Harold Rutila
Pre-takeoff checklist
For people who actually have Celiac disease, the attitudes expressed in the linked article and this topic are the biggest problem. It is most certainly common knowledge to people with Celiac disease that there are people running around claiming they have it who sit down at restaurants and order a beer or 3. (Beer contains gluten.) I must also point out that the article was written in 2012, and even in the four years since that article was written, there has been much discovered about it. Armchairing a discussion on a disease that is known to cause serious health problems in men and women is a little amateurish.
There are a number of fallacies in the article, namely that this is only an American problem, when in fact it has been known about for centuries overseas, including in the world pizza and pasta capital, Italy. Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the EU, Ireland, and the UK all join the ranks of countries where this is a known problem. And yes, apparently unbelievable to some, there are certain diseases which are more prevalent among certain races than others. For example, prostate cancer is 1.6 times more prevalent among black males than white males, and it leads to death in black males 2.6 times more than it does white males. The idea that we should be shocked about a disease having more prevalence among certain races than others is ludicrous. Race is a risk factor in almost every major disease known to man. Diseases do not seek racial equality.
To answer the question about how it is diagnosed, there are three primary ways. The first is through an antibody blood test. The main problem with it is people who go so far as to get this test probably have already stopped eating gluten, and the rates for false negatives are quite high. The second is through a biopsy of the small intestine, which contains villi responsible for food absorption. Those with celiac have damaged villi, and this is the most definitive test that can be done to diagnose it to date. A third test is a DNA test that looks for markers of Celiac disease, which is usually done as a result of symptoms associated with the disease being present.
There is a new upcoming test involving a blood sample, and while I hate to post a link to the same source which published the 2012 piece-of-trash article in the original post, I will anyway so that you may better understand what the blood test is about: http://www.science20.com/news_articles/celiac_disease_diagnosis_gets_simplified-157275
There is a much greater social implication for for people who have Celiac disease than what people might realize. Little things like visiting a friend's house where dinner is being cooked, and not being able to eat that dinner, are things someone without Celiac wouldn't think twice about. An evening out with friends or family must be carefully planned in advance to ensure there is something consumable. Then there are always people who get very offended when made aware that Mr. Celiac can't eat whatever is being served, even when Mr. Celiac is explicitly not demanding any substitute be made.
Also, one final point. Most people with Celiac or NCGS don't go out seeking replacements for gluten-containing foods, and instead rely on a grain-free diet consisting of meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy products, and so on. The diet itself is not very limiting.
There are a number of fallacies in the article, namely that this is only an American problem, when in fact it has been known about for centuries overseas, including in the world pizza and pasta capital, Italy. Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the EU, Ireland, and the UK all join the ranks of countries where this is a known problem. And yes, apparently unbelievable to some, there are certain diseases which are more prevalent among certain races than others. For example, prostate cancer is 1.6 times more prevalent among black males than white males, and it leads to death in black males 2.6 times more than it does white males. The idea that we should be shocked about a disease having more prevalence among certain races than others is ludicrous. Race is a risk factor in almost every major disease known to man. Diseases do not seek racial equality.
To answer the question about how it is diagnosed, there are three primary ways. The first is through an antibody blood test. The main problem with it is people who go so far as to get this test probably have already stopped eating gluten, and the rates for false negatives are quite high. The second is through a biopsy of the small intestine, which contains villi responsible for food absorption. Those with celiac have damaged villi, and this is the most definitive test that can be done to diagnose it to date. A third test is a DNA test that looks for markers of Celiac disease, which is usually done as a result of symptoms associated with the disease being present.
There is a new upcoming test involving a blood sample, and while I hate to post a link to the same source which published the 2012 piece-of-trash article in the original post, I will anyway so that you may better understand what the blood test is about: http://www.science20.com/news_articles/celiac_disease_diagnosis_gets_simplified-157275
There is a much greater social implication for for people who have Celiac disease than what people might realize. Little things like visiting a friend's house where dinner is being cooked, and not being able to eat that dinner, are things someone without Celiac wouldn't think twice about. An evening out with friends or family must be carefully planned in advance to ensure there is something consumable. Then there are always people who get very offended when made aware that Mr. Celiac can't eat whatever is being served, even when Mr. Celiac is explicitly not demanding any substitute be made.
Also, one final point. Most people with Celiac or NCGS don't go out seeking replacements for gluten-containing foods, and instead rely on a grain-free diet consisting of meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy products, and so on. The diet itself is not very limiting.
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