"All disease begins in the gut." --Hippocrates
Celiac Disease is a potentially life-threatening food allergy and auto-immune disease that is triggered by eating Gluten, a protein found in Wheat, Barley, Rye and most Oats. In addition to vomiting and diarrhea, individuals with Celiac can experience many adverse health effects from eating Gluten including anemia, immunological scarring, intestinal damage, malnutrition and cancer.
High Risk of Digestive Cancers in Patients With Celiac Disease
In December 2024, the journal "Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology" published in-depth research that confirm high risks of lymphoma and small bowel cancer in Celiac patients, as well as indicate increased risks of pancreatic, esophageal, gastric, and colonic cancers. Additionally, the research demonstrated significantly increased risk for Celiacs to develop Type 1 diabetes, thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. The research also found that patients with Celiac had a higher risk for pernicious anemia, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and noninfectious enterocolitis, which included microscopic colitis as well as nonalcoholic chronic pancreatitis.
The study examined data from 27,114 hospitalized Celiac patients over a nine-year period. When compared to non-Celiac controls, individuals with Celiac Disease had significantly higher risks for small bowel cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer, colon cancer and gastric cancer.
Previous research published in the journal "Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology" demonstrated that following a strict Gluten Free diet can reduce the cancer risk in individuals with Celiac Disease.
Celiac is a Disease, Not a Diet: All Gluten Grains Must Be Labeled
The only available treatment for Celiac Disease is a strict Gluten Free diet for life. Importantly, unlike traditional food allergies with IgE-Mediated mechanisms, there is no rescue medicine (i.e., adrenaline or antihistamine) to treat accidental ingestion of Gluten and the start of the auto-immune cascade in food allergy with Non-IgE-Mediated mechanisms such as Celiac Disease. Additionally, those with a Non-IgE-Mediated food allergy to Gluten cannot outgrow their food allergy – Celiac is lifelong (until such time as any treatments or a cure may be developed).
"While U.S. consumers' reactions to a top 9 Major Food Allergens and Gluten vary, their consumer habits are the same, they avoid purchasing foods that contain the allergen(s) that cause a potentially life-threatening immunological adverse reaction. They rely on food labels to know what is safe to eat." -- Dr. Virginia Stallings
Gluten Free food is our only medicine, but unfortunately, 44% of people with Celiac Disease who follow a strict Gluten Free diet still get glutened once a month. That's why we need mandatory labeling of all Gluten grains in the United States. Since 2006, only Wheat has been required to be labeled in the US, but Barley, Rye and Oats have not been required to be declared.
To help reduce chronic diet-related disease, Jax submitted a Citizen Petition to the FDA in September 2023 requesting that the FDA require the labeling of Gluten on all packaged foods in the United States, just like Gluten must be declared on all food labels in 87 other countries (Docket: FDA-2023-P-3942). This common sense solution will better protect the health and well-being of 3.3 million Americans with Celiac, including 729,000 children.
The Link Between Gluten & Colorectal Cancer in the General Population (Non-Celiac)
In June 2020, the American Cancer Society published research from Caroline Um, PhD, MPH, RD, and her ACS colleagues on the link between Gluten and Colorectal Cancer (CRC). According to the American Cancer Society, this matters because "this is the first time that any research has linked Gluten intake to a higher risk of proximal colon cancer." Using the Cancer Prevention Study (CPS) - II Nutrition Cohort study, the researchers looked at both Gluten intake and whole grain intake in 50,118 men and 62,031 women. The researchers found:
"Eating more whole grains was associated with a decreased risk of CRC in men but not in women.
Eating more gluten may increase the risk of cancer in the first and middle areas of the colon (called proximal colon cancer) in both sexes."
Given the potential adverse health effects that the general population may face from Gluten ingestion, all Americans have a right to know what ingredients are in their food, including Barley, Rye and Oats which are not required to be labeled in the US, yet.
The Bottom Line
It's time for the FDA to grant Jax's FDA Citizen Petition to require the labeling of Gluten on all packaged foods in the U.S. Until there's a treatment for Celiac Disease other than a Gluten Free diet, we believe that requiring the labeling of Barley, Rye and Oats will have the greatest impact on improving safety and quality of life for 3.3 million American Celiacs and their loved ones. Requiring the labeling of Gluten will also reduce the adverse health effects of chronic diet-related disease and decrease the risk of cancer for those who suffer from Celiac Disease.
Eating without fear is our mission!