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The Tribune News

Letter to the Editor:

Re: Perspective Food For Thought "The demonization of…bread?" article
published on the Opinion page on 11-25-03

The writer from the Wichita (Kan.) Eagle professes the joys of the "staff
of life" and its demise because of low-carb diets. The facts are that dairy
and gluten-grain products combine to make up the top six foods we now eat.
Yet cow’s milk and wheat are two of the most commonly reported allergens in
the world.

Unfortunately that writer has never heard of the autoimmune disorder,
Celiac Disease. Bread, in particular the gluten in the grain, wheat,
barley, rye, etc. is toxic to Celiacs. Less that one gram of gluten daily
is sufficient to perpetuate intestinal damage to a celiac. 1 in 133 people
have Celiac Disease, most are undiagnosed with an average of eleven years
and visits to many doctors before it is even suspected. During this time,
they continue to consume grain products, bread, cereals, etc. causing
untold damage to their systems and shortening their anticipated life
expectancy.

About 70 percent of children with untreated celiac disease show exactly the
same abnormalities in brain-wave patterns as those who have been diagnosed
with attention deficit disorder. I would highly recommend that the parent
of any ADD and ADHD diagnosed child have them tested for CD.

A lot of farmers in America are seeing the future, and growing alternatives
to wheat. Maybe Kansas should consider the facts of Celiac Disease and stop
putting America’s health at risk by continuing to force wheat bread and
cereals down our throats. I doubt that this will happen since wheat is what
Kansas does and their special incentive to resist the notion that bread is
the source of all evil will continue.

I do agree that "our civilization is at stake" because for Celiacs a loaf
of bread is a time bomb.

Betty J. Guthrie




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