Gluten Free Diet

Fri, 20 Aug 2010

Increasingly more people are seeking food and food products minus gluten, a protein in wheat, oats, rye, barley and hybrids thereof.

A key reason for this movement towards a gluten free diet is the increasing awareness of coeliac disease, an autoimmune disorder which damages the small intestine when you eat gluten.

It is not just sufferers of coeliac disease who are purchasing gluten-free products.

There are those who suffer from other conditions, such as, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome and colitis, who are turning to a gluten free diet .

Just gluten allergies are not common. However, wheat and gluten sensitivities or intolerances appear to be common place and can contribute to headaches, eczema, arthrtic pains, poor digestion and chronic congestion.

Should you have any suspicion that gluten could be impacting on your health adversely, ensure that your GP takes a a blood test for coeliac disease.

An accurate diagnosis can only be arrived at upon an intestinal biopsy being performed.

Even if you do not have coeliac disease, you could be sensitive to gluten. You could adhere to a trial elimination diet. This necessitates avoiding all foods which contain gluten for seven to 10 days.

Monitor your progress and see if you feel any better. Then go back to your normal diet and and see whether or not symptoms get worse.

You can find all sorts of foods at your natural food shops and supermarkets, including, gluten-free breads, cookies, crackers, pastas and cereals. Lots of natural food shops also sell gluten-free flour.
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