Oats can add diversity and offer many nutritional benefits to the gluten-free diet. Celiac Disease Foundation’s medical experts recommend only oats labeled gluten-free as cross-contact may occur when oats are grown side-by-side with wheat, barley or rye. Patients eating oats from any source may complain of symptoms. Is a gluten-free diet safe if I don't have celiac disease? In recent years, more people without celiac disease have adopted a gluten-free diet, believing that avoiding gluten is healthier or could help them lose weight. No current data suggests that the general public should maintain a gluten-free diet for weight loss or better health.
A gluten-free diet is one that excludes most grains, and it is recommended for people who have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. For other people, however, going gluten-free can be unhealthy. 10 Jun 2017- Explore theunsinkable's board 'Gluten Free humor/ Gluten free jokes', followed by 250 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about Gluten free living, Gluten intolerance and Autoimmune disease.
If you're following a gluten-free diet you need to ensure you're only eating foods that don't contain gluten.
Foods to avoid
The following foods and drinks contain gluten and should be avoided:
What Is A Gluten Free Diet
pasta
pizza bases
flours
breakfast cereals
bread
biscuits
squashes and fizzy drinks that contain barley
lager
stout
ales
You can find gluten-free alternatives to these foods and drinks in your nearest supermarket, health food shop or on prescription.
Oats
Oats don’t contain gluten but they can easily become contaminated with others cereals containing gluten during the production stage. Because of this, people with coeliac disease are advised to eat specifically prepared uncontaminated gluten-free oats.
However, even with uncontaminated gluten-free oats, a small percentage of people remain sensitive to avenin - a protein found in oats which is similar to gluten.
If you have coeliac disease you can choose to include gluten-free oats in your diet at any stage. If your symptoms return you must stop eating oats and seek the advice of a health professional.
Gluten-free foods
There are many foods and drinks that are naturally gluten-free, such as:
meat
fruit and vegetables
rice
dairy foods
eggs
pulses
fruit juice and cordials
flavoured water
fizzy drinks
cider
wine
sherry
port
spirits and liqueurs
A dietitian can help to identify which foods are safe to eat if you're unsure.
Gluten-free food prescriptions
If you have a confirmed diagnosis of coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis, you can access gluten-free foods on prescriptions through your GP or Scottish Gluten-free Food Service.
Food labelling
By law, foods labelled as ‘gluten free’ can contain no more than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten and are safe for you to eat.
Always check that food and drink is gluten-free before buying. You can do this by checking the label. A dietitian can help to explain the labeling of gluten-free foods if you're unsure.
[Last updated 20th September, 2018]
Millions of people voluntarily avoid gluten, a protein found in wheat-based foods like bread, cereal and pasta.
Those with a wheat allergy, celiac disease (about 1% of the population) and certain other autoimmune conditions get very sick if they eat it.
However, an extra 12% of people report digestive symptoms after eating gluten-containing foods… despite not having a wheat allergy or celiac disease.
But new research from Norway suggests it’s not gluten that causes issues for these people… it’s a FODMAP called fructan.
Contents
What Is A Fructan and Fructan Intolerance?
Fructans are a type of short-chain carbohydrate often referred to as FODMAPs.
They can cause unpleasant digestive symptoms for sensitive people, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Fructans occur in large quantities in:
wheat, barley and rye
garlic
onions
chickpeas
dates and prunes
raisins
watermelon
Those who experience digestive problems after eating fructans very likely have a fructan intolerance. It’s basically the same concept as those with a lactose intolerance who eat dairy, or those with a fructose intolerance who eat honey.
Summary: Fructans are a type of carbohydrate often referred to as FODMAPs. They are likely to cause strong digestive symptoms in those who are fructan intolerant. Rich sources of fructans include wheat, garlic, onion, chickpeas and more.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) Is Not Your Issue
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or “gluten intolerance” is the term used to describe those who react negatively to wheat foods but don’t have celiac disease.
NCGS is a real thing, but about 4 in 5 people who think they have it don’t.
A recent review study of data from 1312 adults found only 16% of those who respond positively to a gluten-free diet actually have a gluten sensitivity (1).
The remainder of people have other sensitivities or a nocebo response to gluten, which means they react to non-gluten foods as well.
FODMAP researchers suspected that these people might actually be sensitive to fructans, as they are found in many foods with gluten, such as bread and pasta.
Describe 3 Characteristics Of A Gluten Free Diet
Were You Recommended The FODMAP Diet?
My 14-Day Digestive Health Reboot helps you get started with a low FODMAP meal plan, recipes, direct dietitian access, educational resources and much more. Windows server 2008 r2 service pack 2 end of life.
New Study Confirms This Theory
A new Norwegian study published in Gastroenterology looked at 59 people who did not have celiac disease yet found digestive relief with a gluten-free diet (2).
Subjects were randomly assigned to eat seemingly identical muesli bars with either gluten, fructans, or neither (placebo) for seven days.
They then crossed over into a different group, until they had completed all three bar diets and recorded their digestive symptoms.
Researchers found that symptoms of IBS, especially bloating, were 15% worse after eating the fructan muesli bar compared to placebo.
Interestingly, the gluten bar had no effect on symptoms, which suggests gluten is not the culprit after all.
Lead author Gry Skodje believes these findings strongly support the idea that fructans in wheat are the trigger of digestive symptoms, not gluten.
It also helps explain why researchers have been left stumped trying to figure out how gluten causes issues for non-celiacs.
Ideally, the next step would be a larger study that controls the participants outside food intake as well.
Summary: Research shows 4 in 5 people who believe they are sensitive to gluten are actually not. A new clinical trial suggests the likely cause of their digestive symptoms are fructans, which are also found in wheat.
It’s Not The Gluten, But Gluten-Free Will Still Help You
The reason a gluten-free diet helps you feel better – even though you aren’t sensitive to gluten – is simple.
Gluten-free grains are automatically low in FODMAPs (including fructans).
Likewise, the removal of gluten from wheat also removes the majority of FODMAPs. That’s why low FODMAP diet plans are gluten-free.
So by choosing gluten-free breads, pastas and cereal, people have inadvertently been cutting out their fructans as well, leading to symptom relief.
For this reason avoiding gluten can still be particularly useful for those with fructan intolerance.
The Problem With A Gluten-Free Diet
However, a gluten-free diet may be overly restrictive of gluten-containing foods that are low in fructans.
For example, sourdough bread has gluten but its fermentation process removes the fructans. Soy sauce also contains gluten but is low in fructans. Beer comes to mind as well.
These are off-limits on a gluten-free diet, yet unnecessary to restrict for the vast majority.
The other issue is that most people with digestive issues don’t ever fully recover on a gluten-free diet. This is because FODMAPs (including fructans) are the likely culprit and a low FODMAP diet is what’s actually required.
If you’re still unsure about your perceived gluten sensitivity, try this:
What Is A Gluten Free Diet
Think about if you’ve ever had excessive gas, bloating or diarrhea several hours after eating a lot of garlic, chickpeas (hummus), dates or watermelon…
It’s the fructans.
New to FODMAPs and Want to Jumpstart Your Diet?
Describe A Gluten Free Diet And Autism
I’ve created a 14-Day Digestive Health Reboot plan that includes: