Controversial Aspects of the Gluten-Free Diet Dating Back Decades

In Honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Gluten Free Watchdog is writing a series of articles (the goal is one per day during the month of May) related to the gluten-free diet–currently the ONLY treatment for celiac disease. 

Post (#7)…

The gluten-free diet, as we know it today is based in large part on the findings of Willem-Karel Dicke’s classic feeding trials. Dr. Dicke found that wheat flour, rye flour, and oats were problematic while wheat starch, corn flour, maize starch, rice […]

Banana Baby Follow-Up: Making Connections

In Honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Gluten Free Watchdog is writing a series of articles (the goal is one per day during the month of May) related to the gluten-free diet–currently the ONLY treatment for celiac disease. 

Post #6…

This is not the article that was supposed to post today. But I have been very privileged to help connect two “banana babies” (for information on the banana diet see https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/early-dietary-treatment-for-celiac-disease-the-banana-diet/). This makes me incredibly happy. There are others of you out […]

Additional Reading for Celiac Disease History Buffs

In Honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Gluten Free Watchdog is writing a series of articles (the goal is one per day during the month of May) related to the gluten-free diet–currently the ONLY treatment for celiac disease. 

Post #5…

Posts one through four have been about the early history of the dietary treatment for celiac disease. Some of you may be interested in learning more history while others of you would like to move on already! Before moving on to the […]

Remembering the children, especially “Mechie” who helped doctors identify gluten as the factor in wheat responsible for the deleterious effects of celiac disease

In Honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Gluten Free Watchdog is writing a series of articles (the goal is one per day during the month of May) related to the gluten-free diet–currently the ONLY treatment for celiac disease. 

Post #4…

“Based on the results of an investigation of a number of patients with coeliac disease, the harmful action of wheat flour was shown to be chiefly inherent to the gliadin fraction. —van de Kamer, Weijers, and Dicke. Acta Paediatrica. 1953;42:223-231

Dr. Dicke and […]

The Gluten-Free Diet is Born: Thank You Dr. Dicke!

In Honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Gluten Free Watchdog is writing a series of articles (the goal is one per day during the month of May) related to the gluten-free diet–currently the ONLY treatment for celiac disease. 

Post #3…

“We have learnt in the course of many years’ experience in the treatment of celiac disease that it makes a great difference to the patient what kind of starch-containing foodstuffs are included in the diet; in particular whether or not wheat is […]

Banana Baby: A former patient of Dr. Sidney Haas tells her story

In Honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Gluten Free Watchdog is writing a series of articles (the goal is one per day during the month of May) related to the gluten-free diet–currently the ONLY treatment for celiac disease. 

Post #2…

Long before gluten was identified as the culprit in celiac disease, a doctor by the name of Sidney Haas in New York City was treating pediatric patients using what came to be known as the “banana diet.” A former patient of Dr. […]

Early Dietary Treatment for Celiac Disease: The Banana Diet

In Honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Gluten Free Watchdog will be posting a series of articles (the goal is one per day during the month of May) related to the gluten-free diet–currently the ONLY treatment for celiac disease. 

Post #1…

The Early History of the Diet for Celiac Disease (excerpted from The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide by Tricia Thompson, McGraw-Hill, 2008)

“The gluten-free diet has not always been the treatment of choice for celiac disease. Before the 1950s and the identification of wheat […]