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

<http://www.healthscout.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Af?apU&id1445>Dear
listmates,

The SafetyAlerts list ran an interesting feature yesterday (6-26-01) on
food allergens in which Celiac is mentioned that should be of interest
to members of this list.  The URL is http://www.healthscout.com/cgi-
bin/WebObjects/Af?apU&id1445

Unfortunately, the author cites the incidence of Celiac as 1 in 2000.

The National Institutes of Health suggests that the frequency may be as
high as 1 in 250. Here is a clip from a NIH article on celiac found at
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/celiac/index.htm#7

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How Common Is Celiac Disease?   Celiac disease is the most common
genetic disease in Europe. In Italy about 1 in 250 people and in
Ireland about 1 in 300 people have celiac disease. It is rarely
diagnosed in African, Chinese, and Japanese people.

An estimated 1 in 4,700 Americans have been diagnosed with celiac
disease. Some researchers question how celiac disease could be so
uncommon in the United States since it is hereditary and many
Americans descend from European ethnic groups in whom the disease is
common. A recent study in which random blood samples from the Red
Cross were tested for celiac disease suggests that as many as 1 in
every 250 Americans may have it. Celiac disease could be
underdiagnosed in the United States for a number of reasons:


*       Celiac symptoms can be attributed to other problems.

*       Many doctors are not knowledgeable about the disease.

*       Only a handful of U.S. laboratories are experienced and
skilled in testing for celiac disease.

More research is needed to find out the true prevalence of celiac
disease among Americans.

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I intend to write to the author of the safety alerts article and
diplomatically point her in the direction of more accurate
information.

The SafetyAlerts list is a good one for anyone concerned about
product safety.  I think most of us on this list qualify!  The safety
alert main page is http://www.safetyalerts.com/Default.htm and the
subscription is free, (My favorite price!)

--


As always, these are our experiences only, thus no warranty is
expressed or implied, Your mileage may vary. Look both ways before
you cross the street.

peace
steve & deni weber
Valparaiso Indiana USA
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