Title:
An African Grain Joins the Gluten-Free Market for
People With Celiac
Description: This is
a VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
See text below
Text:
Teff is a common part of the diet in Ethiopia and
other parts of Africa. This nutritious grain is very
small. It has a mild, nutty taste. People use teff
flour to make bread and other foods. Now teff is
finding new uses in foods for people with celiac
disease. People with celiac disease cannot process
gluten. Gluten is a protein in wheat, rye and
barley. Glutens can be found not just in foods but
also medicines and other products.The immune system
is supposed to protect the body. But celiac causes
the immune system to damage the small intestine. The
disease can cause stomach pains, bloating and
diarrhea. It can also cause weight loss and make
people feel continually hungry. It interferes with
the body's ability to absorb nutrients from food.In
the past, celiac disease was considered rare and
limited mostly to people of European ancestry. The
rate of reported cases was one in ten thousand
people. Today, the estimate is about one in one
hundred thirty-three Americans. But celiac
researcher Alessio Fasano says until recent years
not much was known about the disease. Dr. Fasano
says studies show that the disease affects about the
same percentage of the general public worldwide.
That is about one percent. So it is not rare at
all.Dr. Fasano directs the Center for Celiac
Research at the University of Maryland School of
Medicine. He says the disease can be very mild. But
more serious cases can interfere with a child's
growth. Adults can suffer liver damage, joint pain
and other problems. The main way to control the
disease is to avoid glutens. There is a growing
market for products that are gluten-free.Farmers in
Nevada grow about half the teff produced in the
United States. The crop is currently worth only
about one million dollars to farmers in that state.
But teff grower David Eckert is hopeful. He says the
market for gluten-free foods is going to be big.
Some people without celiac disease say they feel
better when they avoid gluten. But many scientists
question if this is really true.Seven years ago,
Anna Quigg was surprised to learn that she has
celiac disease. She says gluten-free products are
much easier to find these days. She buys teff and
other whole grains. For VOA Special English I'm Alex
Villarreal. Transcripts and MP3s of our reports are
at voaspecialenglish.com. We're also on Facebook and
Twitter at VOA Learning English.
Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
To post a comment:
• Click "Comment using..." in
the window below
• Click your favorite service: Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail
• Login to the service
• Click "Add a comment..."
• Post your comment in the window
Students: Please post a
comment stating what you found interesting about this video. You are
welcome to include links to your English study blogs and any
other materials you think might be useful for learning
English.
Teachers: Please post your
thoughts about this video. You are welcome to include links to
your sites, blogs, and any other materials you think might
be useful for learning English.
Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
