Gluten Free Information

This material is not intended to provide medical advice,

which should be obtained directly from a physician

NOTE: If you want to find out more about “gluten intolerance” you can be tested at:

Chico Area ~ Chico Naturopathic, (530) 332- 9355.

Grass Valley area ~ Whitewater Naturopathic Medical Clinic, (530) 271-7123.

And if you happen to be a pizza lover, no worries, Left Coast Pizza in Chico has you covered.

A gluten-free diet is a diet completely free of ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, Malts and triticale, as well as the use of gluten as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent. It is the only medically accepted treatment for coeliac disease, and wheat allergy.

Additionally, a gluten-free diet may exclude oats, however medical practitioners are divided on whether oats are an allergen to coeliac disease sufferers or if they are cross-contaminated in milling facilities by other allergens.

The Oct/Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Lotus Guide has an abundance of information about Gluten so be sure to pick up a copy or read it online at http://lotusguide.com/index.php/articles/by-issues

* If you happen to live in the Chico/Orland area The Portuguese Plaze/City Gates Restaurant is a great place to eat no matter what kind of diet you're on.

What is Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body mistakenly reacts to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, as if it were a poison.

It affects one in 133 people, although most have not been diagnosed.

When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten their immune system reacts by destroying the part of the small intestine that absorbs vital nutrients. This malabsorption can lead to serious illness.

Symptoms of celiac disease can include bloating, gas, diarrhea, weight loss or gain, constant fatigue or weakness, headaches, infertility, depression that does not respond to medication, abdominal pain, bone pain and anemia. For children, symptoms include failure to thrive, short stature, distended abdomen, dental enamel defects, and unusual behavior changes.

Celiac disease is tricky, however, and sometimes has no outward symptoms. Since it is a genetic disease, relatives of those who have been diagnosed have an increased risk.

Diagnosis is made through a series of blood tests, followed by a biopsy of the small bowel to see if the absorbing lining is damaged.

The only treatment for celiac disease is to follow the gluten-free diet. When gluten is taken out of the diet, the small intestine heals and a return to full health can be expected. Long-term complications of undiagnosed celiac disease include malnutrition, lymphoma, osteoporosis, neurological complications and miscarriage.

There is also a skin form of celiac disease called dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) which appears as an itchy, blistering rash. It is diagnosed through a special skin biopsy and is also treated with the gluten-free diet.

Labeling

A food label should contain all the information you need to figure out if that food is safe on the gluten-free diet.

You need to avoid:

Wheat
The Food Allergen and Consumer Protection Act says labels have to list the top eight allergens, including wheat, in plain English whenever they are an ingredient in packaged foods regulated by the FDA.

That means you will never have to guess whether some strange ingredient is made from wheat. If wheat is used, the label will tell you. (Meat, eggs and poultry are regulated by the USDA, which is not covered by the allergen labeling law. However, the USDA has advised food processors that it expects them to declare all sources of allergens on their labels.)

If a food contains wheat, you will find "wheat" in the ingredients list or the phrase "Contains wheat" immediately after the ingredients list. Some food companies do both.

Rye and Barley
Rye and barley are not covered by the allergen label law. However, rye is not used that often in foods, and when it is the label usually says so.

Barley is more common and can be more difficult to recognize on a food label. It can be listed as barley, barley malt or just malt. Although rare, barley malt is sometimes simply listed as "flavoring."

But food companies are becoming more aware of the gluten-free diet. Although they aren't required to, some companies list the source of all gluten-containing ingredients, including barley, on their labels.

Oats
Oats present a different food labeling problem. Studies show oats do not contain gluten protein that is harmful to those who follow the gluten-free diet. However, oats are often contaminated with wheat so if you see them in an ingredient list it is highly likely the product is not gluten free. The gluten-free diet only allows oats specifically grown, processed and labeled for the gluten-free market. Specially processed oats are usually not used as an ingredient in mainstream foods and are sold mainly as gluten-free oatmeal.

Advisory labels
In addition to the ingredients list, you may find advisory labels on a food package. Advisory labels are not regulated and companies use them voluntarily. They give consumers more information about the possibility that a food could be cross-contaminated by an allergen during processing.

Some say "May contain Wheat." Others say "Produced in a plant that also produces products made with wheat" or "Produced on equipment that also produces products that contain wheat." You have to decide whetheryou want to include foods with these labels in your diet.

A final note on label reading - you must always read the label on a packaged food, even if you buy it regularly. Ingredients can change and reading the label is the best way to be sure you know what is in your food.

Gluten in the NEWS

On the VIEW

Information Links for Gluten and Celiac Disease:

http://www.celiac.com/

www.glutenfreemall.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet (lots of informative information here)

http://www.glutenfreeliving.com/

Credits: Many thanks to the people at Gluten Free Living Magazine for much of the information contained in this web page.