Why Is Gluten Bad
Gluten doesnt get along with every digestive system. Some people have wheat intolerance syndrome. Thats one of three conditions that gluten can trigger:
- Celiac disease: A disorder in which gluten causes your immune system to attack your small intestine over time, the attacks can damage the lining of your intestine.
- Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: Also called gluten intolerance, the condition causes celiac symptoms — like stomach pain, bloating, and diarrhea — but doesnt damage your small intestine.
- Wheat allergy: Your immune system fights gluten like a virus or bacteria if you eat it, you may have trouble breathing, a skin reaction, or problems digesting.
Going gluten-free is also a trend among people who dont have medical reasons to avoid the stuff. Some people say they lost weight and gained energy when they cut gluten. But, theres not much scientific evidence to prove that a gluten-free diet offers health benefits to people who can tolerate the ingredient.
Bonus: What Gluten Might Be Called
Confusion around ingredients could come from the way gluten-containing grains are worded on ingredient lists.Some may usetheLatin orscientific nameof a substance instead ofthe more common name. Itcouldalso be the name ofa processed or synthetic compound that may be unfamiliar to a consumer.Here are a few ways gluten could be named in an ingredients list.
Triticum* vulgareLatin for wheat
Hordeum vulgare* extractLatin for barley
Secale cereal* Latin for rye
Avena sativa* Latin for oats
Remember that if a product is regulated by the FDA and contains an ingredient that is derived from wheat, then wheat must be clearly indicated on the label, either in a Contains statement, or in parentheses right after the ingredient from which it is derived.
Where have you accidentally encountered gluten? Well consider adding your suggestions to this running list of places where gluten may be present butisconfusing or less obvious.Look for products labeled gluten-free in accordance with FDA regulations. We can only vouch for products that are GFCO third-party certifiedas gluten-free.
Disclaimer: GIG does not endorse any particular diet or food. We provide educational information to people living gluten-free. GIG is not verifying the labeling practices of any food company. We can only vouch for GFCO-certified products.
What About Wheat Allergy
If you can eat gluten but avoid wheat due to an allergy, spelt might be an acceptable alternative.
An Australian study in 73 people allergic to wheat revealed that only 30% tested positive for a spelt allergy .
Nonetheless, you should still be careful. Be sure to consult your healthcare provider if you have a wheat allergy and are considering trying spelt.
summary
Spelt is a type of wheat, which means that it contains gluten. If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, you should avoid spelt.
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Gluten Free Diet And Travel
Travelling and following a gluten-free diet can present some extra challenges, but nothing a little planning ahead cant fix.
If you are booking flights, be aware that most airlines will offer gluten free meal options. Call the airline, or check if the online booking page permits you to enter dietary requirements. It may be worth following this up a few days before you travel, just to make sure the information got through. Cruise lines are also likely to be able to accommodate gluten-free meal requests.
Always pack some gluten-free snacks in your hand luggage, just in case. Rice crackers, nuts, dried fruit and crisps are some transportable, non-perishable options.
When booking accommodation, consider short stay apartments with a kitchen, or at least a hotel room with a microwave and refrigerator. Then, if you cant find gluten-free eating-out options at your destination, you can at least purchase foods that are naturally gluten free and self-cater.
If you are staying somewhere such as a B& B, you could also consider taking toaster bags with you and buying a loaf of gluten free bread at your destination, if possible. Gluten free cereal is available at supermarkets and speciality stores in some places. Or, you could opt to eat naturally gluten free breakfast options such as yoghurt, fresh fruit and eggs. Talk to your host about the possibilities they may have catered for people with coeliac disease before.
Are Nut Butters Gluten
Is peanut butter gluten-free? Yes! Peanut butter is gluten-free since its made only with peanuts and sometimes palm oil.
Is almond butter gluten-free? Yes, almond butter is made with almonds which are gluten-fre.
Is tahini gluten-free? Yes, tahini is made only from sesame seeds so it has no gluten.
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Are There Risks To Trying A Gluten
If you cut all gluten out of your diet, theres a risk that you could miss out on nutritious whole grains, fiber and micronutrients. Getting enough whole grains in your diet is especially important if youre at risk for heart disease or diabetes. Whole grains can lower cholesterol levels and even help regulate your blood sugar. In addition, some gluten-containing foods are sources of important vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, iron and magnesium.
Keep in mind that some processed gluten-free foods contain high amounts of unhealthy ingredients such as sodium, sugar and fat. Consuming these foods can lead to weight gain, blood sugar swings, high blood pressure and other problems. So, a gluten-free label doesnt necessarily make a food healthy.
If you dont have celiac disease or gastrointestinal irritation, Rajagopal recommends removing highly processed foods from your diet before removing gluten. Add in more fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread or pasta, and lean proteins. Many people find they feel better just by eating better, not by removing gluten.
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Foods To Avoid When Going Gluten
Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman
Many foods contain gluten. In fact, if you look at your typical breakfast menu, lunch selections at a local deli, or on any family dinner table around the country, the odds are high that most of the foods provided are a source of gluten.
Of course, you probably know that most cereal, pasta, bread, cake, cookies, and other processed foods contain gluten. But what about the less obvious foods like condiments, beverages, and even meat products that contain it? Perhaps the more important question should be: What foods don’t have gluten?
Can Anyone Follow A Gluten
Many people think a gluten-free diet is a healthy alternative but its not. Gluten-free food products often have higher fat or sugar contents to make the food tastier and give them a better consistency.
A gluten-free diet is essential for people medically diagnosed with coeliac disease. Others need to be very careful because a gluten-free diet can lack essential nutrients if it’s not balanced well.
Gluten itself doesnt offer special nutritional benefits but the many whole grains that contain gluten do. Theyre rich in an array of vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, folate and iron, as well as fibre. You may miss out on these nutritional benefits if you follow a gluten-free diet and have not sought professional help from a dietitian to ensure your diet is balanced.
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Why Can Gluten Be Difficult For Manufacturers To Label
Gluten is no longer allowed to be labelled as an allergen, instead the cereals which contain gluten should be emphasised in the ingredient list. This is why it is crucial for food manufacturers to know which ingredients contain gluten, even if it can be difficult to label.
Allergen Labelling Laws
Prepacked food refers to any food that is put into packaging by a manufacturer. By law, all prepacked foods must have an ingredients label that names which of the 14 named food allergens are present in the product, whether as a main ingredient or a processing aid.
If there is a risk that the food product may have been affected by allergenic cross-contamination during production, the packaging must have a statement such as may contain peanuts or not suitable for someone with a sesame allergy.
When creating a label for your food product, you must remember to:
- Ensure the ingredients are written in a clear and easy to read font and colour.
- Have any allergenic ingredients highlighted in some way, whether that is in a different colour, italicised or bolded.
- Include allergen information on both the inner and outer packaging of multipack products.
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Dietary Changes For Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a disorder that damages your small intestine and keeps it from absorbing the nutrients in food. The damage to your intestinal tract is caused by your immune systems reaction to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Some oats contain gluten.
When you have celiac disease, gluten causes your immune system to damage or destroy villi. Villi are the tiny, fingerlike tubules that line your small intestine. The villis job is to get food nutrients to the blood through the walls of your small intestine. If villi are destroyed, you may become malnourished, no matter how much you eat. This is because you arent able to absorb nutrients. Complications of the disorder include anemia, seizures, joint pain, thinning bones, and cancer.
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Distilled Beverages And Vinegars
Most distilled alcoholic beverages and vinegars are gluten-free. These distilled products do not contain any harmful gluten peptides even if they are made from gluten-containing grains. Research indicates that the gluten peptide is too large to carry over in the distillation process, leaving the resulting liquid gluten-free. However, some types of alcoholic beverages do contain an unsafe amount of gluten for people with celiac disease, and include those with added color or flavoring such as dessert wines, and those made from barley malt, such as bottled wine coolers. For these, consumers should check the label, and if in doubt, contact the company. Beers, ales, lagers, malt beverages and malt vinegars that are made from gluten-containing grains are not distilled and therefore are not gluten-free. There are several brands of gluten-free beers available in the United States and abroad.
What Exactly Is Bad About Gluten
For people without intolerance, gluten is not a problem. Although science is currently still faced with the question of whether gluten is generally less easily digested by humans, it should not actually be a problem for healthy people. For people with intolerance, the effect of gluten is similar to an autoimmune disease. The mucous membrane of the small intestine is attacked and slowly dissolves. Due to the damaged mucous membranes, vitamins and nutrients can often no longer be digested properly. This can lead to deficiency symptoms in those affected.
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Why Do I Need To Avoid Gluten If I Have Coeliac Disease
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition that means you react to a protein called gluten. Eating gluten causes damage in your gut , often linked to not absorbing vitamins and minerals properly, including low blood iron levels and weak bones . Taking the gluten out of your diet lets your gut recover. If you are diagnosed with coeliac disease, the treatment is to follow a gluten-free diet, even if you don’t have any symptoms. Unfortunately, coeliac disease cant be cured and is a life-long condition. Ask your GP to refer you to a dietitian to help you change to a gluten-free diet.If you keep eating gluten, damage to your gut will still be happening, even if your symptoms have gone away.
What About The Rest Of Your Family
I am often asked if the rest of my family suffers from gluten sensitivity or intolerance and the answer is no. The obvious next question I usually get is do you cook separate meals then or do you just have your whole family follow a gluten free diet? Again, the answer is no. I do not believe that my children or I should avoid gluten without a medical reason to do so. I believe a diet rich in whole grains is important. A New York Times FAQ published last year quoted Michael Pollan as saying that People who eat lots of whole grains are generally healthier and live longer than those who dont. In the same article Pollan also addressed gluten-free diets saying, They are very important if you have celiac disease or cant tolerate gluten. But its hard to believe that the number of people suffering from these conditions has grown as fast as this product category. Gluten has become the bad nutrient of the moment, the evil twin of Omega 3 fatty acids. Could it really be that bread, a staple of Western civilization for 6,000 years, is suddenly making millions of us sick? Im dubious.
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How To Identify Sources Of Gluten
Before you learn how to read a food label, you need to know what gluten is and what foods contain it. As you may already know, gluten is a type of protein found in certain grains including wheat, barley, and rye. It is made up of two primary proteins, gliadin and glutenin, which are responsible for triggering the immune reaction in celiac disease and the inflammatory response in non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
But where exactly can you expect to find gluten?
When reading a food label, you cant expect to see gluten listed as an ingredient. You may not even see wheat, barley, or rye explicitly listed, but that doesnt mean the product is gluten free. There are many different forms of wheat and wheat-based ingredients, as well as different ingredients derived from barley and rye.
Here is a list of hidden sources of gluten to watch out for:
If you see any of these foods included in the name, description, or ingredients list for a food product, it is not safe to consume on a gluten free diet. Sounds easy enough, right? Unfortunately, there are many hidden sources of gluten you are likely to encounter as well. Keep reading to learn how to identify sources of gluten on a food label and how to interpret the other information on that label.
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Foods With Gluten Hiding Inside
The biggest problem is that foods with gluten hide right in plain sight, often going overlooked and even being promoted as healthy food options. In reality, foods that contain gluten may damage the gut and can cause even further problems, particularly for people with gluten intolerance. Even if you dont notice any obvious problems, consuming gluten puts your gut at risk for damage. So why eat it at all? I suggest steering clear of just about all foods with gluten.
The amount of gluten found in wheat has doubled in recent years, thanks to hybridized grain crops. Gluten may also be added as a filler and binding agent to many processed foods, including:
- artificial coffee creamer
- whey sodium caseinate
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Soy Sauce Dressings And Condiments
While not necessarily high in gluten, lots of condiments do contain some amount of gluten and need to be avoided if you need to go entirely gluten-free. Soy sauce, Worcester sauce, many salad dressings and dips, any kind of malt extract, and marinades may contain gluten, so be sure to check the label before buying.
Editors Recommendations
Most Breads Crackers And Wraps
Most breads, crackers, and wraps contain gluten. The only way to know for sure is to read the ingredient list and check to see which grains are used.
If you have a gluten intolerance, avoid the following:
As an alternative, you can make your own condiments from gluten-free ingredients or purchase ones that are certified gluten-free.
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Reading Food Labels: What May Contain Vs Contains Means
DISCLAIMER: This content is meant for informational purpose only. We do not provide specific nutritional or medical advice and always recommend you consult a healthcare professional for any symptoms or illnesses you may be experiencing.
People turn to a gluten-free diet for many different reasons. Some do so because they have Celiac disease, a serious autoimmune disorder triggered when gluten is ingested. Others, like myself, do so because they have non-Celiac gluten sensitivity. For me, living a gluten-free lifestyle, helps control my issues with chronic pain and inflammation. And others turn to a gluten-free diet as they are looking for a healthier way to eat.
Adapting to a gluten-free diet can be a daunting but doable challenge. One of the most important tips for going gluten-free is reading food labels to determine if the ingredients contain any alternative sources of wheat. You may also notice, some food labels will use the terms may contain and contains and today we are going to delve into what these terms mean for you, my fellow gluten-free foodees.
FAST FACT:For a product to be considered gluten-free, it must not have intentional sources of gluten added to it, and any cross-contamination must be less than 20 parts per million of gluten. This is an internationally recognized standard.
What Alternative Gluten
Although its healthy and gluten-free, rice shouldnt be the only grain in your diet. There are many other grain products that you can consume safely. As with rice products, be sure to read food labels to ensure the product is free of gluten and isnt at risk of contamination.
Additional gluten-free grains or carbohydrates that you can use in place of rice include:
- Quinoa: Substitute this for rice in your favorite rice-based salad.
- Corn: Use 100 percent corn tortillas and fill them with your favorite Mexican dish, in lieu of a side of rice.
- Millet: Serve this with your favorite stir-fry.
- Beans and lentils: Pasta products made with bean flour are now available in many grocery stores.
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