Gluten-free has gone far beyond trendiness. Although about 1% of the population suffers from celiac disease (the autoimmune condition which causes the immune system to attack the intestinal walls in response to consumption of gluten), up to 8 times more people may have sensitivity to the protein, or experience ill effects from related conditions, such as IBS and wheat allergy.
That translates to about 40 million Americans buying gluten-free products, a $4.2 billion market that continues to grow. Living gluten-free is a challenge and Jax Peters Lowell wrote a book on it 20-years ago and now that work has been revised. The book is: The Gluten-Free Revolution: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know about Losing the Wheat, Reclaiming Your Health, and Eating Happily Ever After.