Skip to main content

The Gluten-Free Craze

A jug of wine, NO loaf of bread, and thou?

It's all the rage right now; in fact, you may be thinking of going on a gluten-free diet. Before you do, here are some things to think about. Originally, gluten-free diets were designed to combat celiac disease, a serious auto-immune disorder which destroys the intestinal tract. Celiac affects about 1% of the population and is reversed by taking gluten out of the diet. But, the danger of self-diagnosing and taking gluten out of your diet prematurely is that you would never be able to get an accurate diagnosis of your symptoms. An intestinal biopsy is the only way to detect celiac.

People try it because they feel tired, bloated, depressed, but haven't we all felt this way from time to time? So, before you rush into a gluten-free diet try something simple, say, an apple... uh, or exercise? Or would you prefer a life of no bread, pasta or birthday cakes?

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein in wheat which gives bread its structure.

Gluten-Containing Foods

Barley, Bulgur, Cereal Binding, Couscous, Durum, Einkorn, Emmer, Fillers, Farro, Graham Flour, Kamut, Malt, Malt Extract, Malt Flavoring, Malt Syrup, Oats which are not labeled “Gluten-Free” because they have been contaminated by gluten in the field or in the processing plant, Rye, Semolina, Spelt, Triticale, Wheat, Wheat Bran, Wheat Germ, Wheat Starch, and others…

Naturally Gluten-Free Whole Grains

Brown Rice, Whole Corn, "Gluten-Free" Oats, Millet, Teff, Sorghum, Wild Rice, Buckwheat, Amaranth, and Quinoa.

For more information, and to hear "The Gluten-Free Craze" on NPR's Diane Rehm Show, visit KatherineTallmadge.com