The Gluten-Free Guide – Details, episodes & analysis

Parents are really good at asking doctors questions about their kid's health, but do we always let our kids speak up and ask what's on their mind? Today we  are letting them do just that! We have a very special episode that features some of our loyal podcast listeners…all adorable kids who have some burning questions for doctors about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet.  And of course, we have two fabulous physicians joining us to answer these questions, Dr. Danny Mallon, the director of the Celiac Disease Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Dr. Ritu Verma, the director of the Celiac Disease Center at the University of Chicago.

Our podcasts about research are often are the most popular, so hopefully today’s will also deliver. Today’s topic explores another often-misunderstood condition Postural Tachycardia Syndrome or (POTS) as it often called - and its possible connection to celiac disease. This is a condition that presents with a variety of symptoms that can be difficult to diagnose – like chronic fatigue, lightheadedness, fainting, an uncomfortable, rapid increase in heartbeat when standing up, and a range of GI symptoms. POTS has even been referred to as the “invisible disease.” Today we want to discuss the gastrointestinal symptoms associated with this condition and its possible link with celiac disease.  We have a team of fantastic experts with us here in the studio to help us better understand POTS and the studies linking it to celiac disease. We have Dr. Jeffrey Moak, the director of electrophysiology and pacing in the department of cardiology at Children’s National Hospital and Dr. Jocelyn Silvester, the director of research for the Celiac Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. Studies referred to during the episode https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/jnnp/76/4/579.full.pdf https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25554987/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6314490/ https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.013602 Thank you to the Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

There was so much knowledge, research, and collaboration at the 2019 International Celiac Disease Symposium in Paris, France. To breakdown some of the major themes from the conference, Vanessa has three experts in the studio: Dr. Jocelyn Silvester from Boston Children's Hospital, Dr. Ritu Verma from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, and Dr. Benny Kerzner from Children's National Medical Center.  After the group shares some of the big takeaways from the conference, they dive into a discussion about the gluten-free bakery tour they went on with a group of pediatric gastroenterologists from around the United States. Here were their favorites spots:  Helmut Newcake: http://www.helmutnewcake.com/ Chambelland: https://chambelland.com/en/ Yummy and Guilt-Free: https://www.yummyandguiltfree.com/  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

The field of psychology and how it relates to gastroenterology is rapidly expanding and today we are going to talk all about it...or more specifically, psycho-gastroenterology. To explain the intricacies of this unique field, we’ve got Dr. Shayna Coburn from our Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National in the studio. Dr. Coburn runs the psychological services for our Program which includes offering consultations and empirically-supported interventions to help families navigate the challenges of diagnosis of celiac disease and management of the gluten-free diet. She also lives a gluten-free lifestyle herself, so she is very equipped to help navigate this topic!  During the episode we talk about three resources. Here are the links:  Psychology Today Find a Psychologist: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us  Celiac and Psychology Free Online Continuing Education Program: http://www.celiacpsychce.org/  Rome Foundation Psycho-Gastroenterology Directory: https://romegipsych.org  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

One of the most difficult times to be diagnosed with celiac disease is during your teen years. We see patients at Children's National on a regular basis in the clinic struggling with the challenges of being a teenager and dealing with the gluten-free diet at the same time. To help our teens feel more connected and supported, we have our awesome teen mentor Chloe in the studio with us. One of Chloe's summer projects was working on a guide for teens and she's here to talk all about it! 

There were hundreds of presentations at Digestive Disease Week and Vanessa and Sandy were there for many of them. They've pulled together some of their favorites and in this episode are talking about a lively debate between Dr. Edwin Liu from Colorado Children's Hopital and Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl from Columbia University's Celiac Disease Center about the pros and cons of mass screening for celiac disease. Additionally they dive into a study looking at the economic impact of celiac disease in regards to health care utilization, and the reliabilty of patients predicting a gluten exposure. It's a fabulous episode!  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Vanessa and Sandy are live at Digestive Disease Week meeting with doctors, researchers and patient advocacy groups about the latest and greatest developments about celiac disease and related autoimmune conditions. In this Live from Digestive Disease Week episode they sit down with Dr. Jocelyn SIlvester from Boston Children's Hospital to discuss a quote from Dr. Peter Green, "Patients with celiac disease deserve a medication."  Tune in to see what they have to say about this bold statement and very hot topic! 

Today’s podcast hits on an important topic that comes up regularly in the media. We hear lots of news reports about people going on a gluten-free diet when they don’t need to be medically. We most often think about this as happening in adults, but a study led by a team of researchers at the Mayo Clinic now reports this is happening amongst school age children as well.  To share more with our listeners about this controversial topic, I have Dr. Imad Absah in the studio with me. Dr. Absah is a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic and a leader of the Gluten-Free Diet in School Aged Children in Olmsted County, Minnesota study that was published in the Avicenna Journal of Medicine.   Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

We're certain that many of our listeners have heard the debates about the merits and downfalls of having a gluten sensing device, like Nima. Do they actually provide peace of mind or make users even more anxious? And, do they really work? We're here today to discuss the results of a recent study that measures exactly that. To share more with our listeners about this controversial topic, I have Dr. Randi Wolf in the studio with me. Dr. Wolf is a faculty member and researcher at Teachers College at Columbia University. She was a leader of the Benefits and Barriers to Portable Gluten Detection study that was published in a recent issue of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.  To learn more about the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and find information about various studies underway, please visit:  celiacdiseasecenter.columbia.edu. Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible.  Photo Credit: NIMA Website: https://nimasensor.com/blog/ 

This week's podcast is about an issue we see frequently in the Celiac Clinic at Children's National. Getting access to safe gluten-free food in schools. For the last 10 years, our Celiac Program has worked with patients and families to set up accommodations in schools and there is a huge range in the availability and accommodations offered in the school districts local to us here in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, but also around the country. Listen in as Vanessa and Joyana discuss gluten-free food in schools and how to gain access to options for your child through setting up a 504 plan.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible.