We see the words Gluten-Free on lots of products these days. The Gluten-Free diet is currently a popular way to fix all your problems. We hear that gluten is to blame for our weight-gain, digestive problems and any ailments we might have.
But in this series on Gluten, we'll try to dispel some of the myths and get to the truth about Gluten.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats. It is a naturally occurring protein, but is now added to many processed foods for some of the properties it adds to foods.
It is not necessarily a bad thing, and not everyone should be cutting gluten from their diet. But some people should consider cutting it out. Let's take a look at the conditions that would indicate a gluten free diet.
Celiac Disease
Let's first take a look at Celiac Disease. This is the most serious of the conditions and is actually an autoimmune disease. This means that the body's immune system starts attacking normal tissue. In this case, the villi of the small intestine are destroyed, and the person can no longer absorb nutrients properly. This can obviously lead to a number of other serious conditions and even death.
Less than 1% of people actually have Celiac Disease, but not a lot is known about what causes it, and there isn't a simple test for it either. It is hereditary, and better methods for testing are being researched, but for now, a combination of a blood test and biopsy of the small intestine will see if you test positive for CD.
If you are one of the few that have this disease, you must follow a strict gluten-free diet, which we'll go over in a future post. If you want to learn more, visit http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/#1
Gluten Intolerance
Much like a more familiar term, lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance can cause bloating, upset stomach, diarrhea etc. But since it is not considered an immune condition, there really isn't any concern for long term damage.
In this case, cutting out gluten should lead to better digestion, less stomach issues and discomfort. But the occasional gluten intake will only cause short term problems.
Wheat Allergy
One of the top 8 food allergies, this is probably what a lot people are experiencing. Symptoms can include upset stomach, bloating, runny nose, itchy eyes/nose/throat, trouble breathing, nausea, etc. And you will feel them almost immediately after wheat consumption.
The important thing to see here is that you could be allergic to wheat, not necessarily gluten (which is found in wheat, barley, rye and oats). Same as with the gluten intolerance, cutting wheat out of your diet will greatly help how you feel on a daily basis, but any wheat intake will only cause short term effects.
There are many things that could be causing inflammation or an allergic type response in your diet, so don't automatically jump to the gluten conclusion. First, try cutting out processed foods and chemical additives from your diet.
If it is gluten that's the issue, we'll look into how to avoid gluten, and some of the ways gluten is hidden in processed foods in the next posts.
If you have any specific questions, please post it in the comments and we'll make sure to cover it in the next post.
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