Is Support Needed for Celiac Disease Research?

An estimated three million Americans are adversely affected by celiac disease (http://GlutenFreeHelp.Info). A large number of them don't even know it -- you might be one of them. What exactly is celiac disease then? It is a disease caused by an allergic reaction to gluten, a component of wheat, barley, rye and other grains, which can negatively affect your entire body. Many of the irritating or painful symptoms can be confused with symptoms of other diseases. Because the symptoms can be confused with other problems and a general lack of education about celiac disease, many doctors fail to diagnose celiac disease correctly.

Why is it that you and your doctors probably haven't heard about celiac disease? Out of the estimated 50 autoimmune diseases that have been discovered by doctors, celiac disease is the only one for which research isn't supported by the U.S. government. Although the amount of research on this disease is growing, it depends entirely on the generosity of benefactors for its funding. Without these charitable donations, there would be no way to continue this research and the efforts to raise awareness.

The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University is one of the major research centers around studying and bringing awareness to this disease which affects an estimated three million Americans. It is one-hundred percent focused on studying celiac disease (http://GlutenFreeHelp.Info) and carries out research connecting it with various other diseases which it is believed to lead to if left untreated. The Center's goal is to change the lives of celiac disease sufferers for the better around the world, a goal which it is actively achieving, little by little, every day. As hard as the Center works at achieving this goal though, and despite the good it has achieved for many, chances are you haven't heard about celiac disease yet. And the same goes for 97% of the people who suffer from it.

Despite the lack of funding, thanks to the hard work of celiac disease advocates, there has been some progress made in the fight to raise awareness. In 2003, an unofficial group of celiac community leaders came together to help persuade Congress to pass a law which would require food labels to include information about allergens. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law on August 3, 2004, greatly helping those who suffer from celiac disease or who are gluten-sensitive to shop for gluten-free groceries. When this was achieved, the need for a permanently established advocacy organization was seen, and this advocacy group became the American Celiac Disease Alliance (ACDA), which continues to this day to represent the celiac community to Congress.

Thus, strides have certainly been made in respect to helping the celiac community, but this isn't good enough. After all, out of the three million Americans who are estimated to have the disease, only about three out of every hundred of them have been diagnosed. I am one of the lucky three who discovered the cause of the physical and emotional agony sufferers of celiac disease go through. I spent years going from doctor to doctor, getting test after test, trying a variety of suggested solutions, but with no answers and no relief. That's when I began my own research. It was a long, hard road, and I'm determined that no one else have to follow it -- if they're even able to.

That's why I support centers such as Columbia University's Celiac Disease Center and the ACDA, but I'll tell you something -- they're going to need more than just my own support. They need the advocacy and financial support of the government and others in order to end the suffering of three million of its citizens.


For more information on eating and living gluten free, visit http://GlutenFreeHelp.info. For more information on Tina Turbin, visit http://TinaTurbin.com.Tina Turbin (http://TinaTurbin.com) is a published children's author, writer, researcher, humanitarian and mom. Through her work with children and adults, Tina's research led her topics in celiac disease, gluten and nutrition, leading to her extensive interviews, and revelations in this field. Her web site, http://GlutenFreeHelp.info, is just one of her ways to help improve the quality of lives and health for others.