Is Gluten the Problem?

July 12, 2009

Gluten-free diets are gaining popularity after celebrities like Oprah claim it can help with weight loss. But, do you need a gluten-free diet? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, oats and barley which can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea in those suffering from celiac disease. It's been blamed for weight gain and other disorders, but research in this area is slim. If you suffer from the above symptoms after eating gluten-containing foods, ask your doctor about testing for celiac disease before taking gluten out of your diet. Before you throw out all your bread, crackers and pasta and restock your pantry with expensive gluten-free products, get a simple blood test to test for celiac disease. Gluten has to be present in your diet before the tests are done or you may end up with a false-negative result. There are two blood tests (immunoglobulin A antihuman tissue transglutaminase & immunoglobulin A endomysial antibody immunofluorescence) that are considered accurate for diagnosing celiac disease and less invasive than an intestinal biopsy (considered the 'gold standard' for diagnosing celiac disease).If diagnosed with celiac disease or a gluten-free diet is used for other reasons, here are a few tips to "de-gluten" your diet:

Shop around the edges of the store. The fresh foods found in the produce, meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy departments are naturally gluten-free. Most bakeries are not gluten-free.
Get a list of gluten-free products. Ask if your grocery store has a list of gluten-free products and where they're located in the store. Many national chains (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's) have such a list. If there isn't a list available at your store, look online or check out your local bookstore for resources.
Learn to read the ingredient list. A wheat-free product may not be gluten-free. It may contain rye, oats or barley. Products you don't associate with grains may contain gluten-containing additives or ingredients as flavorings (barley malt is used as a coffee flavoring).
Avoid contamination. Don't buy your grains out of bulk bins. Scoops can be moved from a gluten-containing product to a gluten-free product. Buy condiments in squeeze bottles to avoid the chance of gluten-containing crumbs getting into the containers and jars.
Don't forget fiber. When removing gluten-containing grains from your diet you may eat less fiber. Slowly add amaranth, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat or flaxseed to your diet to get the recommended amount of dietary fiber.

As gluten-free product labels are standardized and the variety of gluten-free products increase it should get easier for those suffering from celiac disease to follow a gluten-free diet. To consult with one of us regarding gluten-free or other diet, send us an email!.