National Celiac Disease Awareness Month

When I learned that May was National Celiac Disease Awareness Month I thought that I would help spread my expertise on the subject. My best friend is part of the 1 in 133 people throughout the United States who have Celiac disease. She has a poster, that I found at the American Dietetic Association's Food and Nutrition Expo, hanging on her bedroom door that portrays a sad woman with the quote "I love bread but my body doesn't." If you asked her though, I bet she would say that living a gluten free life isn't really as hard as you would think. Yes, there are a lot of restrictions and rules but these days the market is full of tasty gluten free alternatives.

What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac Disease, Celiac Sprue and Gluten Intolerance are all names for the same digestive disorder. Celiac is an inherited autoimmune disease involving the small intestines, although many people mistake it for a wheat allergy. The exact cause is unknown, but research has revealed a strong genetic link. Those with family members who have any type of autoimmune disease are at a 25% increased risk of having Celiac disease.

For those with Celiac ingestion of the protein gluten, which is found in wheat, rye and barely, causes an immune response within the digestive tract. The reaction causes damage to the villi on the surface of the small intestine. The villi are responsible for absorption of nutrients therefore damage to this vital part of the intestines can lead to weight loss, bloating, diarrhea, gas, abdominal cramps, or vitamin and mineral deficiencies. When gluten is totally eliminated from the diet, the lining of the intestine has a chance to heal. The disorder is best diagnosed with a biopsy (tissue sample) of the small intestine. Blood tests are also being refined to identify celiac markers.

The only effective treatment for Celiac Disease is a gluten free diet. The idea of eliminating gluten may be ominous at first but those who follow it soon discover that gluten free guidelines are similar and often the same as the basic healthy eating guidelines. This includes; plain meats, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, corn, rice, dairy products; milk, butter, margarine, real cheese, yogurt, plain fruits, vegetables, vinegar (excluding malt vinegar), and vegetable oils. Reading labels is crucial when shopping for gluten free foods. Specialty foods are not always necessary because some popular food brands may already be gluten free!

Be cautious of and avoid the following ingredients:
Wheat, rye, barely, spelt, kamut, einkorn, emmer, titicale, durum, farina, enriched flour, wheat starch, self rising flour, graham flour, bulgar, semolina, cake flour, pastry flour, matzo, bran, bread crumbs, gelatinized starch, gluten, miller’s bran, modified food starch, pastry flour, vegetable gum, wheat germ, soy sauce, malt.

Wheat Free Does NOT Mean Gluten Free!

Safe grains and flours include corn, oatmeal labeled gluten free, potatoes, arrowroot, tapioca, rice, amaranth, buckwheat, Montina, flax, Job’s tears, millet, sago, soy, sorghum, teff, cornstarch, maioc, nut flour, bean flour.

Cross contamination
Cross contamination occurs if a gluten free food comes into contact with a gluten-containing product. This can occur when cooking in a pot or pan that has been unwashed after cooking a food with gluten, toasting gluten containing products in the same toaster, double dipping with a knife in jars after spreading on bread, placing a food on the same plate or surface that is touching a gluten-containing food, and even using the same knife used to cut non-gluten free products to cut gluten free products.

When following a gluten free diet be cautious of breads; breading on meats or vegetables; cereals, crackers, pasta, cookies, cakes, pies, gravies, sauces, snack foods, medications, cosmetics, stamps and stickers.

For more information visit The Celiac Disease Foundation website or the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website.