DAYSPA is the magazine of spa management. Spa owners and spa managers turn to DAYSPA for spa management trends, spa management tips and more.
Issue link: https://dayspamagazine.epubxp.com/i/210402
HEALTH WISE Sales of gluten-free products in the U.S. hit $4.2 billion in 2012, and are expected to rise to $6.2 billion by 2018. Regardless of the reasons for trying it, gluten-free eating is no small undertaking. Giving up wheat, barley and rye may seem simple, but with byproducts of those grains included in so many foods (not to mention personal care products), knowing which products are "safe" is a tricky business. Unless a prepared product is specifically identified as gluten-free, it may be a no-no for someone who needs to completely eliminate that ingredient. For example, gluten can be found in processed meats, soy sauce, beer and food additives such as malt flavoring; even corn tortilla chips and French fries may wield ingredients that contain gluten. Seizing on the fact that a strict gluten-free lifestyle requires diligence and effort and, therefore, support, food and health stores the world over now offer dedicated gluten-free aisles, and restaurants are beginning to label 84 DAYSPA | DECEMBER 2013 NEW GLUTEN NEWS This year, the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration issued new labeling rules for gluten-free foods, mandating that any product labeled "glutenfree" or "no gluten" must contain no more than 20 parts per million of gluten. "Finally, we have a way to enable people to go on a gluten-free diet safely," says Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research at Mass General Hospital for Children in Boston. "Before now, people had to take an educated guess," he says, as to whether a gluten-free cookie or slice of bread was safe to consume. their gluten-free menu items. In fact, gluten-free has become seriously big business. According to a new report from market research firm MarketsandMarkets, sales of gluten-free products in the U.S. hit $4.2 billion in 2012, and are expected to rise to $6.2 billion by 2018. HEALTHY, NOT TRENDY Danna Korn (dannakorn.com), author of multiple books including Living Gluten-Free for Dummies (2010, John Wiley & Sons), has been advocating the gluten-free lifestyle for more than 20 years— ever since her infant son was diagnosed with celiac disease. She believes that awareness of gluten has skyrocketed recently not because more people are developing gluten intolerance but because it is finally being more consistently diagnosed. Unfortunately, she adds, too many people treat the glutenfree lifestyle as a weight-loss fad instead of a serious measure toward better health—potentially damaging the diet's credibility. "There are 300 symptoms that can go along with gluten intolerance," Korn says. "But people take gluten-free in the wrong direction by making it trendy. Yes, I think it's the healthiest diet on the planet and you will feel great if you go gluten-free, but what is your motivation?" Korn suggests that people debating a glutenfree lifestyle first consider their specific symptoms, and that those who suffer from ongoing digestive problems get tested for celiac disease to determine ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM with the disease, and it can be serious: A study recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people with celiac disease who had persistent intestinal damage from not avoiding gluten had a higher risk of lymphoma than those whose intestines had healed. Celiac disease was initially treated by banishing all grain-based foods from the sufferer's diet. But in the 1940s, a Dutch pediatrician named Willem Karel Dicke discovered that the disease was exacerbated in his patients specifically after they ate wheat, but not all grains. After years of study, Dicke decided that the gluten element in wheat, rye and barley was the culprit, and his patients were then free to eat rice, corn and certain other grains without distress. Today, celiac disease is thought to be on the far end of a spectrum of conditions referred to as gluten intolerance or, in some cases, wheat intolerance or allergy. Not surprisingly, symptoms of this potentially debilitating condition include bloating, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowels and cramping. However, sufferers often also exhibit low energy, acne and other seemingly unrelated problems. Researchers are studying gluten's potential link to non-digestionrelated health conditions such as migraines, ADHD, sinus problems, hormonal imbalances and arthritis, to name a few.