Should You Really Go Gluten Free?

In an attempt to eat healthy, live healthy, a lot of us have taken out somethings from our diet. And with the craze about gluten, majority more people jumped on the bandwagon of a gluten-free diet. 

But what exactly is gluten? Should you avoid gluten in your diet and why? 

What is gluten?

Gluten is a family of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley.

While most people tolerate gluten just fine, some others may have a problem with it. 

People who may have a problem with gluten include those with Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

What is Celiac disease? 

Celiac disease is a genetic, autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. 

It involves the body treating gluten as a foreign invader. The immune system attacks the gluten, as well as the lining of the gut.

Symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity and celiac disease include digestive discomfort, diarrhoea, bloating, constipation. 

Because in celiac disease, there is damage to the small intestine and interference with absorption of nutrients from food, anaemia and weight loss are also associated with the disease. 

How to manage celiac disease 

In managing celiac disease, the patient has to go and remain gluten free. 

List of foods containing gluten to avoid

• Wheat
• Spelt
• Rye
• Barley
• Bread
• Pasta
• Cereals
• Beer
• Cakes, cookies and pastries
• Crackers
• Seasonings and spice mixes
• Semolina

Gluten may also show up as an ingredient in:

• barley malt

• chicken broth

• malt vinegar

• some salad dressings

• veggie burgers (if not specified gluten-free)

• soy sauce

• seasonings and spice mixes

• soba noodles

• condiments

Thankfully, there are a lot of foods that are naturally gluten free. They include 

• Legumes
• Fruits
• Vegetables 
• Seeds
• Beans
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Potatoes
• Rice
• Millet
• Sorghum
• Soy
• Chicken
• Sea food
• Corn
• Oils

Celiac disease requires extra caution when eating out. You will have to read the label of everything you eat. 

It is however better to choose foods that are naturally gluten-free, rather than processed (labelled) gluten-free products.

But if you want to be entirely certain that your food is gluten free, cooking from scratch is your best bet. 

Should everyone avoid gluten?

Unless you are gluten intolerant, or have been diagnosed with celiac disease, avoiding gluten is unnecessary and may eventually cause more harm than good. 

Just choose and eat healthy foods. 

Previous posts 

You can share your health concerns here

Coping With The Pain of Migraines

Why You Should Drink Green Tea