Gluten is a protein found in a variety of grains
such as wheat,
rye, barley, oats, spelt and related products. Because wheat is
added into so many processed foods many people are eating gluten daily without
even realising it. Gluten is an issue for most people only because we
each so much of it. The Standard Australian Diet (SAD) generally consists of
wheat based cereals for breakfast, crackers as a snack, a sandwich, a few
biscuits, pasta for dinner and before you know it you have consumed gluten with
every meal!
Celiacs is the name given to an auto-immune
disease that causes permanent intestinal intolerance to gluten. Only 1 in 200
people are celiac while it is estimated that 1 in 7 people have a gluten
intolerance or sensitivity. You could have a gluten intolerance without
necessarily having Celiac’s disease.
The issue is that gluten is a protein that is
difficult to digest and can cause inflammation and irritation in the intestinal
wall. If not digestive properly it is us to the immune system to break it down.
Once the immune system steps in, the gluten can affect pretty much every other
system in the body. Issues that arrive can include digestive issues,
auto-immune disorders, skin problems, asthma, mood disorders, behavioural and
learning difficulties and allergies.
What to do?
The best advice I can give to anyone is to vary
your grain intake and avoid overconsumption of gluten. Use a variety of
grains in your diet such as rice, corn, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth or millet.
All are gluten free and very nutritious.
If you are worried about having a gluten
sensitivity, avoid all gluten containing foods for a period of 3 weeks. Assess
your health over this period, then introduce the gluten back in and see how you
feel. Many people feel that they can tolerate gluten if consumed occasionally
and in small amounts.
Please see my next blog all about choosing gluten
free grains!
