten-free and casein-free foods, better labeling,
whether on the shelf, on the food aisles or on the products themselves,
would be another benefit.
Labeling today is a huge issue. Natural flavors -- what the heck are
natural flavors? People who are at real risk of getting sick still have to
call the manufacturer and even then, half the time, those people aren't
sure what's in there.
A lot of products are wheat-, gluten- and dairy-free by nature, but they're
not labeled like that -- rice cakes being one example -- because years ago,
there was not the demand for this type of labeling. Only a few retailers
are creating food sections tailored for consumers with special dietary
needs. But more stores with shelf tags or coding systems help customers
identify gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, kosher and other speciality
foods. Stores such as Trader Joe's and Vitamin Cottage, have created lists
and store guides specifically identifying products by brand name, that meet
special dietary needs.
Some stores such as Whole Foods and Korgers have hired registered
dietitians who can help customers on gluten-free shopping and eating.
Ukrop's Super Markets, a Virginia-based independent grocery, recently
hosted a seminar on how to read labels, and offered tips for cooking and
dining out, along with providing samples of gluten-free foods.
More and more, ordinary shoppers with special needs will be turning to
their local grocery store for help in dealing with new dietary
requirements. Conventional shoppers will become natural shoppers if the
natural stores are the places that have the products and information they
need.
By Rachel Hauser"
Betty
Fort Worth/TX
*Please provide references to back up claims of a product being GF or not GF*
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