What is Gluten?
Gluten is a form of protein found in wheat (including
spelt, semolina and durum), rye, barley and triticale (a hybrid). Each of these grains each have slightly different
proteins (gliadin in wheat, secalin in rye and hordein in barley)
collectively known as prolamins. These promalins are what cause
problems for people who can't tolerate gluten in their diet.
Wheat gluten is a cheap source of protein.
Gluten is commonly known as seitan where it is also sometimes added to
breads to increase
density or improve the texture. In China and Japan
pure gluten is more commonly used as a protein substitute in vegetarian
food such as burgers, giving them a "meat like texture."
The gluten in the flour is what makes the paste
"elastic" and binds it together. In fact "strong" flour, sold for
making bread, has extra gluten added.
Who Needs a Gluten Free Diet?
People suffering from celiac disease or gluten intolerance need to avoid foods containing gluten in order to live well. A strict gluten free diet is also the treatment for a related condition
called Dermatitis Herpetiformis, which is a severe itchy skin
condition. And it is often recommended for people with autism, ADHD (attention deficit disorder) or fibromyalgia.
Gluten and Celiac Disease
Eating foods containing gluten can cause damage to the small intestine for people with celiac disease.
Due to its autoimmune nature, celiac disease attacks the
body, causing inflammation and damage to the inside of the small
intestine.
The normal small intestine features small hair like projections along
its length known as villi. The villi increase the surface area of the
small intestine and therefore assist in the absorption of the nutrients
that the body needs to stay healthy.
The autoimmune response causes so much damage
to these villi that they are no longer effective in absorbing
nutrients. Changing over to a gluten free
diet will allow your body to repair these villi. As a result your health will
improve tremendously.
Gluten Containing Foods and Other Products
Some foods containing gluten are obvious to everyone that needs to follow a gluten free diet, but many could slip by unnoticed. The following list of foods below will help you to avoid gluten if you have celiac disease or suffer a gluten allergy or intolerance.
Gluten Containing Grains and Baked Goods
| Bread and bread rolls |
Rye bread, pumpernickel |
Yorkshire pudding |
| Pretzels |
Cakes |
Stuffings
|
| Muffins |
Pastry or pie crust |
Pancakes
|
| Biscuits or cookies |
Pasta - macaroni, spaghetti, etc. |
Crispbreads |
| Bulgar wheat |
Durhum |
Crumble toppings |
| Coucous |
Pizza |
Semolina |
| Scones |
Anything in breadcrumbs |
|
| All Bran |
Sponge puddings |
Sponge puddings |
| Barley water drinks |
Malted drinks |
Muesli |
Foods with Hidden Gluten
Other foods containing gluten could trick the unsuspecting newly
diagnosed Celiac sufferer into thinking they are safe. The list below
shows things that should be checked.
| Sausages - often contain rusk |
Luncheon meat - may contain fillers |
Blue cheeses (may be made with bread) |
| Gravy powders and stock cubes such as OXO cubes |
Matzo flour/meal |
Shredded suet in packs (flour is normally used to keep the strands separate) |
| Seitan (doesn't contain gluten, it IS gluten!) |
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) |
Baked beans (there may be gluten in the tomato sauce) |
| Farina |
Meat and fish pastes, pates
|
Oats - may be bulked out with flour. The general consensus is they do not contain
gluten, but the risk of contamination is so high that most people on a gluten free diet avoid them. |
| Self basting turkeys |
Sauces - often thickened with flour |
Alcoholic drinks - such as beer, ale, lager
|
| Soups - may be roux based (made with flour) |
Mustard - dry mustard powder contains gluten |
Instant coffee - may be bulked out with flour |
| Brown rice syrup |
Cheap brands of chocolate |
Potato crips/chips - some are OK, read the ingredients! |
| Soy sauce - only Tamari is OK |
Drinking chocolate |
Licorice |
| Chutneys and pickles |
Salad dressings |
Curry powder and other spices (can be bulked out with flour) |
| White pepper |
Malt vinegar |
Some pharmaceutical products |
Supplements (binders)
|
Some toothpastes |
|
|
|
|
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Nutrition 
