Who Is A Gluten Free Diet For?

As most people know, a gluten-free diet is the only appropriate treatment given to people diagnosed with celiac disease. However, what most of us do not know is that this diet is also recommended for people diagnosed with wheat allergy, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or autism.

For celiac-related cases, patients are recommended to work on a gluten-free diet plan as advised by their dietician. The dietician will teach the patient how to identify foods with gluten content as well as to read the ingredient lists of the menu. For celiac patients, a diet plan free from gluten will stop celiac symptoms, heal small intestinal damage, and prevent any other damage. Immediate improvement may be seen within days after starting the diet; however, for children, the small intestine may take3 to 6 months to heal after starting the diet, while for an adult, it may take several years. A completely healed small intestine means that a person already has villi to absorb all the food nutrients into the bloodstream. To stay well and healthy, celiac patients must avoid gluten, even the smallest amount of it, for the rest of their lives. Moreover, depending on how old the person was diagnosed with celiac disease, some problems may not improve, such as dental enamel and short stature defects.

Patients diagnosed with wheat allergy experience the same symptoms as celiac patients. These include bloating and gas, abdominal pain, fatigue, constipation, iron-deficiency anemia, low blood cholesterol, headaches, and low level of vital vitamins and minerals in the body. Like the celiac disease, wheat allergy does not choose age or gender. It can plague both young and old and the only treatment for this metabolic problem is the gluten free diet.

Some experts on child mental development also claim that children with autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) problem should go on a gluten free diet. Their studies show that the gluten free diet helps lessen autistic symptoms such as lack of focus, impulsive behaviors, as well as speech problems. Though not yet proven scientifically, anecdotally, many autistic children's parents have reported that their children, after going on the gluten free diet, had shown better communication, better eye contact, improved bowel movement, and better sleep patterns. Casein free or gluten free diet promotes caution that even a very little amount of dairy or wheat could have a very big impact on an autistic child. As such, it is essential for parents to read food labels carefully - dairy and wheat are often hidden ingredients in processed and packaged products - and to check with the manufacturer directly as we know that labeling guidelines are not established or strictly followed for gluten-free products. Parents should also inform therapists, teachers, and other people involved in an autistic child's life that the child is now on a dairy and wheat free diet. Addressing the autistic child's special dietary requirements takes all the concerned efforts of the family, therapists, doctors, nutritionists, and other people in the child's life.

It is true that having celiac disease, wheat allergy, or being autistic is such a very difficult condition. However, science and medicine never ceases from doing its job. For now, the gluten free diet is the only available treatment both for celiac disease and wheat allergy while it is very helpful for autism cases. Therefore, people affected with any of the three cases mentioned above should start incorporating the gluten free diet in their lifestyle and learn how to live with it for as long as they live.