Tell me about food allergies and celiac disease in other countries.

[Natalieclare]

ETA: Der, that would be countries other than the US....(just outing my us-centrism ;P )

 

So many people around me have been diagnosed with celiac disease or food allergies. It got me thinking...is it like this everywhere? Is the US suffering because of genetically modified food? Is the percentage of people with food allergies higher here? Or is it pretty much the same everywhere?

 

Some friends of ours, who'd visited Jordan, described the community ovens and vast quantities of bread they'd seen. I wondered what would someone with celiac do there?

 

We had other friends who'd moved to the Philippines come home because of their son's peanut allergies. They felt they couldn't control his environment enough. Do Filipinos get peanut allergies? What do they do?

Edited August 26, 2011 by Natalieclare

[I.Dup.]

:lurk5:

[Impish]

I'm in Canada, so there's really not a huge difference, really, as far as food culture goes from the US.

 

Celiac/gluten issues are seemingly on the rise, at least amongst the ppl I know. More restaraunts are offering gf options. Main courses anyways...desserts are still usually all loaded with gluten. *sniffle*

[Tohru]

:bigear:

 

I'm curious as well. I grew up in South Korea and had never heard of "food allergies" until we moved to the states...Maybe because I wasn't paying attention, maybe it was because it was so rare that it wasn't an issue

Edited August 26, 2011 by jadedone80

[KuniMom]

We live in Japan, and my daughter has quite a few food allergies. Interestingly enough, though, one of the most common allergies here is to buckwheat (which she does not have). They even have buckwheat free restaurants, because the flour will get in the air and cause breathing problems for people with a buckwheat allergy. I have heard that celiac disease is becoming more common here, but I have never met anybody with it. Wheat products are not consumed as much here, though. There is only one restaurant in the town we live in that has an allergen free option on the menu, and it still contains corn (I guess that is not a common allergy here). We have been to some restaurants where there is not ONE item on the menu that we can order for our daughter!

[Jenny in Atl]

http://www.healthnowmedical.com/blog/2011/08/10/42000-children-are-dying-from-undiagnosed-celiac-disease/

 

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/726127

 

http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v96/n9/full/ajg2001698a.html

[Liza Lee]

ETA: Der, that would be countries other than the US....

 

 

It's so common in Italy that all children are tested.

 

I seem to remember reading somewhere (but I can't find it now), that Celiacs in Italy are given a government allowance to help them cope with the increased cost of food, and they get extra time off work because of the time involved in preparing everything.

 

I know that it's also common in the UK and there are lots of resources there, too.

 

ETA: "It" being celiac disease.

 

Also wanted to add, I told my DD who has severe food allergies (tree nuts and sesame) to Austria and Germany a couple of years ago. She had taken German in a high school class, and I took it in college. Between our broken German and their excellent English she was fine.

Edited August 26, 2011 by Liza Lee

[Natalieclare]

http://www.healthnowmedical.com/blog/2011/08/10/42000-children-are-dying-from-undiagnosed-celiac-disease/

 

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/726127

 

http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v96/n9/full/ajg2001698a.html

 

Thanks for the links. It was interesting to see that the article in the American Journal of Gastroenterology called the increase of celiac disease "alarming". I almost used that word in my initial post, but thought maybe I was being sensationalistic.

[Natalieclare]

I'm in Canada, so there's really not a huge difference, really, as far as food culture goes from the US.

 

Celiac/gluten issues are seemingly on the rise, at least amongst the ppl I know. More restaraunts are offering gf options. Main courses anyways...desserts are still usually all loaded with gluten. *sniffle*

 

There, there, poor dear. If you come over to my house, I'll make you something fabulous.

 

:bigear:

 

I'm curious as well. I grew up in South Korea and had never heard of "food allergies" until we moved to the states...Maybe because I wasn't paying attention, maybe it was because it was so rare that it wasn't an issue

 

See, I wondered that too: am I just hearing about these things more because I'm a grown-up now? ;) Or is it truly on the rise? If you read some of the links that Jenny posted, you will find it is on the rise.

 

We live in Japan, and my daughter has quite a few food allergies. Interestingly enough, though, one of the most common allergies here is to buckwheat (which she does not have). They even have buckwheat free restaurants, because the flour will get in the air and cause breathing problems for people with a buckwheat allergy. I have heard that celiac disease is becoming more common here, but I have never met anybody with it. Wheat products are not consumed as much here, though. There is only one restaurant in the town we live in that has an allergen free option on the menu, and it still contains corn (I guess that is not a common allergy here). We have been to some restaurants where there is not ONE item on the menu that we can order for our daughter!

 

Thanks for sharing! That is so interesting.

It's so common in Italy that all children are tested.

 

I seem to remember reading somewhere (but I can't find it now), that Celiacs in Italy are given a government allowance to help them cope with the increased cost of food, and they get extra time off work because of the time involved in preparing everything.

 

.

 

Wow! I had no idea...

[Cricket]

I don't know of a study I can link but from reading about allergies it doesn't seem to be an issue in Third World countries. It must have something to do with the environment. I wish someone would figure it out. I developed food allergies as an adult but one of my dds has shown signs of allergies since she was born. (I feel your pain, Impish, on the dessert thing! But it does help me maintain my weight--there has to be an 'up' side!)

[bettyandbob]

my dd GI is a major researcher in the area of celiac (Alessio Fasano). When he first came to the US, he was surprised by how low the incidence of diagnosis was. He started out wondering if Americans were so genetically different from Italians that we didn't have celiac disease here. He and others have now shown that in the US it is a disease that is way underdiagnosed.

 

My dd was diagnosed 9 years ago. The difference in the amount of people being tested and diagnosed today is huge and that has translated into a huge difference in being able to purchase gluten free friendly products or being able to go out to eat. I used to order a few special foods for special occassions (donuts on Christmas) from Canada. I don't need to do that anymore. I mostly don't use gluten substitutes and cook from whole foods, but it's nice to have stuff once in a while. Dd, younger ds and I took a mini-vacay earlier this week. I didn't plan food well so we had to go out to eat. We stopped at a random non chain restaurant, thinking dd could get a salad with some major direction to the server (and prayer). As soon as I started talking to the server she got me a gluten free menu. There were chains that had gf menus 5 years ago, but most non chains were clueless and now they have gf menus. It's great.

[Sushi's Mom]

I wonder if in third world countries the babies with food allergies just don't survive long enough to get a diagnosis.

[Natalieclare]

:crying::crying::crying:

 

 

I wonder if in third world countries the babies with food allergies just don't survive long enough to get a diagnosis.

[TheReader]

I wonder if in third world countries the babies with food allergies just don't survive long enough to get a diagnosis.

 

More likely they just do not have access to the testing that would diagnose something like celiac, food allergies, etc. I would think even moms in 3rd world countries would notice "oh, when I feed my baby xyz food, he gets abc reaction" and do her best to avoid the food.

 

Then again, the very simple diets common among the poorest of the poor tend to be low allergen kinds of diets anyway. Rice & beans are not common allergens, ya know?

[TheReader]

I'm in Brazil; we've lived here almost 4 years now.

 

I don't know that I've met anyone yet who has a diagnosed allergy or celiac disease or anything, at least, not that they've shared with me.

 

I will say that it is fairly easy to find foods (both pre-packaged and homemade/artisan foods sold in the craft markets on weekends) that are labeled Gluten Free so I imagine among any of the allergies/food sensitivities, that's the most common one here. (and conversely, "Contains Gluten" in bold letters).

 

I don't think I've seen much labeling about nuts, corn, etc. so I suspect those are far less common here than in the US. I mean, can you imagine a candy bar in the US that's not labeled with the fact it "May have been produced in a facility that handles peanuts" or something similar? Yet, you just don't see that warning here, at all.

 

I do think if one follows the train of thought that early and frequent exposure to a potential allergen can lead to an allergy to that food, then it makes sense to be less likely/less common in cultures that don't eat allergen laden foods.

 

Rice & beans are the staple food here, period. No real allergen content there.

 

Bread is a common item at breakfast and we do see gluten intolerance here. Makes sense.

 

Nuts are used sparingly, are very expensive, and just really aren't eaten nearly as much as in the US. Not in desserts, as snacks, etc. Low incidence of allergies to nuts. Makes sense, ya know?

 

So, I would think diet plays a roll, but I'm not sure. Also, I posted up thread, it could be that there's less access to testing. But honestly, for a country like Brazil, a very small percentage of the population would have access to foods that might cause problems and to the testing to determine a problem if one developed, so between the two factors, yea, I'm guessing it's less common here.

[sbgrace]

I don't know of a study I can link but from reading about allergies it doesn't seem to be an issue in Third World countries. It must have something to do with the environment. I wish someone would figure it out. I developed food allergies as an adult but one of my dds has shown signs of allergies since she was born. (I feel your pain, Impish, on the dessert thing! But it does help me maintain my weight--there has to be an 'up' side!)

 

You're right about environment it seems. Parastic infections so common in third world countries seem to occupy the body and prevent auto-immune issues like allergies and likely celiac too. http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25017/ In fact, I've seen research looking into parasites as treatment for allergies though I'm not sure where the data is going in terms of success. Here is hookworm parasites as treatment for celiac too. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2009/s2721104.htm

 

I think the parasitic stuff is probably key but there is likely more. I think there may be a link between vitamin D levels and those auto-immune issues as well. It's very possible vitamin D levels are better in the third world countries. No doubt GMO foods are a nightmare for those pre-disposed for allergies who, then, are eating the exact same genetic type of corn day in and out for example.

Edited August 26, 2011 by sbgrace

[Sputterduck]

I don't know anyone here who grew up here who has an allergy or celiac. Strange, no?

Edited August 26, 2011 by Sputterduck

[Impish]

There, there, poor dear. If you come over to my house, I'll make you something fabulous.

:auto:

(I feel your pain, Impish, on the dessert thing! But it does help me maintain my weight--there has to be an 'up' side!)

But when you want something just sinfully gooey and sweet and yummy, it sucks when vanilla ice cream is about the only option. If there's that, even.

I don't know anyone here who grew up here with an allergy or celiac. Strange, no?

I remember a girl allergic to chocolate. That's about it.

[FairProspects]

I read somewhere (and I wish I could remember where) that the gluten content of wheat was GMed in the 1950s to create a better texture for bread and we are now seeing the effects of that in celiac/gluten intolerances. I'd love to see more research on this theory as well.

[Denise in Florida]

It's so common in Italy that all children are tested.

 

I seem to remember reading somewhere (but I can't find it now), that Celiacs in Italy are given a government allowance to help them cope with the increased cost of food, and they get extra time off work because of the time involved in preparing everything.

 

I know that it's also common in the UK and there are lots of resources there, too.

 

ETA: "It" being celiac disease.

 

Also wanted to add, I told my DD who has severe food allergies (tree nuts and sesame) to Austria and Germany a couple of years ago. She had taken German in a high school class, and I took it in college. Between our broken German and their excellent English she was fine.

 

:thumbup1: Thank you, thank you. My gluten intolerant dd is traveling to Italy for a semster. She leaves next week. We were trying to find how to say 'I am allergic to Wheat" in a phrase book. :001_smile: I am so relieved to hear that they will know what she is talking about. I also just googled and found a celiac allergy card written in Italian.

[ktgrok]

I don't know of a study I can link but from reading about allergies it doesn't seem to be an issue in Third World countries. It must have something to do with the environment. I wish someone would figure it out. I developed food allergies as an adult but one of my dds has shown signs of allergies since she was born. (I feel your pain, Impish, on the dessert thing! But it does help me maintain my weight--there has to be an 'up' side!)

 

My guess is that countries where they eat mostly bread there are a few factors. One is that those with gluten issues won't reproduce and pass on the issue, because they will be too sick to do so. Another factor is that traditional methods of preparing bread involve soaking and sometimes fermenting, which makes it more digestible. Third, the wheat we eat here is higher in gluten than traditional forms of wheat from ages and ages ago. Finally, there are many devloping countries where gluten is NOT a normal food...countries that are rice based.

[JumpyTheFrog]

I read somewhere (and I wish I could remember where) that the gluten content of wheat was GMed in the 1950s to create a better texture for bread and we are now seeing the effects of that in celiac/gluten intolerances. I'd love to see more research on this theory as well.

 

Wheat has been bred to have a higher gluten content. It couldn't have been genetically modified in the 1950s because it wasn't until then that scientists even discovered the shape of DNA. GM crops are created by people actually adding genes to the plant's DNA. That is different that selectively breeding crops or animals.

 

In any case, the higher gluten content of flour today may play a role. Also, fewer people eat sourdough type breads that help increase the digestibility of gluten.

[JeneralMom]

I was diagnosed with my chocolate allergy at 13 yo. Before that I could eat it but got awful pains. After I stopped eating it, I almost died once when someone slipped me chocolate to see what would happen. My kids have all had reactions since birth. I was diagnosed last October with my gluten intolerance while at the same time my 4yo was diagnosed. It is likely that I always had a reaction (I grew up hating bread, not eating donuts or bagels, or very little) but it got worse as I got older. Maybe we are also just better at recognizing food allergies.

[TheReader]

My guess is that countries where they eat mostly bread there are a few factors. One is that those with gluten issues won't reproduce and pass on the issue, because they will be too sick to do so. Another factor is that traditional methods of preparing bread involve soaking and sometimes fermenting, which makes it more digestible. Third, the wheat we eat here is higher in gluten than traditional forms of wheat from ages and ages ago. Finally, there are many devloping countries where gluten is NOT a normal food...countries that are rice based.

 

This is a good point, as well.

 

I know that here in Brazil a traditional flour is made from manioc root rather than wheat, rice, corn, whatever.

 

Maize flours and the like are also lower in/free from gluten, right?

 

Not something I'd thought of until you mentioned it, but I bet you're right on the point of what bread is consumed might not be wheat/gluten based anyway.

[Slartibartfast]

More likely they just do not have access to the testing that would diagnose something like celiac, food allergies, etc. I would think even moms in 3rd world countries would notice "oh, when I feed my baby xyz food, he gets abc reaction" and do her best to avoid the food.

 

Then again, the very simple diets common among the poorest of the poor tend to be low allergen kinds of diets anyway. Rice & beans are not common allergens, ya know?

 

Or they don't have choices in what they feed their children and they just have one of those babies/children that are sick all the time.

 

When I read old books and it mentions someone being "sickly" it always makes me wonder what they had.

[Slartibartfast]

 

We had other friends who'd moved to the Philippines come home because of their son's peanut allergies. They felt they couldn't control his environment enough. Do Filipinos get peanut allergies? What do they do?

 

I read somewhere that Asians and Native Americans are the most likely to have dairy allergies but they are also the LEAST likely to have a nut allergy.

[Sandra in FL]

I think it's telling that the allergens specific to a country are foods that are commonly eaten there eg. the previous poster who related that buckwheat is a common allergen in Japan. Don't they eat a lot of soba noodles? Whereas hardly any one eats buckwheat here in the US.

 

The major allergens ds has are dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts - all used a lot here in the US - not necessarily in my household or eaten by me. I was mostly a meat, white rice, fruits and vegetables person (Chinese diet) before and while pregnant.

 

While growing up in Jamaica, I didn't know one single person with allergies - thought allergies were just sniffling.

[NicAnn]

I can't speak for other food intolerance/allergies, but Celiac's is different than most of them. There is a lot of talk in the Celiac world that some of the causes are:

- Low quality grains and wheat. Lots of wheat flour served and bought in the US is basically rancid before you eat it.

- Abundance of overly processed or GMO foods that weaken the system.

 

Also keep in mind that many people do not discover they have gluten reactions until adulthood and sometimes they never do. For many, the reactions are things viewed as common- bloating, abnormal bowel habits, heartburn, etc. It can also be confused with CFS, Fibro, or similar chronic pain diseases.

[Mom-ninja.]

The thing about celiac though is that it is genetic. What they don't know is why the disorder is switched on if one has the genes.

 

I also just read that it take on average 11 years to be diagnosed celiac, if diagnosed at all, in the USA. In Europe it takes 6 months.

 

It seems Europe is more knowledgeable about celiac.

 

I don't think the cases of celiac are rising. I think the cases of correct diagnosis are rising. Celiac just hasn't been widely known or acknowledged, and that's changing.

[bettyandbob]

I think it's telling that the allergens specific to a country are foods that are commonly eaten there eg. the previous poster who related that buckwheat is a common allergen in Japan. Don't they eat a lot of soba noodles? Whereas hardly any one eats buckwheat here in the US.

 

It used to be that most of the people who had diagnosed soy allergies in the US were of Japanese descent. Soy is also very common in the Japanese diet.

 

Soy allergies are on the rise in the US. The reason is because soy is added to just about every processed food you find in grocery stores.

 

With regard to the pp who wondered about countries where diagnosis is not often made, I have a friend from Uganda who has 2 dc with serious peanut allergies. These children have an American born mother with no allergies and were born in the US as well. Friends say he believes a lot of children in Africa have peanut allergies (peanuts are common in Africa). He said in his village if a child died the family would not look for a medical cause they would say "so and so " neighbor cursed my child. I was a little surprised, but he was serious.

[Cricket]

You're right about environment it seems. Parastic infections so common in third world countries seem to occupy the body and prevent auto-immune issues like allergies and likely celiac too. http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25017/ In fact, I've seen research looking into parasites as treatment for allergies though I'm not sure where the data is going in terms of success. Here is hookworm parasites as treatment for celiac too. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2009/s2721104.htm

 

I think the parasitic stuff is probably key but there is likely more. I think there may be a link between vitamin D levels and those auto-immune issues as well. It's very possible vitamin D levels are better in the third world countries. No doubt GMO foods are a nightmare for those pre-disposed for allergies who, then, are eating the exact same genetic type of corn day in and out for example.

 

Hmmm....celiac or hookworm?....celiac or hookworm?....

 

I'm not sure I like those options.

[Cricket]

:auto:

 

But when you want something just sinfully gooey and sweet and yummy, it sucks when vanilla ice cream is about the only option. If there's that, even.

 

I remember a girl allergic to chocolate. That's about it.

 

Can you eat oats? I buy gluten-free oats and grind them into flour. It makes a very good substitute for wheat flour, especially in cookies. I also make apple crisp using the gf-oats for a topping. The kids usually eat most of it before I get any though!

[Sputterduck]

Hmmm....celiac or hookworm?....celiac or hookworm?....

 

I'm not sure I like those options.

 

Yeah but a small round of worms really isn't a big deal and super easy to get rid of. At least worms are temporary.

 

You know... I never in my life thought I'd be saying worms aren't so bad. They are WORMS in a person's INTESTINES. :scared: Once you get over that, though, it's a better deal than life long allergy issues.

[Natalieclare]

Yeah but a small round of worms really isn't a big deal and super easy to get rid of. At least worms are temporary.

 

You know... I never in my life thought I'd be saying worms aren't so bad. They are WORMS in a person's INTESTINES. :scared: Once you get over that, though, it's a better deal than life long allergy issues.

 

Maybe I should send my lil hillbillies out to muck the stalls barefoot. Aren't there some kind of worms you can get that way? :lol:

[mom31257]

Yeah but a small round of worms really isn't a big deal and super easy to get rid of. At least worms are temporary.

 

You know... I never in my life thought I'd be saying worms aren't so bad. They are WORMS in a person's INTESTINES. :scared: Once you get over that, though, it's a better deal than life long allergy issues.

 

 

It would be better than major issues affecting the quality of your life. There are many parasitic relationships in nature that both species are benefitted by the presence of the parasite. Why wouldn't it be that way with us?

[Sputterduck]

Maybe I should send my lil hillbillies out to muck the stalls barefoot. Aren't there some kind of worms you can get that way? :lol:

 

It works doubly well if you have them lick their feet afterwards. haha :tongue_smilie: They need to get the eggs into their mouths, I think.

[Tabitha]

Here is the US we consume so much processed food, and it almost all has wheat in it.

 

Two of my dd's have 'leaky guts.' Both are gluten/casien free. I just recently went gluten-free and my dh thinks I've crossed over to Celiac. I've very, very sensitive to things that didn't bother me a year ago. With our girls being gf/cf, my diet was 75-90% like that as well. When I started having a hefty dose of gluten at once, the problems started creeping in. I didn't realize what was happening for 6 months when it got really bad for a bit. I immediately pulled gluten and the change has been awesome.

 

I did take a supplement for 'hidden gluten' in meals when we went out. It use to work. After a month or so it no longer works. I went over to a gluten digestive enzyme. Taking one at first was fine. Within a month I needed to take 3, and all that did was delay my reaction by 12-18 hours. It's not worth it to digest gluten.

 

I can't use gf oats. And, I recently started not being able to use distilled white vinegar (it was the Kroger brand, but the reaction was bad enough that I won't use any brand of it from now on).

 

I eat healthy. I have for years. Growing up my parents had lots of processed stuff.

 

Watching Food, Inc. was a real eye opener. You walk away from that seeing why we have such a sick nation here. Wheat, soybeans, corn...all modified. Sad.

[Tabitha]

Oh, and a neat site to visit dealing with allergies is http://www.gaps.me

 

This dr. is great!

 

It all starts in the gut. The gut education you get from her is just amazing. I learned things that blew my mind about how our body works.

 

And, her stuff doesn't apply only to autistic/adhd children. Once she got into her research she found that what she learned was linked to tons and tons of various illnesses/diseases.