What is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, oats, and rye. It gives dough its elasticity and stickiness when flour mixes with water.
Effects on Those with Gluten Intolerance
For gluten-intolerant individuals, a strict exclusion diet is essential to manage symptoms effectively.
Ingestion of gluten causes inflammation and damages the intestinal wall, destroying villi. This results in malabsorption of key nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
Key Therapeutic Indications
- Celiac disease
- Chronic diarrhea without specific etiology
- Post-abdominal radiation therapy damaging intestinal mucosa
Classic Celiac Disease Symptoms
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Malabsorption
- Weight loss
What to Eat in Practice
Avoid all foods containing wheat, barley, oats, or rye in any form.
Wheat is a staple in European diets, appearing in bread, pasta, and flour-based products. Corn sensitivity is rarer but requires exclusion if present.
- Skip catered dishes due to unknown ingredients (e.g., wheat flour in sauces).
- Minimize processed meals; always check labels.
- Reject products listing: wheat, barley, oats, rye, starch, vegetable protein, malt extract, or starch material.
Safe Foods to Enjoy:
- Flours: buckwheat, chestnut, rice, soy, corn (if tolerated).
- Starches: rice, potato, chestnut, corn, legumes.
- Bread substitutes: rice cakes, homemade gluten-free bread, certified gluten-free breads/crackers.
- "GLUTEN-FREE" labeled products.
Specialty stores offer gluten-free bread, rusks, and pasta. Their taste and texture differ but support reduced intake of traditional breads and pastas.
- Safe home-prepared basics: meat, fish, eggs, fresh/plain frozen vegetables and fruits, legumes (if no abdominal pain), milk, corn, rice, buckwheat, potatoes, soy.
- Bake with potato or potato starch as wheat flour alternatives.
- Discover countless gluten-free recipes online for sweet and savory meals.
Labeling Regulations
- EU Directive 2003/89/EC (amending 2000/13/EC) requires listing 12 allergen groups, including gluten: "Cereals containing gluten (i.e., wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut or their hybridized strains), and products thereof."
- Exemptions from Annex IIIa of Directive 2000/13/EC: "Cereals containing gluten; wheat-based glucose syrups including dextrose(1); wheat-based maltodextrins(1); barley-based glucose syrups; cereals in distillates for alcohols (1) And derived products, insofar as processing does not increase allergenicity per EFSA assessment."
Additional Information
Some medications contain gluten; consult your doctor or pharmacist for every prescription or over-the-counter product.
Upon diagnosis with proof, seek financial aid: Social Security reimburses extra costs for gluten-free products; some insurers offer support.
Learn More
- Association of People Allergic to Gluten (AFDIAG): Practical info on gluten-free brands.
- Celiac disease site
