The Gluten-Free Diet
What is gluten and why do some people want to remove it from their diet?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), rye and barley. When people with celiac disease eat foods and other products (medicines and supplements) containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the small intestine. Celiacs cannot tolerate even microscopic amounts of gluten.
Other people may avoid gluten for a variety of reasons, including wheat allergy; gluten-sensitivity or gluten-intolerance without celiac disease; as a treatment for autism or autoimmune diseases; or simply because they feel better without it.
Most foods are gluten-free in their natural state: fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, eggs, dairy products, corn, rice, meat, fish and poultry are all naturally gluten-free! However, when the food manufacturers start adding flavorings, stabilizers, coatings, etc., gluten can end up in the final, processed product.
Oats are naturally gluten-free as well. However, almost all commercially grown oats are cross-contaminated with wheat on the fields, and in storage, transportation and packaging facilities. Happily, specially grown and processed gluten-free oats are now available for celiacs, though a very small percentage of celiacs cannot tolerate even the gluten-free oats.
If so many foods are gluten-free, what's the problem? The problem is that the Western diet is heavily dependant on wheat products: think of pizza, cookies, cake, crackers, pasta, pancakes, and bread. Beer contains gluten because it is made of malted barley. Most breakfast cereals contain malt syrup, made from barley. Gluten can appear in soy sauce, seasonings, sauces, candy, processed meats, soups, dressings, energy bars, supplements, cosmetics (yes, you do eat a little lipstick), medicines and communion wafers. Children may also ingest gluten from art supplies, including playdough.
Celiacs must avoid cross-contamination that may result from sources such as a shared toaster, cutting board, condiments or a butter dish. As a result, dining out at a restaurant or friend's house can be very challenging.
But here's the good news: "Gluten-Free" is one of the Top Ten trends in food retail. There are thousands of gluten-free products in every food category on the market, and more coming out every month, many at your local grocery store. You can eat gluten-free pizza and drink gluten-free beer. Restaurants are increasingly offering gluten-free menu options.
So arm yourself with some basic information about gluten ingredients, how to read labels, and avoid cross-contamination; scan the gluten-free recipe books at the library, bookstore and online (though the cookbooks you already own have plenty of naturally gluten-free recipes); and enjoy your new diet! Remember to explore the highly nutritious gluten-free grains like quinoa, millet and teff - you'll be expanding your food horizons in a culinary trip around the world!
Resources:
National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University