Why Follow a Gluten Free Diet?

You may have been hearing a lot lately about people following gluten free diets. It seems that every time you go to the grocery store there are more and more foods that are marked "gluten free". You can't go to the book store without seeing cookbooks and health related books that talk about living gluten free. In fact, I recently saw a gluten free magazine.

What's the big deal? Is this some health fad or is there a reason that you should consider following a gluten free diet too?

The reality is that there are medical reasons that cause many people to need to follow a gluten free diet. Most often, this involved wheat intolerance or a wheat allergy.

Wheat Intolerance

A wheat intolerance is a not allergic negative reaction to wheat. When people have a wheat intolerance, they are commonly tired and achy all the time. They also have gastrointestinal disorders and may also have issues with their skin. The challenge with diagnosing a wheat intolerance is that the symptoms can be delayed by a day or two from the time that wheat is consumed. This means connecting the symptoms with the cause can be very challenging.

Most people don't realize that it is possible for adults to develop wheat intolerance. Unlike a wheat allergy, which is much more severe, a wheat intolerance is not necessarily something that you are born with.

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an allergic response to gluten protein. Over time, the intestinal track becomes damaged. If you have celiac disease this is a permanent condition and there is no cure. However, you can reverse damage and prevent future symptoms by following a gluten free diet.

Wheat Allergy

A wheat allergy is a reaction to numerous proteins that are found in grains. Some people suffer with gastrointestinal symptoms, but it may also cause the typical allergy symptoms of sneezing and a runny nose. Skin issues are also common. Generally speaking if an individual has a wheat allergy, this is something that they are born with.

The solution for all of these problems is to follow a gluten and wheat free diet. Even if you just suspect that you may have a wheat intolerance, following a wheat free diet for a few weeks can be a good idea. Generally speaking if this is your problem you will start to feel better in just a few weeks.