Hold The Wheat: Questions You Should Ask About Gluten Before Going Gluten-Free
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. When a person with celiac disease, (sometimes called coeliac disease or non-tropical sprue) consumes gluten, it damages their small intestines and causes them to suffer digestive disorders and malnutrition. Historically, doctors only tested patients with chronic diarrhea and weight loss for celiac disease, yet many patients present seemingly unrelated symptoms and many are actually overweight. This is why it often takes celiac patients several years to get a proper diagnosis. A proper diagnosis is made through blood tests for antibodies and is confirmed with an intestinal biopsy. It is important to get tested BEFORE going on a gluten-free diet to avoid a false negative test result.
What is a gluten-free diet?
A celiac disease diet, or gluten-free diet, means avoiding ALL gluten-containing ingredients and avoiding cross contamination. This can truly be challenging! Food companies are coming out with new gluten-free foods, but not all taste as good as their wheat-containing counterparts. Many home recipes can be made gluten-free by simply substituting gluten-free flour and grains for gluten-containing ingredients. Oats are considered gluten-free and safe for celiac patients, but choose oats that are labeled gluten-free to avoid cross contamination with gluten during grain processing. Processed foods that contain less than 20 ppm of gluten are considered safe for celiac patients and can be labeled gluten-free in the US. Pure meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables are naturally gluten-free and are safe to consume.
Most importantly, always read labels to avoid inadvertently ingesting gluten-containing ingredients! A really great resource for grocery shopping is called Cecelia’s Marketplace, a small book listing common grocery items that are gluten-free.
