More and more often we hear about a gluten-free diet intended for people who suffer from an intolerance to this ingredient. Recipes for gluten-free baked goods and meals can be found everywhere, and people without a diagnosed intolerance are opting for this type of diet. What is the disease, what are its symptoms and what does a gluten-free diet look like?

• When should you eat gluten-free?

• Celiac disease can have many symptoms, including extra-intestinal ones. belong to them

• In infants

• For children up to 3 years

• In children over 3 years of age

• Gluten Free Diet

When should you eat gluten-free?

Gluten intolerance is caused by celiac disease, a disease in which antibodies are produced in response to gluten, causing damage to the intestinal villi and indigestion. The reaction is caused by fragments of grain proteins found in wheat, barley and rye. 1% of people in the world suffer from celiac disease. Left untreated, the disease can lead to a variety of health problems in people who don't avoid gluten in their diet, including infertility, osteoporosis and some cancers. The source of the disease can be genetic, immunological, as well as environmental factors. It affects people of all ages. Women are more at risk – twice as many people have celiac disease as men. The risk of developing the disease is high in people who have the disease in a close family. The only treatment known to date is a diet that completely eliminates gluten.

Celiac disease can have many symptoms, including extra-intestinal ones. They include:

• abdominal pain and nausea,
• gas,
• weight loss,
• in children maturation and growth inhibition,
• Anämie,
• osteoporosis,
• lactose and sucrose intolerance,
• Aphthen,
• enamel hypoplasia and tooth decay,
• Type I Diabetes,
• muscle weakness and arthritis,
• high cholesterol
• Iritis,
• migraine
• Depression,
• missed menstruation or irregular cycle,
• Infertility,

Because celiac disease can occur at any age, including the youngest children, it's important for parents or a doctor to diagnose it as soon as possible. The most common symptoms include:

In infants:

• growth inhibition,
• loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea,
• frequent infections.

For children up to 3 years:

• loss of appetite
• flatulence
• development and growth retardation.

In children over 3 years:

• Diarrhea
• osteoporosis,
• general weakness,
• iron deficiency,
• changes in the oral mucosa,
• clearly depressed mood.

People suffering from celiac disease struggle with many deficiencies that should be supplemented with a proper diet. The most common missing ingredients in the body include: vitamins A, D, E, K and B12, folic acid, calcium and iron.

Treatment with the introduction and consistent adherence to a gluten-free diet brings very good results - in children, normal development and growth becomes possible, while in people whose disease manifests itself in old age, it leads to a state before the onset of symptoms. Abandoning all wheat, barley and rye products allows you to live a normal life and get rid of the annoying symptoms of celiac disease. Oats in the form of cereals are considered by many doctors to be less toxic and may be consumed in small quantities.

Gluten Free Diet

A gluten-free diet involves using substitutes for products containing gluten. The most common are corn, rice and millet, as well as various types of starches, which are also found in mixtures. Gluten is an ingredient responsible for the correct formability of the dough, which is why it is replaced by various natural and synthetic agents that give the dough the right consistency.

People with celiac disease should base their meal plan on the list of gluten-free ingredients. There are many natural and processed products that can be ingested for this condition. These include: meat, fish, milk and milk products, eggs, vegetable oils, butter, vegetables and fruits, nuts, corn, rice and millet, amaranth , quinoa and others. Remember that some foods can be contaminated with gluten during production, for example, so you should always check the packaging to see if there is a risk of gluten being present in the product. Fortunately, there has been a significant increase in the number of commonly available gluten-free products created for people who avoid this ingredient in their diet. They have a crossed grain mark on the packaging, which guarantees the product is gluten-free. Foods of this type are available in well-stocked supermarkets as well as online and brick-and-mortar health food stores. In our shop they are in the category "Certified gluten free products“ available.

When examining the composition of commercially available products, you should also think about the different types of additives that can be found in them. Additives allowed in a gluten-free diet include:

• E406 - Agar,
• E407 - Carrageen ,
• E410 - Johannisbrotkernmeal,
• E412 - Guar Gum ,
• E415 - Xanthangummi ,
• E440 - Pectin,
• E466 - Carboxymethylcellulose ,
• E1401 - modified starch,
• Glucose-Fructose-Syrup,
• Maltodextrin ,
• chicken egg albumin,
• gluten free baking powder.

The main rules of a gluten-free diet are conscious food purchases and strict adherence to the assumptions that will allow you to control the disease as much as possible and avoid its annoying symptoms.