<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Dear List mates I received some feedback from the list regarding which nationalities get CD. I thought that this would be an important study, especially if we are trying to get the attention of both the medical profession and news groups that might enlighten the public, restaurants, food manufacturers, FDA and other important contacts. The more prevalent the problem around the world, the more important the need to bring it to light. Although I only received around 20 responses to my question, from the feedback that I received, I learned that it is not only Northern Europeans that get CD. People of all backgrounds can get CD and apparently do, all over the world. There were replies from people of Asian, Middle Eastern, South and Central American and African backgrounds. This would make our fight even more compelling as it appears to not be an exclusive fight, but one of all nationalities. I wondered why it was mainly European people who are diagnosed with CD. This appears to be another misconception that surrounds CD. One person responded that perhaps the medical profession is not finding it in other ethnic groups because they aren't looking for it. Just like those of us who are overweight, they don't fit the profile. If this is the case we must work to change that impression also. One person from Montevideo, Uruguay in South America reported that the statistic there is 1 in 300, with gastroenterologists diagnosing more and more people every day. Some people believe that we have so many ethnic mixes in the USA that European ancestry may be the cause, but from other posts, people believe that they have no known European Ancestry. One post told the following interesting story: I believe you are also correct that the low incidence among Asians is due to their utilization of rice for their primary starch. One exception to the low incidence in Asians is the natives of the Punjab area of India. Part of their diet consists of a homemade bread type product similar to a thick tortilla. It is called "Clatoufis". Most of the year this is made from millet or corn. In the summer, it is made from wheat flour. There is a common affliction in that area called "summer diarrhea" that appears, naturally, in the summer. This has been traced to the gluten contained in the clatoufis eaten in that season and is a celiac response. The symptoms disappear when the summer season and the use of wheat flour ends. Others voiced the theory about blood types, stating that those who have type O blood are more prone to be unable to tolerate grains. Type O is the most common and oldest blood type. I have type O so I would fit that criteria, but my daughter with CD has Type B. If those on the list who have CD and are not of Northern European ancestry would make their voices heard, it would help everyone develop a better understanding of the disease. Thanks to all for the information. Perhaps when writing to news groups for publicity, we should not limit the scope of CD to only Northern Europeans. Does anyone else have any opinions?