There is no question that some people suffer from the extremely painful autoimmune disorder known as Celiac disease, which makes them intolerant of gluten, but true Celiac disease affects only about 1 percent of the population according to the Celiac Disease Foundation.
Celiac patients are seeing the benefits of the increased interest in going gluten-free, even if it may be unnecessary for most people. The gluten-free movement has exploded in recent years, with sales of gluten-free food expected to reach $6.6 billion by 2017. The increased availability of specialty products has given Celiac’s much greater access to food.
There are risks as well. Those with NCGS are much more tolerant of tiny bits of gluten than are those with Celiac’s. Many restaurants now offer gluten-free foods, but may share the preparation surfaces and equipment with dishes containing gluten. Just picking the croutons off a salad is not adequately gluten-free for a Celiac.
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