The Right Diet For Celiac Disease
People diagnosed with celiac disease are strictly advised to undergo a very special diet - one that is gluten-free. Gluten, a special type of protein, is present in wheat products and some grains, that is why the gluten free diet or the diet for celiac disease is free from any wheat or grains that may only trigger this condition.
What happens when a celiac patient does not take the gluten-free diet? Well, it can cause several different problems. An infant diagnosed with celiac disease may experience diarrhea and abdominal pain, and may fail to gain weight and grow. A child with celiac disease may also experience abdominal pain with lack of appetite, anemia, nausea, allergic dermatitis, and mouth sores. Adults may also have noticeable symptoms such as overall poor health, with irritability, fatigue, depression, and other intestinal problems. These health problems are exactly the reason why celiac patients are advised to take the right diet for celiac disease.
There are many products claiming to be wheat free but experts suggest that for those following the diet for celiac disease, they should not trust these products unless they are indeed gluten-free certified. If you are advised to take this diet, you may also take extra care and precautions by checking the contents of food you eat. To start, not all grains are gluten-free. These are some of the grains to avoid when you are on a gluten-free diet: wheat, farro, einkorn, semolina, farina, bulgar, kamut, spelt, durum, couscous, malt, commercial oats, barley and rye.
Some grains and products are free from gluten; thus, you are not forbidden from eating them or including them on your diet. Here is an example of some of them: sorghum, guar gum, xanthan gum, gelatin, arrowroot flour, amaranth, teff, buchweat, tapioca, quinoa, corn, potato, rice and uncontaiminated pur oats.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, clinical evidence shows that eating uncontaminated, pure oats is safe as long as it is taken between amount range of 20 to 25 grams per day for children and 50 to 70 grams per day for adults with celiac disease. However, there are some people who could not tolerate even the purest oats so it is safer to consult your doctor before including oats to your diet.
If you are diagnosed with Celiac disease, you are advised to always check the food labels before buying them. But you can't always trust the labels either because there currently are no enforced labeling standards for gluten-free products. Therefore, it is best to contact the manufacturer directly to confirm whether their product is indeed gluten free. Gluten is not always where it is expected. For example, some chocolate and sweetened milk may contain wheat starch or malt. Processed meat, such as frozen meat patties and luncheon meat may contain fillers with wheat content. Since the diet for celiac disease is quite sensitive, you have to be extra careful. Remember, your health comes before anything else!