Gluten Sensitivity

What Is Gluten?

Gluten Sensitivity

Gluten is a form of protein.

Although you probably have seen the word in the news, you may not know that gluten is the protein found in many grains, including wheat, rye, barley and oats, although there is some controversy about the gluten in oats. There is no doubt that, at least in the Western diet, these are some of the most common grains found in our food supply.

Symptoms

The symptoms of sensitivity to gluten can vary, but can include abdominal pain or cramping, diarrhea, weight loss, bone pain, anemia, weakness, bloating or bulky, floating stools. In other words, if you have gluten sensitivity eating gluten can make you pretty miserable. In addition, if you have untreated celiac disease, you are at a greater risk of developing gastrointestinal cancer or lymphoma. However, once the disease is treated and the intestines heal, your chances of getting these kinds of cancers goes back to normal.

Click here for a printable copy of this list.

Celiac Disease can occur at any time in your life and may run in families. There is also some research that suggests it can be triggered by stress, both physical and emotional. If it goes untreated, children with this disorder tend to be small for their age and undernourished.

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If you think you have Celiac Disease, you should see your doctor who can perform a blood test to check for high levels of certain antibodies that would indicate that your immune system is having an abnormal response to the presence of gluten in your system. Be sure to eat gluten foods before the test or the results may not reflect the true state of your sensitivity.

Not as simple as it sounds

Even though there is no real cure for Celiac Disease, this severe gluten sensitivity can be treated by simply eliminating gluten from your diet. If you avoid eating foods that contain gluten, your intestinal lining will heal up, and the symptoms should disappear. However, at least in the Western world, avoiding gluten is easier said than done.

Here is a chart that shows the most common grains that have gluten and those that are gluten-free.

Caveat: Any of these grains and flours can be contaminated with gluten, if they are processed in the same facility or with the same equipment as wheat or other grains containing gluten. You will need to check labels for an advisory statement about possible gluten contamination. As an added precaution, you can contact the food company to make sure that their products are truly gluten-free.

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The chart above shows the obvious sources of gluten that you will need to avoid if you are sensitive. However, there are many products that may contain gluten by another name. Many packaged soups, some cheeses and cheese spreads, ketchup, candies, soy sauce, salad dressings, lunchmeats, frozen dinners and even non-dairy creamers may be hidden sources of gluten.

Read the label

In addition to anything that says "gluten" or “wheat,” look for these words on the ingredient list of food labels, as they may indicate the presence of gluten:

Textured Vegetable Protein
Vegetable Gum
Vegetable Protein
White vinegar
Food dyes (Red or Yellow)
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
Malt , Malt Syrup, or Malt Flavoring
Modified Starch or Modified Food Starch
Monoglycerides and Diglycerides
Natural Flavors or Artificial Flavors

This is just a partial list. Click on this link for a more complete catalogue of hidden sources of gluten.

Gluten-free Foods

Even though it will take some diligence to keep the gluten out of your diet, there are a lot of gluten free foods that you can include in your diet. These include the following:

Fruits (fresh or check label for frozen and canned)
Vegetables (fresh or check label with frozen and canned)
Eggs
Fresh meat, fish and poultry (not canned or processed)
Milk
Most plain yogurt(check the label)
Vegetable oils
Butter
Gluten free grains and products made from them(listed above)
Nuts and nut butters
Seeds
Legumes (unprocessed beans, peas lentils)
Popcorn(pop it yourself to avoid additives)

Keep in mind that the very best way to insure that your diet is gluten free is to eat fresh, unprocessed foods that you prepare yourself using ingredients and products that you know for sure do not contain gluten.

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