Gluten-free food can taste good

The restrictions of celiac disease, which require a gluten-free diet, do not mean food has to be tasteless. Some suggestions:

• Choose fresh foods that are gluten-free in their natural state: fruit, vegetables, milk, potatoes, corn, rice, fresh meat, fish, poultry and eggs.

• Read labels carefully: As of 2006, food products are required to list products that contain wheat. Remember that not all "wheat-free" items are "gluten-free." No label? Avoid the food.

• Avoid flours that contain gluten, including: bulgur, couscous, graham, spelt and triticale.

• Add fiber. Most gluten-free grains, such as rice and corn, are lower in fiber and higher in carbohydrates and fat than gluten-containing grains. You can add ground flax to recipes as a safe fiber source.

• Be careful with processed foods. Common sources of gluten include: canned soups and sauces, soy sauce, beer, communion wafers and chewing gum. Gluten-free sources of these foods are now available, however.

• Avoid accidental ingestion of gluten. A flour molecule in the air can stay active for 24 hours. If baking for family, wear a mask and use separate pans.

Study links African ancestry to aggressive type of breast cancer A new study finds that African ancestry is linked to a more aggressive type of cancer that is more deadly. Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor found that, among women with breast cancer, 82 percent of African women had the breast cancer called "triple negative," 26 percent of African-Americans had the variety, and 16 percent of white Americans had it.

This study, in the online journal Cancer, indicates a genetic link for the form of breast cancer a woman might develop.

Prior studies have shown that while African-American women are less likely than white women to develop breast cancer, those who are diagnosed are usually younger and more likely to die from the disease.