4) What is Gluten?
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a general term for the protein that is commonly found in cereal grains. This list includes wheat (including spelt, semolina, triticale and durum), rye, barley and sometimes oats. Oats are in a grey area and so because the risk of contamination is so high, people who are on a gluten free diet should avoid products containing oats.
Does our body need gluten?
Simply put, if you stopped eating gluten you would not get sick. In fact, the 1-2% of the population who suffer from the extreme case of celiac disease, an autoimmune digestive disease which leads to chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, will get very sick from eating gluten. There is another, larger group of people who are gluten intolerant and they too can become ill from eating food with gluten. This is thought to be as many as 15% of the population, or 1 in 7.
Who needs a gluten free diet?
Anyone who suffers from celiac disease or is gluten intolerant needs to illuminate foods containing gluten in order to live a healthy life. Thankfully, today there are many alternatives to food containing gluten. It does require a bit more effort and research but the health benefits are immense.
A strict gluten free diet can be very helpful for people who suffer from conditions such as dermatitis herpetiformis (severe itchy skin), autism, ADHD and fibromyalgia.
What are the symptoms of Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease?
Symptoms can include headaches, mouth ulcers, weight gain or weight loss, fatigue, back pain, muscle cramping, dehydration, reoccurring inflammatory responses, poor immunity to disease and skin problems. The most common symptoms are gastrointestinal distress (diarrhea, flatulence and bloating, especially after eating).
Some research indicates that miscarriage, infertility and malabsorption problems like anemia can also be related to gluten intolerance. Our emotional and mental state can also be affected by gluten. These symptoms include lethargy, depression, disinterest in normal activities, irritability, mood changes and innability to concentrate.
How do I know if I suffer from Gluten Intolerance or Celiac Disease?
There is a blood test to see if you are Celiac but it will not detect gluten intolerance. There are some medical practitioners who can offer you a saliva test. However, the easiest way to detect gluten intolerance is to use the elimination diet. Try eliminating gluten completely from your diet for 3 weeks and see how you feel. It is imperative that you do not cheat at all. Even eating a very small amount can tigger an allergic/inflammatory response in your gastrointestinal tract.
Please note I am not a doctor, just a fellow sufferer of gluten intolerance. Therefore no information on this site should be taken as medical advice.
Everyday gluten free foods
Fresh meat Fish and shellfish Poultry and game
Vegetables Fresh herbs Fruit
Dried fruit Nuts Eggs
Cheese Cottage cheese (not cheese spreads) Milk (when newly diagnosed you may be lactose intolerant)
Dried beans, peas and pulses Vegetable oils, sunflower oil, olive oil Almonds,
Rice, ground, long or short grain Rice cakes/crackers Rice flour (and other gluten free flours)
Yeast Cream of tartar Bicarbonate of soda
Sugar Dried peppercorns Cornflour (from the maize plant
Tamari soy sauce (only if wheat free) Marmite (only if made in the UK) Yoghurts (with no additives)
Cider vinegar Wine vinegar Distilled vinegar
Sago Tapioca Millet
Quinoa
Flax seed Corn Tortillas
Corn tacos Popcorn (check any coating) Homemade soups (not roux based)
Jelly (jello) Jam Marmalade
Honey Golden syrup Black treacle or molasses
Tea (check herb teas first)
Fruit juice Fruit squash (not barley water
Gluten free beer
Wine Xanthan gum (replaces “elastic” quality of gluten)
