THE ARTICLE
In the last few years, you've probably noticed a new label showing up on food items and on restaurant menus: gluten free. If you're not familiar with what that means, you're not alone. The new labelling has come about due to an increase in the incidence (or at least the diagnosis) of celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder. Celiac disease causes symptoms upon consuming gluten, which is the main protein in wheat, barley, rye, kamut and spelt. The symptoms are gastrointestinal in nature and may include bloating, flatulence and diarrhea.
Doctors who specialise in celiac disease note that it often goes undiagnosed, and that people may have it for years and suffer the effects without knowing why. They may also be misdiagnosed and mistreated in the meantime. What’s even more important is that “A growing number of the people dodging gluten fall into a gray area: they don't have celiac disease, but seem to be unable to digest gluten properly," say experts from Harvard Medical School. These people don’t show up as having celiac disease on any tests, yet they have similar symptoms to people who do have the disease. So, many people choose to give up gluten for a while to see if it might be the source of their health problems. Adopting a gluten-free diet will give people who have difficulty digesting gluten relief of their symptoms.
Some doctors miss the celiac disease diagnosis because the symptoms are vague and can be caused by so many different things. If you have digestive problems, one strategy that may work for you would be to give up gluten for one month and see if it might be the cause of your symptoms. If you do have trouble digesting gluten, giving it up will provide benefits far beyond those symptoms. Gluten sensitivity causes problems with the absorption of other nutrients, which can have adverse effects on growth in children, can cause anemia from the inability to absorb iron, and can weaken bones due to a reduced ability to absorb calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.
The Harvard experts also note, “Women with untreated celiac disease have higher-than-normal rates of menstrual abnormalities and infertility. A large study published in 2007 found an increased risk of pancreatitis in people with celiac disease. It's not clear whether these associations suggest a cause-and-effect relationship, or if celiac disease and these conditions happen to share an underlying cause."
The only effective treatment available for celiac disease, and for those with gluten sensitivity, is to eliminate all gluten from the diet. Gluten is difficult to eliminate completely, because it requires a significant change from what is normally eaten. While it may be feasible to stop eating bread, cereal, and pizza, unfortunately gluten goes much deeper into our diets. Gluten is a thickening agent and filler in many foods from ice cream to soy sauce. Supposed “health foods” often use gluten and it is sometimes even used in medications.
Although it can be a challenge to accomplish, people can and do adopt gluten-free diets and if it is the source of their health problems, it can be quite a revelation. Although there are a growing number of processed foods without gluten, even better for you (and probably more delicious) are the ethnic diets of the world that simply don’t use much gluten at all. Asian cooking uses no gluten, most Mexican food is corn-based, and Indian food, other than the naan, does not use gluten. Many African regions also consume diets with very little gluten. However, the problem in Western countries is that restaurants and products following these cultural styles have adapted their cooking techniques and ingredients to Western tastes, which usually include gluten. You’ll need to make them yourself to be sure they are gluten-free.
In general, the starches in a gluten-free diet will be based on rice, corn and potatoes. But don’t stop there! A benefit of exploring gluten free is the exposure you can get to delicious grains you might never have tried before, such as amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum, and teff. Not only are they delicious, they also contain very high amounts of vitamins and fibre.
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