Research from Fasano and colleagues in a 2003 issue of "Archives of Internal Medicine" and National Institutes of Health statistics indicate that the rate of celiac disease in the United States is between one in 133 and one in 100. With nearly 1 percent of the American population facing this condition, the gluten-free diet is gaining more awareness. People with celiac disease and gluten intolerance cannot consume gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. The condition is life-long, and the gluten- free diet is the cure; patients who stick to a strict gluten-free diet can be relieved of all symptoms.
Avoid Wheat, Barley and Rye
Wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale and any other grain that is part of the Triticeae grass tribe must be avoided by people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. This gluten-free diet rule is absolute, and it has been since the early 1950s when Dr. Willem-Karel Dicke discovered the gluten-free diet as a cure for celiac disease. The gluten protein damages the villi in celiac patients, making nutrient absorption difficult, causing malnutrition, osteoporosis, osteopenia, and even placing patients at a higher risk for digestive cancers. Following a strict gluten- free diet that never includes wheat, rye or barley is the only cure.
Avoid Oats
According to research from Ludvig Sollid, published in "PLoS Med" in 2004, up to 40 percent of all celiac patients have antibody reactions to gluten-free oats that are similar to the antibody reactions celiac patients have to gluten. Oats do not, by nature, contain the gluten protein, though some oats can be contaminated by wheat seed that gets into oat fields, or wheat that gets into commercial oats via cross-contamination in the manufacturing process. When first following a gluten-free diet patients should avoid oats, introducing them back into the diet only with a gastroenterologist's permission and careful observation of possible reactions.
Read All Labels
Gluten can be a hidden ingredient in processed foods, finding its way into soy sauce, some processed cheeses, and even in unlikely places such as crispy rice cereal and ketchup. In the United States wheat must be labeled in foods, but this labeling ignores other gluten sources, such as barley and rye. A "wheat-free" processed food may contain gluten in some other form. Calling manufacturer hotlines or visiting manufacturer websites for nutrition information in the safest rule when following a gluten-free diet.
Dining Out
The Gluten Intolerance Group, or GIG, is a consumer advocacy group working to promote education about celiac disease and gluten intolerance. GIG works with many restaurants to develop good practices for creating and maintaining gluten-free menus. Look for restaurants that consult with GIG when searching for gluten-free menus to find safe dining alternatives.
References
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Prevalence of Celiac Disease in At-risk and Not-at-risk Groups in the United States: a Large Multicenter Study; Fasano, A. et al.; Feb. 2003
- Mayo Clinic: Celiac Disease
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Celiac Disease
- National Institutes of Health: Celiac Awareness Campaign
- "PLoS Med"; Oats Intolerance in Celiac Disease; Sollid, Ludvig; 2004
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