OMEGA said:
about 1 out of 475 people has acute gluten intolerance / and or celiac
HOWEVER most people can tolerate and in fact enjoy wheat/ gluten and other wheat products.
I've heard of numbers as high as 1 out of 250 and as low as 1 in every 2,000. I don't think they can come up with a solid average since it's not a standard "allergy" and there is no standard test. Blood tests are unreliable and even the "gold standard" of intestinal biopsy has it's flaws.
I tell people that have GI issues (particularly a GERD/IBS combination) to try giving up all gluten and see what happens. Amazing how many of them feel 100% better within a few weeks.
Eating gluten free (GF) is getting easier, finally. While you can rarely find GF stuff in "regular stores" the bigger health food stores and "chain" health food supermarkets (i.e., Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Wild Oats) carry a LOT of prepared GF foods. I can actually have everything a "regular" person does, even a pretty damn good pizza. Whole Foods carries premade pizza crusts made by The Gluten Free Bakery that have a nice taste and texture, just add sauce and cheese.
Frankly, I have a sneaking hunch that one of the reasons colon cancer is increasing is because gluten intolerance is on the rise, and I think gluten intolerance is on the rise because gluten is in SO much shit. Overexposure to foods at a young age can create allergies later in life.
People who are gluten intolerant and continue to consume gluten containing foods increase their risk of colon cancer by over 30%.