Gluten - What's the big deal?

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!