Summary: I’m sure you have heard of the Gluten-Free Diet or maybe you’ve considered trying it (or maybe you’re on it as we speak). It has become all the rage, with gluten-free products popping up in mainstream grocery stores, even Target! Restaurants are making sure to add gluten-free choices to their menus too. Listen in to learn more about this diet and decide if it’s for you!<br> [divider]<br> Podcast Transcript – Is Gluten-Free For You?<br> Hi and welcome to Nutritionally Speaking! I’m your host, Michaela Ballmann. On today’s episode, we are going to be discussing the Gluten-Free diet. You will learn about why people may benefit from this diet, why most (many) people won’t, and what group you fall into.<br> The Gluten-Free Diet is designed to help people who cannot tolerate gluten, the protein found in wheat (and its relatives like spelt), rye, and barley. Other foods, namely oats, can be “contaminated” with gluten if they are harvested and/or processed by the same machines that handle wheat, rye, and barley. The oats would get gluten on them, but don’t naturally contain gluten themselves. Gluten is actually a combination of glutenin and gliadin, two proteins with slightly different properties that act together to make dough that is chewy and springy.<br> <br> What’s the problem with gluten?<br> So, what’s the problem with gluten? There is no inherent problem with it. The problem shows up when people’s bodies are unable to tolerate it. This is the case with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease that is in the spotlight these days. With this disease, the ingestion of gluten leads to an immune system response wherein the villi (which make up the thin, hair-/finger-like lining for the intestine) become inflamed and damaged or destroyed. These villi are important in the process of absorption, so this disease inherently leads to malabsorption of nutrients and potential weight loss and malnutrition. Common symptoms are mainly gastrointestinal, including constipation or diarrhea, cramping, and bloating—notice that these are common symptoms of other GI issues like irritable bowel syndrome or gastroenteritis. Other symptoms may include weakness, bone pain, and changes in appetite.<br> <br> Celiac disease<br> Celiac disease is usually diagnosed by either taking a biopsy of the lining of the first segment of the small intestine (the duodenum) to look for flattened villi OR by testing for certain antibodies. A stool sample can also be tested for steatorrhea, which is increased amounts of fat in the stool, a sign of fat malabsorption.<br> To put this in perspective, a commonly quoted statistic is that 1 in 133 people, which translates to more than 2 million people in the US (or somewhere around .7% of the population) have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, though many more are estimated to go undiagnosed. Unfortunately, we’re not quite sure what causes this disease, but it is more common in people with other autoimmune disorders, with type 1 Diabetes being just one example. There is also a genetic component, so in those who have a 1st-degree relative with the disease, the amount of diagnosed Celiac disease rises to 1 in 22.<br> <br> A Gluten-Free Diet<br> So, how do you treat Celiac Disease? With a gluten-free diet! By removing the offending gluten, the inflammation in the intestines will die down, and the villi will regenerate, allowing nutrients to be absorbed again (this can take some time, though!). This can be very challenging at first, as it seems many foods (especially prepared and packaged foods) contain gluten. Here is a short list of some other foods in addition to wheat, rye, and barley that need to be avoided due to their containing gluten:<br> Bulgur, Durum, Farina, Graham flour, Semolina, Spelt, and Triticale (a cross between wheat and rye. Note that many commonly used processed foods like bouillon cubes, chips, sauces,
