Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance Facts and Recipes

Two days after the Thanksgiving of 2004, Springfield resident "Mary B." was weak, pale, and could no longer take the feeling of jackhammers pounding in her head. She checked herself into the hospital, where she was treated for anemia. The underlying cause of her condition was a mystery, however, so her doctors ordered some tests.

A month later Mary got the news: she had Celiac disease, a digestive disease that makes the body unable to tolerate gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. When a Celiac sufferer eats gluten it causes damage to the small intestine. As a result, the body is less able to absorb nutrients from food. This can lead to malnutrition, weight loss, chronic fatigue, premature osteoporosis and other serious problems. The Gluten Intolerance Group estimates there are 2 million people in the United States with Celiac disease.

Some people who feel ill when they eat gluten may have gluten intolerance, a less severe condition that has not been proven to damage the small intestine. Still, people with gluten intolerance may experience symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or acid reflux.

The day Mary found out she had Celiac disease, “I went to my pantry and started pulling things off the shelves. It was almost bare by the time I finished,” she says. Celiac disease means more than cutting out bread. Many processed foods, from marinades to soups to processed lunch meats, have small amounts of flour in them. Oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat or other grains because they’re grown and processed together. Eating in restaurants can be tricky, as many places mix and cook their gluten-free and non-gluten-free items on the same surfaces.

The good news is that as more people find out they have Celiac disease, more food options are becoming available to them. Manufacturers are starting to produce more gluten-free flours, cereals and other products. Grocery stores are stocking these items more frequently.

And creative people are developing really delicious recipes. Michie Page is a member of the Eugene chapter of the Gluten Intolerance Group. Her Heaven on a Plate (Truffle Cake) is absolutely divine. A copy of the recipe is included here, and you can find more of Michie’s recipes at www.gig-eugene.org (look for her “GFChef” moniker). The website also has more information about the Eugene Gluten Intolerance Group, which served people from Springfield and all of Lane County. (For the national Gluten Intolerance Group website, visit www.gluten.net).

Mary highly recommends the group for anyone with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance. “You get a lot of good information with the speakers they bring in,” she says. Plus, “It’s nice to know that others are in the same boat as you are.”

Heaven on a Plate (Truffle Cake)
1-1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. Hershey's® Special Dark® cocoa
1/2 c. Hershey's® cocoa
1 c. plus 1 T. sugar, divided
1 T. gluten-free multi-blend flour
3 t. gluten-free vanilla extract
4 eggs, separated
2 t. soy sour cream

Heat oven to 425°F. Grease bottom of 8-inch springform pan.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Sift in cocoa and 1 cup sugar, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in flour, soy sour cream and vanilla. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat egg whites with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in medium bowl until soft peaks form; gradually fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm (center will be soft). Cool completely on wire rack (cake will sink slightly in center as it cools). Remove side of pan. Refrigerate cake at least 6 hours.