Myopathies and Celiac Disease

I encountered this article a couple days ago about the Possible Relationship Between Myopathies And Celiac Disease. The University of Barcelona (UAB, Spain) has been doing some research into inflammatory myopathies (immunological diseases that lead to inflammations in muscular tissue), and in doing so they are investigating the relationship between myopathy and intolerance to gluten.

In general, little is known about the cause of these inflammatory myopathies, but it is believed to be an abnormal immune response by our bodies. And, since celiac disease has occasionally been reported in patients with inflammatory myopathies, they decided to further investigate whether or not there is any type of connection.

This quote pretty much summarizes what the research team has gained from this study:

"The scientists are considering the possibility that, at least in part, some inflammatory myopathies are a clinical expression of intolerance to gluten, though they point out the need for more studies to be carried out to confirm or support these findings."

I am personally not at all surprised by this conclusion. It seems that something is definitely out of kilter in our bodies already, since we can not tolerate gluten, and thus any associated findings like this do not seem too hard to believe.

The article left me to wonder if this is the type of general "inflammation" that is helped by Omega-3 fatty acids, like you would get from Wild Alaskan Salmon. The article talked about testing immunosuppressants, but made no mention (aside from how a gluten-free diet probably helps) about other dietary alternatives or additions that may be helpful. I would think that the fish oils and Flax Seed, Walnuts, etc (all high in helpful Omegas) would be useful, since they are supposed to be good for inflammation in general. Maybe they will address that in a future study. In the mean time, it surely can't hurt to eat these healthy foods just in case they would help stave off the conditions discussed.

Check out the full article for more information.

Gluten-Free Inca Red Quinoa (Ancient Harvest) Review

Ancient Harvest Inca Red Quinoa : Cooked

Gluten-Free Inca Red Quinoa Product Review

I have been a fan of Quinoa (the grain - pronounced "keen-wa") for quite some time - a couple years now in fact. Quinoa is a gluten-free grain that, prior to going on a Celiac-safe gluten-free diet, I had never even heard of. It is nothing short of amazing for its nutritional value as well as its versatility and flavor. Although I am discussing the whole-grain here, I also use quinoa flour in breads and other recipes.

For those of you who are new to Quinoa, it is gluten-free (of course, or I would not eat it), and it is considered an ancient grain that dates back to the Inca civilizations in South America. It originates from Bolivia these days. It is one of the best sources of vegetable protein around, and it has a fair amount of dietary fiber. The grain has a delicious, somewhat nutty, light flavor that goes well with many other dishes.

Some other selling points that are noted on the packages of Quinoa include:

• Quinoa contains more high-quality protein than any other grain


• Quinoa provides all the essential amino acids in a balanced pattern


• Quinoa contains no gluten (of top concern to Celiacs of course)


• Quinoa is light, tasty, and easy to digest


• Quinoa is quick and easy to prepare (a personal favorite-feature)

We buy the Ancient Harvest brand of Quinoa, which also happens to be certified organic for anyone that prefers that designation. And, we typically use the "traditional" Quinoa (tan in color), but have recently discovered a variety called Inca Red Quinoa. This variety is similar to the traditional type, but is a red/burgundy color, and has a slightly different texture and taste.

Whereas traditional quinoa is very mild in flavor, this Inca Red variety has a slightly more pronounced flavor. It is in no way overpowering though, and still makes for some very good gluten-free quinoa dishes. Its texture is similar to the traditional type, though I think it is maybe just ever so slightly more dense. This fact is reflected in the nutritional breakdown I believe, since it has a bit more fiber and protein than the traditional type.

Nutritional Breakdown: Regular Quinoa versus Red Quinoa

Specifically, for a 1/4 cup of the uncooked dry Quinoa (considered to be one serving), here is how the two varieties compare (below, T = Traditional, R = Inca Red):

• Calories: nearly identical at around 165 calories


• Protein: T has 5 grams, R has 6 grams


• Dietary Fiber: T has 3 grams, R has 4 grams


• Carbohydrates: T has 30 grams, R has 29 grams


• Iron: T has 10% of RDA, R has 13% RDA


• Phosphorous: T has 15% RDA, R has 25% RDA


• Calcium: zero for T, 2% for R


• Riboflavin: 8% for T, 10% for R


• Sugars: T has 1 gram, R has 5 grams (this surprised me, since I noticed no sweetness in the Red per se).

Regardless of the variety you choose, they are both very nutritious. The Inca Red variety (as you see in the list above) tends to have a bit more nutritional density across the board, with slightly more dietary fiber, protein, and minerals than the traditional version.

Serving Suggestion:
In a previous blog about Quinoa, I discussed a gluten-free garlic, pepper, and herb Quinoa recipe that we favor in our household. To make the recipe pictured above, we actually used about half each of the traditional variety of quinoa and the Inca Red quinoa. The rest of the recipe stayed the same.

The results were fantastic! This dish tasted absolutely wonderful, and was fulfilling on many levels. Full of flavor, plenty of texture, and simply satisfying. It went wonderfully with some oven-roasted chicken my wife baked up the same evening. The chicken was an adaptation of our gluten-free pulled-chicken recipe - same recipe, just minus the "pulled" part, and using some skinless chicken thighs this time.

If you encounter this Ancient Harvest Inca Red Quinoa at a grocery store, I'd certainly recommend giving it a try. Yet another item you can add to your gluten-free baking repertoire. It's bound to satisfy everyone, gluten-free, celiac, and non-GF persons all the same.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Inflation hitting my gluten-free baking budget

We were just out shopping at BJ's Wholesale Club today, which is where we purchase a substantial portion of the ingredients we do all of our gluten-free baking with. We frequent this store because, to date, we have found them to be the most reasonably priced nearby option for large quantities of ingredients we use most often. Large quantities are especially important when we are "experimenting" and creating or perfecting new recipes, since it may take a few iterations to get something just the way we want it.

Well, I have been noticing some serious price inflation hitting these ingredients over the past few months. And, the pace of inflation has been nothing short of speedy. In fact, prices moved upwards so fast and so often on eggs, that I had to look at my receipts from prior purchases to make sure I was not dreaming about my "ideal" price vs. actual. Here's what I have found, on the identical product recently.

Eggs: 2.5 dozen grade-A Large eggs per flat/carton. Just a few months ago, these were running $1.99. I found that to be a bargain. Then, just a month or two ago, I see they have gone up to $2.99 (that's fifty percent increase in case you were opening Windows calculator program). But, it does not end there. Only a week later, it was $3.15. Then, today, nothing short of a shocking $3.59! (yes, now we are at eighty percent increase over a few months for my eggs!).

I can probably find them cheaper elsewhere on sale, but for an apples-to-apples comparison, and for the same product at the same store, this pace of inflation just shocked me. I wrote a prior blog entry back in September of 2006 about how I was concerned that Ethanol production was going to hit my gluten-free baking. Well, that time has come!

If you see similar increases in the prices of eggs you bake with, or in other ingredients or foods, here's some of what is driving the cost:

1. The price of corn has doubled in the past year! (this is due, primarily to demands for Ethanol production)
2. Corn (feed) is one of the largest price-components in raising chickens - which tend to be required for creating the eggs :)
3. Corn is used to feed other livestock as well - so don't be surprised if meat goes skyward in general too - this just furthers demand for the commodity.
   
4. Energy costs are high - you need to keep greenhouses and livestock (in this case chickens) warm in the winter, and this gets expensive.
   

These price pressures are filtering their way down through all sorts of products. I sure hope it is a temporary "egg bubble" or something, but I honestly think it is something that may only get worse as the push to use corn for ethanol increases. And, other grains are not off limit either - in the past year, most commodities (be it soy, wheat, etc) have had huge price increases too because of energy prices and demand for anything to make ethanol with.

Sugar will soon follow, since sugar beets and cane are also used for ethanol production. Then my molasses will go up (and Sorghum flour too). The worst thing is, there will be no avoiding the cost - it's not like purchasing pre-packages gluten-free foods will avoid the increases, since all the manufacturers are facing the same raw material cost increases that I'm seeing too. My favorite Bi-Aglut pasta is made primarily from Corn, and it is already expensive - wonder what it'll cost by year's end?

I apologize if I went on a bit of a rant here in my blogging. I'm just a bit concerned about this trend on a few levels. Anything that threatens my gluten-free food prices is always troubling to me. Now, I guess I could convert my front-yard into a corn-field in the springtime, and put some chicken coops out back for egg production... but, even that would likely fail since my favorite neighborhood roaming raccoons would probably eat all the corn before I could harvest it. Arghh... there's no escaping it.