<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> "As the world shrinks, we mix the gene pool - also more processed foods" -Catherine Hammelrath Carol Lydick asked a similar question herself, and discovered a 1 in 300 rate of celiac in a South American country, and several celiacs of African and Asian ancestry. Martin Finne points out that Italy has a high rate of celiac - and wheat is an important part of Italian cuisine. He also gave a web site concerning the likelihood that celiac is severely underdiagnosed in this country, given that it is the most common genetic disease in Europe, and many Americans are of European descent. Unfortuneately, my server routinely renders web sites illegible. (And if anyone knows how to fix THAT, please respond!) Karen D'Andrea wondered if wheat were simply poisonous, like rhubarb. Lillian Horne speculated that doctors may be in denial because celiac, after all, is not a disease that necessarily brings in much revenue. She feels that a low-protein, vegetable-based diet and avoiding dairy after age 2, sugar, soda would improve most people's digestive health. Also she mentioned the probability of cross-contamination with commercially milled flours.