Common Symptoms: Aching Bones Aching Joints Aching Muscles Brain Fogs (inability to concentrate) Canker Sores Chills Chronic Diarrhea Delayed/Abnormal Menstrual Cycles Dental Enamel Defects Early Onset Osteoporosis Fatigue Feeling cold all the time Gastrointestinal Distress Generalized Inflammation Hair Loss Headaches Infertility Lactose Intolerance Peripheral Neuropathy Unexplained Anemia Vitamin & Mineral Deficiencies Vomiting Weight gain Weight loss		Frequently asked questions What is Gluten? Gluten is the protein found in Wheat, Rye and Barley. What does a Gluten Free diet require? The total avoidance of any ingredients containing wheat, rye and barley. Who should follow a Gluten Free diet? People who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, and Wheat allergy. Is Wheat Free and Gluten Free the same thing? No, something that is labeled as Wheat Free may still contain Gluten.  There may be ingredients derived from Rye or Barley in the product. Is it ok to cheat now and then? If you have Celiac Disease it is NEVER ok to cheat.  Gluten causes damage to the lining of the small intestine and will impede your ability to absorb the nutrients from the food you eat. Why are Gluten Free foods so expensive? These foods are made with less widely available substitute grains and many made in dedicated facilities or facilities committed to stringent cleaning procedures that insure they meet Gluten Free standards.  All of which greatly increases the cost of making these foods. What is the standard that determines if a food is Gluten Free? Right now the USA has no official standard.  By August of 2008 there will be one in place that calls for no more that 20 parts per million. Does the standard mean all foods that meet the standard will be labeled as Gluten Free? No, the labeling will be voluntary on the part of the manufacturer.  A food may meet the standard but it's up to the food's manufacturer if they decide to actually label it as such. What about Oats? Oats do not contain gluten, but are so contaminated by the growing and milling process in the USA that none are safe to eat on a Gluten Free diet.  However, oat lovers don't despair, some oats are now being grown in Canada on dedicated land and milled in dedicated facilities that meet Gluten Free standards. Why is it so difficult and takes so long to get a correct diagnosis? Many factors are involved.  Most doctors were trained that Celiac Disease was rare, it was mostly a disease of childhood, and a wasting disease.  All of which are no longer or never were true.  Also, each individual will present with their own unique and vast set of symptoms, which tends to make arriving at a diagnosis difficult for medial personnel who are trained to look for a specific set of symptoms.  Many of the symptoms are the same or mimic those of other conditions making it even harder to determine the cause.				Concord Gluten Free Services, LLC 1966 Maple St., Hopkinton, NH  03229 Email: CGFSVCS@TDS.NET (800) 346-8965 Related Conditions: An autoimmune disease is one in which a person's immune system attacks another part of the body causing injury. Autoimmune diseases and conditions seem to clump together.  Meaning that if you have one, others may already exist or not be far behind. Although not completely understood, some of the following diseases and conditions seem to have a relationship or link to Celiac Disease.  Often other diseases are diagnosed before Celiac Disease will be. Some of these include, but are not limited to: Thyroid Disease Diabetes Addison's Disease Autoimmune Liver Disease Cardiomyopathy Fibromyalgia Multiple Sclerosis Rheumatoid Arthritis Sjogren's Syndrome Autism Lupus Irritable Bowel Syndrome