Gluten Free Diet – Meaningful and Healthy?

Gluten Free Diet - Meaningful And Healthy?

GLUTEN FREE DIET – MEANINGFUL AND HEALTHY?

Gluten Free Diet – Meaningful And Healthy?

Everyone is increasingly debating about gluten intolerance. At the same time, however, gluten is found in some types of cereals and thus in many foods. So many people eat gluten every day, but not everyone can tolerate the natural mixture of proteins.

Celiac Disease – Forced Gluten Free

Celiac Disease is a chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the small intestine. The reason for this is a hypersensitivity to the components of gluten. Due to the inflammation, nutrients are absorbed very badly, resulting in deficiency symptoms and diseases. This manifests itself for example in symptoms such as weight loss, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, vomiting or fatigue. Celiac disease is not curable and can currently only be treated with a gluten free diet. Those affected must be very careful that the food they consume does not contain gluten and has not come into contact with it because even the smallest traces can cause a renewed outbreak of celiac disease.

Gluten Intolerance

Less harmful to health, but still unpleasant is the gluten intolerance, which manifests itself not as an autoimmune disease, but above all as an allergy. It causes similar symptoms as celiac disease, but has less drastic effects on the health of those affected. There are fewer clear statistics than with celiac disease, because gluten intolerance is difficult to detect. Ultimately, however, is: For sufferers of celiac disease there is no other option than a gluten free diet whereas people with gluten intolerance will feel better if they consume gluten free foods.

Gluten Containing Foods

But which foods are gluten containing at all? And why is abandoning them so difficult? The following list provides a rough overview of gluten containing foods:

  • Products with wheat, rye, oats, triticale, barley, spelt, unripe spelt grain, wheat, khorasan, couscous and tempura
  • Bread, bread buns, cakes, torts and other pastries
  • Pasta, pizza, lasagne, ravioli and dumplings
  • Meat loaf and rissoles
  • Beer, brown ale and rice beer
  • Liqueurs, mulled wine and punch
  • All processed foods
  • Yoghurt with biscuits or cereal, cheese imitations
  • Crumbed fish and crumbed meat, meat substitute from wheat
  • Chocolate with cereals, biscuits, granola bars and ice-cream wafers

A gluten free diet is therefore not so easy, because many of the listed foods are nowadays part of every daily diet. The human body does not actually need gluten.

Gluten Free Diet And Its Benefits

A gluten free diet definitely has advantages. The main ingredient of wheat flour, which is found in many of the products, is starch. And starch in turn is rich in carbohydrates and therefore not only known as an important source of energy, but also as particularly high in calories. If you renounce this calorie source, it often has positive effect on your own fat deposits. Even the blood sugar level can be favourably influenced by a gluten free diet. A gluten free or at least a gluten reduced diet can be worthwhile for both diabetics and overweight people. The reason for melting fat deposits  and a sinking blood sugar level are not necessarily gluten free foods, but often a fundamentally more conscious handling of their own diet.

Gluten Free Foods

In the meantime, gluten free nutrition is losing more and more of its niche existence. Not only people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance rely on gluten free foods. In particular, pseudo-grain varieties such as quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat are currently booming. But also conventional crops such as rice, corn and millet contain no gluten and can be eaten without problems. As an alternative to the classic wheat flour for baking or binding sauces one can use the fibre-rich coconut flour. Even the very popular chia seeds, which are ideal for enriching yoghurt, are free of gluten.

Please check out OQF’s gluten free products here: https://www.organicfoods.com.au/shop-online/browse-products/specialty-foods/

The current trend towards gluten free diets has a positive effect on the variety of gluten free foods on offer and is therefore a blessing for those suffering from celiac disease. At the same time, however, this trend should not put the seriousness of the disease in the background. Those affected know how difficult it is to eat a gluten free diet and avoid contamination with gluten. For those who are not seriously ill, reducing gluten containing foods is often easier than eliminating them altogether.