A gluten free diet is the recommended treatment for a person
with Celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the immune
system attacks itself in response to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in
several grains. It makes bread soft, and can make cakes and muffins tough. In response to gluten, the villi, a hair like
structure lining the small intestine, flattens. This inhibits the proper absorption
of nutrients from food. When this occurs the intestine becomes inflamed.
Symptoms of celiac disease are abdominal pain and bloating,
diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and unintended weight loss. This disease can also cause
a rash on the skin. It is usually diagnosed through a positive blood test and
an intestinal biopsy. Adults are more likely to have no digestive symptoms,
sometimes making the disease difficult to detect. Since the small intestine is
unable to absorb nutrients from food, the individual can develop malnutrition
and anemia. In children, Celiac disease can cause delayed growth and many other
health problems.
Celiac disease can be effectively managed through a gluten
free diet. This diet requires the complete elimination of gluten. Avoid these
main foods: wheat (kamut, spelt, bulgur), barley, rye and oats. Although oats
do not contain gluten, they are often processed in the same factories as wheat.
The oats can become contaminated with small amounts of gluten from leftover
wheat powder and this most likely causes symptoms. Oats may not cause a
reaction if they are processed by themselves. When choosing food for meals, it
is important to read labels carefully.
Additional recommendations are as follows:
- Most fresh fruits and vegetables are safe and highly recommended on a gluten free diet. Be vigilant for vegetables with any type of breading since they are usually made with wheat flour.
- Any meat is generally safe as long as it is not breaded. Avoid any meat with a cream base. These cream sauces are usually thickened with wheat flour. Also, check that raw meat does not have any type of gluten fillers or stabilizers in them. Simply sautéed, roasted or grilled meat and poultry (with no fillers) is acceptable.
- Choose from the many grains without gluten such as buckwheat (labeled gluten free), cornmeal, rice flour, potato flour, millet, tapioca flour, popcorn, hominy, and rice. Choose these most often when looking for a grain/carbohydrate source. Avoid bran, pasta made with wheat flour, wheat germ, and matzo. Since many packaged foods have gluten based additives and stabilizers in them, learn the various names of these substances. Completely avoiding these is vitally important to staying symptom free.
- Avoid alcoholic beverages such as beer, ale, and certain whiskey’s such as Canadian rye.
- Be aware when using butter, jelly, jam and condiments of cross contamination from other individuals using these products. It is quite common for bread crumbs to land in your butter or jelly. For a person with celiac disease, one bread crumb can cause a bad flare up of symptoms. Be sure to use separate butter and condiments to avoid any adverse reaction.
