A Comprehensive Resource Guide For A Gluten-free Diet

Gluten refers to a group of proteins found in wheat, rye and barley. According to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, about 1 in 133 people in the U.S. have celiac disease and about 6 percent are gluten-sensitive. In people with celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an autoimmune response that attacks the small intestine. The damage to the small intestine interferes with its ability to absorb nutrients. Celiac disease may have both a genetic component and an environmental trigger such as stress or viruses. Some people who do not have celiac disease experience gastrointestinal discomfort when they eat gluten. These people are termed gluten-sensitive.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis involves a blood test to look for certain antibodies associated with celiac disease. The antibodies that most accurately predict celiac disease are anti-endomysial, anti-transglutaminase and anti-deamidated gliadin peptide antibodies. If you have a positive blood test, your doctor may give you an endoscopy with a biopsy to examine intestinal tissue for signs of the disease.

Safe and Unsafe Grains

On the gluten-free diet, you must avoid wheat, rye and barley, as well as the related grains spelt, triticale and kamut. Oats contain a protein similar to gluten that causes a reaction in some but not all celiacs. Oats typically become contaminated with wheat during growth, transportation and milling, so only eat certified gluten-free oats. Rice, corn, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, teff, amaranth and sorghum are all gluten-free. Potato, tapioca, garbanzo bean and fava bean are often used in gluten-free flours.

Baking

Mixtures of flours are common in gluten-free baking. In her "The Gluten-Free Gourmet" series of cookbooks, Bette Hagman created a white rice, potato starch and tapioca flour blend, as well as a garbanzo-fava bean flour, sorghum flour, cornstarch and tapioca flour mix that substitutes well in wheat-flour recipes. Xanthan gum is often added to gluten-free flours at the rate of about 1 tsp. to 2 cups of flour to give the dough more structure.

Substitutions

Sweet rice flour, also known as glutinous rice flour even though it is gluten-free, can substitute for wheat flour in thickening sauces and gravies. You can find them at Asian markets, which are also good places to find inexpensive white rice flour and tapioca flour. You can add cornstarch mixed with water to sauces to thicken them. White rice flour is a good coating for browning meat. For a crunchy coating on fish or meat, try ground gluten-free tortilla chips.

Where to Find Gluten-Free Products

You will find gluten-free, or GF, products, from rice pastas to baked goods to wheat-free soy and hoisin sauces, at natural-foods stores. Even traditional grocery chains often stock some GF products. Some online marketplaces for GF products are glutenfree.com and the Gluten-Free Mall (glutenfreemall.com). Customizable fruit, nut and grain GF cereals are available from Custom Choice Cereal (customchoicecereal.com).

Advocacy Organizations

Several organizations are devoted to helping gluten-sensitive people and celiacs. Gluten Intolerance Group (gluten.net) provides celiac disease information, lists of restaurants offering GF menu items and other services. Celiac Sprue Association (csaceliacs.org) offers information and sponsors local support groups. Celiac Society (celiacsociety.com) provides an online searchable list of GF foods. The University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research (celiaccenter.org) is a source of information and research publications.