Why Wheat and Gluten Free?

Wheat:
Allergy to wheat is a serious condition, which affects about 90 million people in the United States. With any food allergy the absence of the food takes care of the symptoms.

Gluten:
Less commonly known are Celiac Disease and Dermatitis Herpetiformis; gastrointestinal problems which are caused by the glutens found in wheat, rye and barley. The proteins found in wheat, rye and barley cause severe malabsorption of nutrients in the small intestine. A person diagnosed with celiac disease should avoid all of these grains and it is suggested to also abstain from oats, as there is a possibility of cross contamination with those gluten-contained grains.

However uncommon these conditions seem they are not rare. About 1 in 130 people of Northern European ancestry are affected by celiac disease. Proper diagnosis of celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis is increasing in the United States and will be closely aligned to the diagnosed figures reported in Europe.

Hidden wheat and hidden glutens can be found on food labels in the form of “modified food starch”, “vegetable protein”, “artificial color”, “natural and artificial flavorings”. It is important to anyone diagnosed with wheat allergy or gluten sensitivity to be their own food advocate, read labels and not ingest anything that is not determined to be safe.

THE LINKS BELOW WILL AUTOMATICALLY CONNECT YOU TO A DIFFERENT WEBSITE. PLEASE VISIT THEM TO LEARN MORE IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Celiac Kids) - http://www.glutenfreedom.net

Celiac Disease Foundation - http://www.celiac.org

Celiac Sprue - http://www.csaceliacs.org

GIG - Gluten Intolerance Group - http://www.gluten.net

Living Without - http://www.livingwithout.com

University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research - http://www.celiaccenter.org