celiac disease Archives - Best Food Facts

Should I Avoid Gluten?

Best Food Facts — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 12:13:06 +0000

There’s a dilemma in the breadbasket! A growing number of people are being diagnosed with sensitivity to gluten found in grains. Additionally, some are claiming grains might be a culprit in the growing prevalence of certain diseases, like obesity and dementia. Registered Dietitian Carolyn O’Neil explains the issue and provides insight.

Check out this blog post for more information about the standards of gluten-free food.

Find out more information about celiac disease.

_{“DSC_0285.JPG” by pongo is licensed under CC BY.}

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“Everyone Can Benefit From a Gluten-Free Diet.”

Best Food Facts — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 06:00:00 +0000

True or Not? “Everyone can benefit from a gluten-free diet.”

P. Stephen Baenziger, PhD says:

Gluten cannot be digested by those with Celiac disease or by those who are gluten-sensitive.

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One of the shifts in calorie consumption in recent years involves wheat, barley and rye – all containing gluten, which cannot be digested by those with Celiac disease (CD) or by those who are gluten sensitive. In the U.S., less than 1 percent of the population has CD, and only 6 percent are thought to have gluten sensitivity.

I believe that “wheat belly” and obesity is more likely due to overeating and physical inactivity than by consuming wheat. Among the major cereal grains, wheat actually is relatively higher in protein (therefore lower in carbohydrate) than many other cereals like rice and corn. The higher protein content in wheat is because you need protein to make bread. If protein gets too low, you cannot make a loaf of bread.

A lot of people have suggested that modern wheat breeding has made people more sensitive to Celiac disease, but I can give you a sample of wheat that is 100 years old and it will still have the problem. For some reason, it is assumed that modern technology has hurt the healthful qualities of food and that is not the case.

Ruth MacDonald, PhD, RD says:

The view that everyone should avoid wheat for health reasons is not well-supported by the evidence.

While many people believe gluten is the cause of digestive issues in humans, the extreme view that everyone should avoid wheat because of this is not well-supported by the evidence. The loophole here is that people are now finding a continuum of sensitivity to gluten proteins, which opens the door to more people who might be having negative effects to wheat leading to this type of public warning, which is clearly overblown and not well supported.

_{“Gluten Free Yeast Bread” by Brenda Wiley is licensed under CC BY- NC-ND.}

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Gluten Intolerance and Grain Fed Meat

Best Food Facts — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:36:44 +0000

Do you ever wonder about the connection between gluten intolerance and grain fed meat? You’re not alone. We received a reader question regarding how meat from livestock that are fed grain affects people who have a gluten allergy. We ran the question by Dr. Ruth MacDonald, Chair and Professor of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University.

Are people with Celiac disease (a gluten intolerance) at risk when they consume grain-fed meat?

Dr. MacDonald:

The simple answer is no. The animal converts food proteins into animal proteins by breaking down their structure during digestion (amino acids are separated and then repackaged during metabolism). Therefore, the meat will never contain any consumed proteins in their intact form. Meat, regardless of what the animal is fed, will not contain any gluten. The only way gluten could be in the meat is if the meat has been processed using fillers or if breading or some other type of preparation is done that adds a product containing gluten. But meat, by itself, is always gluten-free.

What is Celiac disease?

People with gluten intolerance are at risk of suffering damage to their intestines by eating foods containing wheat, rye, or barley. It is a genetic disorder that affects at least 1 in 133 Americans. Classic symptoms are diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition. It has been found mostly among people of European (especially Northern European) descent, but recent studies show it also affects Hispanic, Black and Asian populations.

Read more about Celiac disease and the foods people with the disease should avoid here.

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