Two of us, Marylou and Judy attended the Gluten Intolerance Group 50th Anniversary Celebration and Conferences September 7 – 8, 2024 at the Hilton Charlotte University Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. The celebration included speakers, gluten free food trucks, and gluten free meals prepared by the hotel. Speakers of note were: Shelley Case who spoke on the oat controversy, Steve Plogsted who spoke on medications in the works, Cynthia Kelly who gave us the history of GIG, Jonathan Carp who spoke on skin manifestations and problems, and Parul Kharod who spoke on FODMAPS.
There were updates on information from the International Celiac Conferences in Sheffield, England. Some takeaways were: a need to exclude celiac before diagnosing IBS, a suggestion that 5 – 10 year olds be screened for celiac, 70% of current celiac cases go undiagnosed, mass screening for celiac is the best option, and celiac diagnoses expected to triple by 2027.
Shelley Case RN spoke on oats. She referred to the Gluten Free Watchdog website for some of their research. Purity oats and the protocols for gluten free oats were discussed. 80% of the gluten free oats are grown in Canada. Aveena Foods distributes most of the gluten free oats. She concluded that pure uncontaminated oats are safe for the majority of people with celiac, however, some cannot tolerate the avenin or protein in oats.
Steve Plogsted, a Pharmacist Phd. spoke on several drugs still being tested for mitigation of various aspects of celiac disease. LatingGlutenase (formerly ALV003), which received initial testing in the Cleveland area is in final stages of testing (pre-clinical). Another drug, AG4-10 is in phase 2, made with egg yolks and prevents accidental exposure to gluten. In all, about 20 drugs and injections are in testing phases. If you have any questions about gluten in your medicine, Steve can be reached at glutenfreedrugs@gmail.com
Dr. Jonathan Carp spoke on dermatology, the interrelationship between microbial dysbiosis and skin conditions. He emphasized the relationship between the skin and the gut which have their own microbiomes. His suggestions for healthier skin was some morning sun, eating fermented foods, and walking 7000 steps daily.
The 2 breakfasts, 2 dinners and 1 lunch prepared by the Hilton hotel were completely gluten free and tasty. 2 food trucks provided gluten free donut creations and Mexican creations for lunch on Sunday. One sponsor of the event was Miracle Noodle, whose creators, Dr. Mendler and Dr. Valle spoke on their family’s journey, living with celiac. Cynthia Kelly (president of GIG) ended the event with a history of the Gluten Intolerance Group from 1974 to the present. Along the way, she honored many founders and originators of the gluten free movement and their contributions.