On the consumer side, demand has been fuelled by greater diagnosis of coeliac disease, sufferers of which must avoid gluten in everything they eat. The disease currently affects an average of one in 300 people in Europe, one in 200 in Germany and one in 100 in the UK.

There is also a growing belief among sufferers of a wide variety of illnesses (including coeliac disease, autism, attention deficit disorder, irritated bowel syndrome and multiple sclerosis) that gluten-free will provide relief – although science and doctors’ advice may not back this up.

Rapid NPD

Manufacturers have been quick to seize upon the opportunity, bringing a raft of gluten-free products to market ranging from cereals and pasta to cookies, crackers, snacks and bread.

The European supplier landscape is fragmented with specialist manufacturers dominating the scene. However, larger players are starting to emerge with Italy’s Dr Schar claiming market leading status.

Between January 2008 and June 2009, Mintel’s Global New Products Database found gluten-free to be the 10th most popular claim for new product launches throughout Europe with 3,398 gluten-free products launched into the market. The most claims were made on products introduced in the UK (903), Spain (469), Germany (361) and the Netherlands (288).

Growing US demand

In the US, a recent report from New Nutrition Business entitled “Organic and All Natural Kids Snacks and Baby Foods” claimed that 15-25 per cent of American parents actively seek gluten-free food and drink.

“The driver is a belief among people that they, or their children, may have a gluten sensitivity – even though they are not diagnosed as having an allergy,” said the report. “It’s an example of how belief can be a more compelling reason to purchase than rational science.”

Only 40,000 to 60,000 Americans are diagnosed as having coeliac disease, although the federal government estimates there could be as many as 3m who remain undiagnosed.

The budding interest in gluten-free has not escaped the attentions of big brand owners. Since Anheuser-Busch became the first major brand to create a gluten-free product, with its Redbridge beer in 2006, numerous multinationals have entered the fray. The same year, spice giant McCormick and Co acquired Simply Asia Foods while General Mills recently converted its Rice Chex snack to gluten-free status and has launched five new gluten-free formulations under its Big G brand this summer.

Packaged Facts suggests that the current economic slowdown cannot be seen as a negative factor in the growth of gluten-free as hard-pressed consumers are motivated to try dietary self-help when mainstream medical assistance grows out of reach.

Increased blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA is linked to lower incidence of obesity, suggesting a role for fish oils in weight management.

Writing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from the University of Newcastle in New South Wales report that levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation and reported to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular-related events, are inversely related to blood levels of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

“The importance of this study is such that individuals with higher plasma high sensitivity-CRP (>3.0 mg/l) concentration according to risk cut points, have significantly lower plasma n-3 fatty acids,” wrote the researchers, led by Professor Manohar Garg.

“Given that n-3 fatty acids is cardioprotective, this inverse correlation with hs-CRP, a surrogate marker of CVD risk, could represent a possible mechanism by which n-3 fatty acids are involved in CVD risk reduction.”

Omega-3 fatty acids, most notably docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), have been linked to a wide-range of health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and certain cancers, good development of a baby during pregnancy, joint health, and improved behaviour and mood.

Study details

Professor Garg and his co-workers examined omega-3 fatty acids and CRP levels in the plasma of 124 free-living adults (average age 47.7, average BMI 29.8 kg/m2). Participants were divided into three groups depending on their CRP levels (<1.0, 1.0–3.0, and >3.0 mg/l).

Negative relationships between hs-CRP levels and total omega-3, EPA, and DHA levels were observed, with hs-CRP levels over 3.0 mg/l associated with significantly reduced concentrations of total n-3 fatty acids, EPA and DPA.

“We report that plasma n-3 fatty acids concentration is inversely correlated with hs-CRP in healthy individuals, when stratified into tertiles representing CVD risk cut points,” wrote the researchers.

Findings from this study support previous observations that n-3 fatty acids may improve cardiovascular health in healthy individuals,” they concluded.

Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.20
“An inverse relationship between plasma n-3 fatty acids and C-reactive protein in healthy individuals”
Authors: M A Micallef, I A Munro and M L Garg

Well, the truth about wheat is that it is full of gluten – that protein which makes dough sticky and gluey.  This protein is rather large and is made more complex by numerous polysaccharides which encircle it.  The gist of all this is that gluten is very difficult to digest.  Anything which is difficult to digest can be broken down by microbes in your gut, which in turn make acidic and toxic by-products which then damage the lining of your intestines.  The end result of this can be a vicious cycle of intestinal inflammation, food allergies or sensitivities leading to all manner of diseases including auto-immunity, Celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, mineral deficiencies, depression and low energy.  Just in case you think you are not one of these unfortunate few, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that almost all normal people failed to absorb a large amount of the starch from wheat.  For more information on what happens to this unabsorbed starch, click here.

How did wheat get to be an unhealthy food?  I recall meeting a professor at the University of Manitoba many years ago – at the time, I was considering going to study Agriculture, which I later did, and  wanted to know what my options might be in this field.  This professor and researcher was very well-intentioned.  His project was increasing the protein content in wheat, in part to make it more nutritious so that when we send wheat as relief to famine-stricken and war-torn countries (this was not long after the Ethiopian famine that dismayed the world), people wouldn’t suffer protein malnutrition.  It sounded great.  What was not considered, and we can understand why, was what exact fractions of protein were increased.  The protein content of wheat more than doubled, but the gluten content, probably quadrupled.  This means, the increased protein was likely all or mostly due to gluten.  Wheat becomes less digestible and more people have a problem with it.  Or wheat may have always been troublesome and now more so than ever.  So if you want to know why now, there is your explanation.  Even worse, once your intestinal lining becomes compromised, it is more likely that you will have problems with all forms of gluten and possibly even all grains and starches.  So, while some tolerate wheat relatively well, I would advise keeping wheat consumption to a minimum to avoid a diminishing food supply.  If you want to know if you have a wheat/gluten allergy, this blood test can be ordered from any Naturopathic Doctor’s office.

A Little Bit About Beef:

Cows are ruminants and ruminants have very specialized stomachs – 4 stomachs to be exact.  The purpose and job of their stomachs is to provide fermentation vats for the break-down of grasses which are rich in cellulose.  Contrary to modern practices, cows do not do well on grain, not even for the two weeks used to just fatten them up.  I have visited packing plants and witnessed first hand the consequence to the animal of grain-feeding.  For one, the cows develop stomach ulcers, the secondary sequelae to this is that bacteria get into their system and often they develop liver abscesses;  Huge liver abscesses full of bacteria and pus.  This is not uncommon. A person need  look no further into why beef might cause infections in people.  This sounds outragoeus, I know, but everyone in the industry knows about it, so it is not too difficult to confirm what is being written here.  Perhaps you still trust the system of meat inspection and feel reasonably confident that the meat you receive actually is clean and safe.  Well, there are a host of other reasons to choose 100% grass-fed over feedlot red meat.
Nutrition:

Beef and bison pastured on grass and fed forage they would naturally find if in the wild have a different fat and fat-soluble vitamin composition as compared to grain and concentrate fed meat.  Forage-fed meat has higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
It is a well-known fact that the North American diet is highly deficient in omega-3 fatty acids compared to omega-6 fatty acid and this scenario promotes heart disease, depression, mental/learning difficulties, obesity, immune disorders and cancer.  Grass-fed bovines have significantly higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, and more importantly, the ratio of omega-3: omega-6 borders on ideal.  Just two weeks in the feedlot will change the fatty acid composition of the fat and meat of the whole animal significantly, so beware of beef proclaiming to be grass-fed because often they are still fattened in the feedlot.  This is why it is important to ask questions and find out about the farm from which the meat comes.  This is often impossible to do at large chain grocers.  FYI – this is one of the reasons why wild salmon is hugely superior to farmed salmon which are fed grain and soy-based diets as opposed to plankton which is part of their natural diet.
Congujated Linoleic Acid (CLA):
This fatty acid is  isolated and sold as a supplement to assist with weight loss and blood sugar regulation.  This fat is found in the meat and milk of grass-fed animals in significantly higher amounts as compared to conventionally-produced meat and milk.  In fact, there is hardly any CLA found in conventional meats and dairy.

Vitamins E and Beta Carotene:
Natural antioxidants, cancer-fighters and oxidation/free-radical absorbers (think anti-aging).  These two vitamins are found in higher concentrations in forage fed animals.  Vitamin E in forage fed animals is more than double that found in grain-fed animals, while beta carotene is more than 10 fold greater in grass-fed animals.

So the old adage, “You are what you eat” holds true for humans as well as the animals we sometimes eat.  If we are eating unhealthy and devitalized meat, how can we expect to be healthy and vital?  The next time you are faced with the choice, think twice about buying the conventional meat; your health and happiness (and the health and happiness of the other beings we share our planet with) is worth a few extra dollars.

Below is a list of farms in Alberta that pasture-feed only:

Hamilton Farms, Cochrane        www.hamiltonfarms.ca
TK Ranch                                            www.natural-beef.net
CL Ranch, Copithorne’s               www.clranches.com
Westlane Farms                 www.westlanefarms.com
Willowbank Ranch                        www.willowbankranch.com