Gluten Free Diet Information

Gluten-free diets are becoming more common. The primary reason for this is because of the prominence of an allergy that makes it potentially dangerous for people to consume anything containing gluten as an ingredient. If these people do not adjust their diets, they could jeopardize their life. But starting a gluten-free diet is difficult, mainly because people don't know what gluten is, what kinds of foods it can be found in, and how to know what signs to look for that indicate a gluten allergy.

Background

Gluten is a protein that is found most commonly in rye, wheat and barley. It is made up of two sub-proteins, gliadin and glutenin. It is found in many foods that contain carbohydrates, such as breads. It is also used as a food additive to help certain foods in order to help stabilize them. Two common but surprising examples are ice cream and ketchup. It can also be added to make foods more chewy.

Significance

Many people are allergic to gluten. Gluten sensitivity is an autoimmune disorder, meaning that when you consume anything containing gluten, your immune system overreacts. Unlike other allergies, such as those that merely cause runny eyes or sneezing, when someone who is allergic to it consumes gluten, it can cause severe intestinal distress and damage to the body. As much as 1 percent of the nation suffers from gluten allergies. This means that as many as 3 million people are suffering from it. If left untreated, this can cause permanent intestinal damage and malnutrition, according to Marissa Kent, RD. Currently, diet is the only proven remedy.

Types

Allergies can manifest in varying degrees and severity. Some people who are allergic to gluten will never know it because they don't manifest any notable symptoms. Others, however, can have very severe responses to it. Two such groups of people suffer from celiac disease and gluten-sensitive enteropathy, resulting in anything from benign irritation to chronic diarrhea. These two groups can also easily develop nutritional deficiencies as a result of malabsorption. Even though you might be eating foods with enough vitamins, mineral, protein, and fat, your body won't absorb them due to the immune reaction.

Foods

According to Celiac.com, some of the foods you must avoid in order to abstain from gluten include enriched flour, pasta, beer, and cookie dough. There is ongoing controversy over whether or not oats are safe for those with gluten allergies. Some argue that oats are capable of producing an autoimmune reaction, but some studies suggest that they are safe for adults to eat. See the oat study in References for more information.

Alcohol

While almost all beer is forbidden if you want to avoid gluten, there are a growing number of gluten-free beers available on the market. These are primarily made by using sorghum instead of wheat and barley. Sorghum is a kind of grass that won't cause any immune reaction. All gluten-free beers will say so on its packaging. You also have the option of drinking wine and some liquor, such as tequila, rum and certain whiskeys.