Research

The suitability of oats as part of the gluten-free diet has been a source of controversy, with some groups pointing to research suggesting oats are safe and others pointing to other research demonstrating oats are dangerous to those with celiac disease. Close inspection of available medical research clearly shows that oats, even “gluten-free” oats, should not be included in the gluten-free diet at this time.

Until the early 1990’s, oats were excluded from the gluten-free diet, along with wheat, barley and rye. Then, a few pilot studies suggested oats may not cause the harm previously thought. The idea was proposed that people with celiac disease would find their diet more palatable, and would benefit nutritionally, if they were allowed to eat oats.

Heavy contamination of many oat products with wheat, rye, and particularly barley, was a concern. Companies began to produce so-called “gluten-free oats.” These oats were tested for the presence of wheat, barley and rye. They are vigorously marketed as “safe” for celiacs. However, studies show that even “uncontaminated oats” (oats not containing wheat, barley or rye) are toxic to an unknown number of people with celiac disease.

Early studies proclaimed oats to be safe, but they have since been judged faulty with poor validity. Nevertheless, they opened the floodgates to Read More »

The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University invites you to participate in a research study looking at individuals’ knowledge of genetic testing of celiac disease and their potential concerns with such testing.  The goal of this study is to increase understanding of the factors associated with making an informed decision regarding such testing and to better provide the necessary information to make such a decision.

The following article was written by Erika Gebel and reprinted by permision from Chemical and Engineering News.

Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity Often Go Undiagnosed

Judging by their symptoms, people with celiac disease could have food poisoning, depression, or iron deficiency. As a result, doctors often have trouble diagnosing the serious immune disorder. To develop a better test for the disease, researchers have made a device that can detect nanograms of gluten antibodies, the hallmarks of celiac disease, in human Read More »

Editor’s note:

In the following medical research study, healthy participants were enrolled to examine the effects of vitamin D on insulin production and use in the body. This research shows that:

1) Vitamin D plays an important role in insulin sensitivity in the body, and deficiency of vitamin D hampers production of insulin hormone by beta cells in the pancreas.

2) People with vitamin D deficiency are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by lack of insulin sensitivity in body tissues and inadequate production of insulin hormone in the pancreas. Read More »

Editor’s note:  

In this study, researchers investigating the absorption of copper in untreated patients who had damage to their duodenum found anemia in 3 out of 10 of these patients that was due to copper deficiency.  They gave all the study subjects a solution of copper to drink that was equal to a daily dose then tested their blood level.  Read More »

Editor’s note: This important study demonstrated that short chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in stool samples were abnormal in participating children with celiac disease, with and without treatment with gluten-free diet. SCFAs are healthy energy byproducts produced by microflora (beneficial organisms) in the colon during fermentation of undigested carbohydrates arriving from the small intestine. SCFAs nourish the colonocytes, cells that line the colon, to maintain normal function. They also help absorb salts and water from stool.  

“Gut Microflora Associated Characteristics in Children with Celiac Disease”

Tjellström B, et. al.

Microbiology and Tumour Biology Center, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

Am J Gastroenterol. 2005 Dec;100(12):2784-8.

Background and aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the Read More »

 Editors’ note: This study investigating the value and safety of Candin for clinical use in children demonstrated effectiveness and safety.  Candin is a reagent or skin test for sensitivity to Candida albicans, a yeast microorganism that can cause infection.  The study recommends using Candin in combination with other reagents in infants with anergy to see if they react to antigens other than Candida albicans.  Anergy is described in Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary as the impaired or absent ability to react to common antigens administered through skin testing. Antigens are markers on the surface of cells that stimulate production of antibodies.  In this study, Candin was tested at the same time as a skin test for tuberculosis (purified protein derivative tuberculosis) for comparison of results. Read More »

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House, a study published in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Insurance Medicine reports that researchers from Columbia University and CIGNA HealthCare found that diagnosis of celiac disease substantially reduces subsequent health care costs. 

The research group, led by Peter Green, M.D., a renowned authority in celiac disease from Columbia University,  looked at medical records for 10.2 million CIGNA managed care members.   Read More »

 3 06 08

Contact: Sally Webster
s.webster@qmul.ac.uk
44-207-882-5404
Queen Mary, University of London

Scientists who last year identified a new genetic risk factor for coeliac disease, have, following continued research, discovered an additional seven gene regions implicated in causing the condition. The team, lead by David van Heel, Professor of Gastrointestinal Genetics at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, have further demonstrated that of the nine coeliac gene regions now know, four of these are also predisposing factors for type 1 diabetes. Their research sheds light not only on the nature of coeliac disease, but on the common origins of both diseases. It is published online today (2 March 2008) in Nature Genetics. Read More »