Wheat gluten and other grains such as corn and rye are common
allergens. Find out more about glutens, glutelin, gliadin,
wheat products, Celiac disease, gluten intolerance, celiac
disease symptoms, gluten intolerance symptoms, wheat allergy
symptoms, treatments and prevention tips.
Studies have shown that wheat allergy, Celiac disease or
gluten intolerance ranks next to milk allergy in most food
allergic individuals. This type of food allergy is caused by wheat proteins known as glutens.
Glutens
are proteins found in wheat, barley, oats, and rye --- and
will develop during the processing of these ingredients (bread
making). They form a network that traps CO2 created by yeast,
giving bread its characteristic texture and air bubbles.
A gluten is a mixture of
individual proteins classified into two groups, glutelin and
gliadin. Glutelin
refers to
any of a group of water-insoluble plant proteins found in
cereals; they are precipitated by alcohol and are not
coagulated by heat, while gliadin
is a protein of cereals, esp. wheat, with a high proline
content and forms a sticky mass with water that binds flour
into dough.
Celiac Disease/Gluten Intolerance
An intolerance to the gluten, found in wheat, barley, oats, and rye,
affects many people worldwide -- forcing sufferers to avoid foods that
contain these grains at all costs. This intolerance, Celiac Disease, is the most common genetic disease in
Europe
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is a cohesive, elastic protein found in wheat, rye, oats, and
barley. Gluten is made up of proteins classified in two groups, the
Prolamines and the Glutelins. Gliadin, a prolamine, seems to be the catalyst in Celiac Disease. For a
gluten intolerant person, this offending substance damages the lining of
the intestines and flattens or atrophies the small airlike projections
that normally protrude from the intestinal surfaces to absorb food. These
projections are called villi.
What Is Celiac Disease?
Joseph Murray, MD, defines Celiac Disease as a permanent intolerance to
gluten that results in damage to the small intestine and is reversible
with avoidance of dietary gluten. Because the villi become damaged they are unable to absorb water and
nutrients. This causes the celiac to be susceptible to a variety of other
conditions related to malabsorption.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Celiac Disease can vary with each individual. They can
range from no symptoms at all to severe gas, bloating, diarrhea, and
abdominal pain. If untreated, malnutrition can occur. If left untreated
too long it can be life-threatening. Symptoms do not always involve the digestive system. It can cause
irritability, depression, muscle cramps, joint pain, fatigue, and
menstrual irregularities, to name a few. Reactions to ingestion of gluten can be immediate, or delayed for weeks
or even months.
Diagnosis
There is no test yet which is definitely diagnostic of celiac disease. Blood antibody tests (endomysial, reticulin (IgA), and gliadin (IgG and
IgA) are used to measure levels of antibodies to gluten. If the antibodies
in the blood are higher than normal then a biopsy of the small intestine
is done. A biopsy of the lining of the small intestine checks for damage to the
villi. If the villi appear damaged then a gluten-free diet is introduced.
Another biopsy is done after 6 months or more of dieting. Relief of symptoms or reversion of an abnormal intestinal biopsy is the
most convincing evidence that an individual has celiac disease or gluten
sensitivity.
Who Is At Risk?
Celiac disease is hereditary and primarily affects whites of northwestern
European ancestry. It rarely affects blacks, Jews, Orientals, and people
of Mediterranean ancestry. It affects twice as many females as males, and
usually affects more children than adults. It can be triggered by over exposure to wheat, severe stress, emotional
or physical trauma, surgery, or a viral infection. Some people with wheat allergies are not gluten intolerant and can eat
rye, barley and oats.
Other Names For Celiac Disease
Listed below are the names associated with Celiac Disease. All the names
refer to the inability to tolerate gluten.
Celiac Sprue
Celiacs
Coeliac Disease
Gee-Herter's syndrome
Gluten Intolerance
Gluten Sensitive Enteropathy
Gluten Sensitivity
Idiopathic Steatorrhea
Intestinal Infantilism
Malabsorption Syndrome
Nontropical Sprue
The Celiac Affection
The Celiac Condition
The Celiac Syndrome
Treatment
The only acceptable treatment for Celiac Disease requires a life-time
adherence to a strict diet that avoids all products that contain gluten.
An adherence to a gluten-free diet can prevent almost all complications
caused by the disease. Reading product food labels is important. Wheat is not the only
offender, watch out for other offending grains such as rye, oats and
barley. Remember products labeled wheat-free are not necessarily
gluten-free.
Other key words to watch for are: farina, flour, caramel coloring,
enriched flour, cereal, malt flavoring or extracts, MSG, modified food
starch, emulsifiers, stabilizers, distilled vinegar, semolina, durum, and
triticale. Gluten is often used as a thickener. Be sure to read the labels on
canned soups, catsups, mustards, soy sauce and other condiments -- many
contain gluten. Treatment, or in this case, a gluten-free diet is important because
people with Celiac Disease could develop complications[/link] like cancer,
osteoporosis, anemia, and seizures.
Related Disorders
Celiac Disease is linked to many immune related disorders. The best
established connection is with Type I diabetes (mellitus). Some other illnesses related to Celiac Disease are chronic active
hepatitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease. Some researchers believe that gluten intolerance can impair mental
functioning in some individuals. Since gluten can damage the villi, it is common for celiacs to have
problems with lactose intolerance. Whole grains are popular
foods but there is a hitch. The bad news is that wheat disease ranks
second only to milk disease when we review the experience of our patients
with celiac disease, irritable bowel, arthritis and other expressions of
the delayed patterns of food allergy.
The four cereal grains,
wheat, rye, oats and barley contain similar proteins that are participate
in a variety of diseases - the proteins are called "gluten" and act by
exciting immune responses in the gastrointestinal tract and downstream in
the rest of the body. The significance of other problems in the grain
supply remains to be defined. These include contamination with pesticides,
preservatives, and molds such as ergot and aspergillus. Alpha Nutrition
excludes cereal grains because of the high incidence of observed problems
with cereal grain ingestion.
Gluten
Wheat proteins are
collectively called "Gluten". Wheat is closely related to other cereal
grains, especially rye, barley, and oats. Enthusiasm for "whole grains" to
increase intake of dietary fiber, especially in the past decade, led to
increased consumption of whole cereal grains. Relatively unrefined grains,
often in combination, as with granola cereals and whole wheat breads
fortified with bran, coarse flours, and other additives are now eaten in
large quantities. Gluten is a mixture of
individual proteins classified in two groups, the Prolamines and the
Glutelins.
We eat the seeds of the grain
plants. The seed has a bran casing, a starchy endosperm which contains 90%
of the protein, and a small germ nucleus which is the plant embryo waiting
to grow. Any flour made from the starchy endosperm contains prolamines and
is potentially problematic to the grain intolerant person.
When wheat is the principal
problem food- barley, oats, and rye must be excluded as well. Millet is
usually an acceptable grain alternative. Corn and rice are usually
tolerated when gluten prolamines are the chief and only food intolerance,
although corn triggers food allergy for its own reasons. Triticale is a
new hybrid grain with the properties of wheat and rye, and is excluded on
a gluten-free diet. The identity and the amount of the prolamine decides
the kind of reaction that is likely to occur. It should be noted that
there is considerable variability in the prolamine content of various
foods made from cereal grains, and this variability is one of the many
reasons why food reactions are not consistent.Rice is used as the staple
grain in Alpha Nutrition and gluten-containing foods are excluded.
Janatuinen et al presented
evidence that 52 adult celiacs tolerated oats for one year with no
evidence of harm. The study period is too short to be definitive since
relapses after longer periods have been observed repeatedly in celiac
patients who resumed eating grains. Their study at least raises the
question of what foods can be considered safe in the long term. Celiac
dogma treats the four cereal grains as equally risky. The older
assumptions need to be reviewed by further studies.Recently marketed grains,
Spelt and Kamut, are gluten-containing wheat variants (despite claims to
the contrary) and are likely to cause problems similar to other wheat
varieties.
Celiac Disease - The
Prototype
The general thesis is that
immune responses to proteins found in cereal grains are a common cause of
disease. The gastrointestinal tract is the primary target organ; however
systemic disease is an important consequence of cereal grain ingestion in
many patients. Latent disease may manifest as irritable bowel syndrome
with iron deficiency anemia, but little or no diarrhea. Kelly in a
clinicopathological review of celiac disease stated that: "...there is
increasing evidence that most people with gluten sensitivity have latent
celiac disease with such mild manifestations (in the digestive tract) that
the diagnosis is never made.
Celiac disease is associated
with a variety of autoimmune disorders, carcinomas of the gastrointestinal
tract and lymphomas. These associations suggest a diathesis to immune
hypersensitivity diseases and a possible role for food antigens in causing
systemic autoimmune disease. Increased incidence of diabetes mellitus,
autoimmune thyroid disease, sarcoidosis, vasculitis, pulmonary fibrosis,
encephalopathy and cerebellar atrophy have been reported in celiac
patients. The prevalence of celiac disease among children with IDDM is 50
times more likely than chance. IgA deficiency is 10 times more common in
celiac patients than in the general population.
In their review of these
associated disorders, Mulder and Tygart repeated the basic idea of
pathogenesis of systemic disease downstream from a disordered
gastrointestinal tract. They stated: "Patients with (celiac disease and)
selective IgA deficiency often have circulating antibodies to food
proteins; they also have circulating immune complexes, suggesting that
absence of an intestinal IgA barrier might allow the absorption of
antigenic material from the gut. Antibodies to some of the antigens might
cross react with the host's self components and might indirectly produce
autoimmune disease."
A striking association is
that celiac disease predisposes patients to the eventual development of
lymphoma. If this relationship is re-stated as "cereal grains cause
cancer" the implications are more easily understood. There is evidence
that strict adherence to a gluten-free diet long term will reduce the
incidence of lymphoma.
What Is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine
and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have
celiac disease cannot tolerate a protein called gluten, which is found in
wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats.
When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their
immune system responds by damaging the small intestine. Specifically, tiny
fingerlike protrusions, called villi, on the lining of the small intestine
are lost. Nutrients from food are absorbed into the bloodstream through
these villi. Without villi, a person becomes malnourished--regardless of
the quantity of food eaten.
Because the body's own immune system causes the damage, celiac disease
is considered an autoimmune disorder. However, it is also classified as a
disease of malabsorption because nutrients are not absorbed. Celiac
disease is also known as celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, and
gluten-sensitive enteropathy.
Celiac disease is a genetic disease, meaning that it runs in families.
Sometimes the disease is triggered--or becomes active for the first
time--after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe
emotional stress.
What Are the Symptoms?
Celiac disease affects people differently. Some people develop symptoms
as children, others as adults. One factor thought to play a role in when
and how celiac appears is whether and how long a person was breastfed--the
longer one was breastfed, the later symptoms of celiac disease appear, and
the more atypical the symptoms. Other factors include the age at which one
began eating foods containing gluten and how much gluten is eaten. Symptoms may or may not occur in the digestive system. For example, one
person might have diarrhea and abdominal pain, while another person has
irritability or depression. In fact, irritability is one of the most
common symptoms in children.
Symptoms of celiac disease may include one or more of the following:
Recurring abdominal bloating and pain
Chronic diarrhea
Weight loss
Pale, foul-smelling stool
Unexplained anemia (low count of red blood cells)
Gas
Bone pain
Muscle cramps
Fatigue
Delayed growth
Failure to thrive in infants
Pain in the joints
Seizures
Tingling numbness in the legs (from nerve damage)
Pale sores inside the mouth, called aphthus ulcers
Painful skin rash, called dermatitis herpetiformis
Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
Missed menstrual periods (often because of excessive weight loss)
Anemia, delayed growth, and weight loss are signs of malnutrition--not
getting enough nutrients. Malnutrition is a serious problem for anyone,
but particularly for children because they need adequate nutrition to
develop properly. Some people with celiac disease may not have symptoms. The undamaged
part of their small intestine is able to absorb enough nutrients to
prevent symptoms. However, people without symptoms are still at risk for
the complications of celiac disease.
Gluten &
Arthritis
The mechanisms by which wheat
or any other food can cause disturbances are numerous. Painful
inflammatory states may be the presentation of wheat allergy. The
occurrence of pain in joints, particularly the hands, with slight swelling
and stiffness is the early presentation of allergic arthritis; it can
occur strictly as a manifestation of gluten allergy. A wheat gluten
mechanism has been studied in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Wheat
ingestion may be followed within hours by increased joint swelling and
pain. Little et al studied the mechanism, as it developed sequentially
following gluten ingestion. The mechanism involves several stages:
The gastrointestinal tract
must be permeable to antigenic proteins or peptide fragments, derived from
digested gluten. The antigen appears in the blood stream and is bound by a
specific antibody (probably of IgA or IgG, not IgE class), forming an
antigen-antibody complex, a circulating immune complex (CIC). The
antigen-antibody complex then activates the rest of the immune response,
beginning with the release of mediators - serotonin is released from the
blood platelets. Serotonin release causes "symptoms" as it circulates in
the blood stream and enhances the deposition of CICs in joint tissues.
Once in the joint, the immune complexes activate complement, which in turn
damages cells and activates inflammation. More inflammation results in
more pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of mobility.
While this complex of events is known to occur with gluten antigens, many
food allergens can trigger arthritis. Parke et al concurred with this
explanation of the gut-arthritis link in their report of three patients
with celiac disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
General guidelines for
wheat allergy:
The key to an allergy-free diet is to
avoid giving your child the foods or products containing the food he/she
is allergic to. The items that your child is allergic to are called
allergens.
A wheat allergy is an abnormal response of the body to the protein found
in wheat. Wheat products are found in many foods. In order to avoid foods
that contain wheat, it is important to read food labels.
Foods
|
Allowed
|
Not
Allowed
|
|
Beverages |
Coffee, tea, fruit juices, decaffeinated coffee, carbonated beverages,
all milks, cocoa |
Cereal
beverages, coffee, substitutes
Beverages made from wheat products: beer, ale, root beer
Instant chocolate drink mixes |
Breads
& Cereals
|
Ry-Krisp, rice wafers
Pure corn, rice, arrowroot, barley, potato, or rye bread made without
wheat flour or wheat products
Cornmeal, cornstarch, soybean, flour, barley flour, oat flour, rice
flour, potato starch, arrowroot flour
Oatmeal cream of rice, puffed rice, or other cereals made from pure
corn, oats, or rice to which no wheat has been added |
Whole
wheat, enriched, or white bread, rolls, or bread crumbs
Graham or gluten bread Donuts, sweet rolls, muffins, french toast,
waffles, pancakes, dumplings, bread stuffing, rusk, popovers
Prepared mixes for pancakes, waffles, biscuits, breads, and rolls
Cornbread, potato, or soybean bread unless made without wheat flour or
wheat products
Cereals made from farina, wheat, or those with wheat products or malt
added
Pretzels, crackers
Semolina, spelt, or triticale |
|
Desserts |
Custards, Bavarian creams
Oatmeal, arrowroot, rice, or rye cookies made without wheat products
Cornstarch, tapioca, or rice puddings
Water or fruit ices, meringues
Gelatin |
Cakes,
pastries, commercial frosting, icing, ice cream, sherbet, ice cream
cones
Cookies, prepared mixes, or packaged pudding containing wheat flour
Graham crackers, donuts |
|
Eggs |
Eggs
prepared any way without wheat products |
Souffles or creamed eggs made with wheat products |
Fats
|
Butter, margarine, animal, or vegetable fats and oils, cream
Salad dressings or gravy prepared without wheat flour or products |
Any
salad dressing thickened or gravy with wheat flour or products |
|
Fruit |
All
fresh, canned, dried, or frozen fruits and fruit juices |
Strained fruits with added cereals |
Meat,
Fish, Poultry
|
Baked,
broiled, boiled, roasted or fried: beef, veal, pork, ham, chicken,
turkey, lamb, or fish
"All meat" wieners or luncheon meats prepared without wheat flour
fillers or wheat products |
All
breaded or floured meats, meats containing filler such as meatloaf,
frankfurters, sausage, luncheon meats, bologna, or prepared meat
patties |
|
Milk &
Milk Products |
Milk,
buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, some cottage cheese |
Malted
milk, milk drink containing powdered wheat cereal or products
Cottage cheese with modified starch or other wheat containing
ingredients |
|
Potatoes & Substitutes |
White
and sweet potatoes
Rice |
Scalloped potatoes
Noodles, spaghetti, macaroni, and other pasta products prepared with
wheat or semolina flour |
|
Soup |
Clear
bouillon, consommé, or broth
Homemade soups made without wheat products |
Cream
soups unless made without wheat flour
Soups with noodles, alphabets, dumplings, or spaghetti
Soup thickened with wheat flour |
|
Sweets |
Corn
syrup, honey, jams, jellies, molasses, sugar |
Chocolates, chocolate candy containing malt, candy with cereal extract |
|
Vegetables |
All
fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables, and vegetable juices |
Vegetables combined with wheat products
Breaded or floured vegetables |
|
Miscellaneous |
Salt,
chili powder, condiments, flavoring extracts, herbs, nuts, olives,
pickles, popcorn, peanut butter |
Malt
products, Worcestershire sauce, gravies thickened with wheat flour
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), meat tenderizers containing MSG, prepared
oriental food seasoned with MSG, soy sauce |
Information for Using Wheat Substitutes:
One cup of wheat flour equals:
1 cup rye meal
1 to 1 1/4 cups rye flour
1 cup potato flour
1 1/3 cups rolled oats or oat flour
1/2 cup potato four plus 1/2 cup rye flour
5/8 cup potato starch
5/8 cup rice flour plus 1/3 cup rye flour
How to read a label for an wheat-free
diet:
Be sure to avoid foods that contain
any of the following ingredients:
bread crumbs
bran
cereal extract
couscous
cracker meal
enriched flour
farina
gluten
graham flour
high gluten flour
high protein flour
spelt
vital gluten
wheat bran
wheat germ
wheat gluten
wheat malt
wheat starch
whole wheat flour
Other possible sources of wheat or
wheat products:
Ingredients that may indicate the
presence of wheat protein include the following:
gelatinized starch
hydrolyzed vegetable protein
kamut
modified food starch
modified starch
natural flavoring
soy sauce
starch
vegetable gum
vegetable starch
Alternative Names: Gluten Intolerance
Homeopathic remedies are prescribed by symptoms rather than conditions,
as each case of a particular illness can manifest differently in different
people. However, to make it quicker to find the symptoms related to Wheat
Allergy, the symptoms experienced by a previous vistor to our homeopathic
remedy finder have been grouped, by them, under the name of Wheat Allergy.
There may be symptoms not related to Wheat Allergy, and this may not be an
exhaustive list of symptoms.
Wheat Allergy
For suggestions of homeopathic
remedies for Wheat Allergy, tick the boxes below and press the Find
Remedies button at the bottom of the screen.
-
Gluten intolerance-also known as celiac disease, celiac sprue, and
sprue-is a genetic autoimmune condition that makes it difficult for the
body to properly absorb nutrients from foods
-
The incidence of full-scale gluten intolerance has been found to be
substantially higher in people with autoimmune thyroid disease
-
The symptoms of subclinical gluten intolerance and celiac disease
include: recurring abdominal pain and bloating; gas or intestinal
difficulties; aggravated allergies; difficulty losing weight, etc.
-
The only treatment for celiac disease is to follow a gluten-free
diet.
-
A gluten-free diet means avoiding all foods that contain wheat, rye,
barley, and possible oats-in other words, most grain, pasta, cereal, and
many processed foods
-
Whether people with celiac disease should avoid oats is
controversial because some people have been able to eat oats without
having a reaction
What's for Breakfast?
Whole-wheat toast with butter and
coffee with cream? A bowl of cereal with
milk? Not if you have a wheat or milk
allergy! Rice is generally well tolerated
by those with a wheat allergy. And
remember: many other options to fulfill
your daily calcium requirements are
available.
Wheat Allergy Description
From: 3.3 Gluten (wheat) and grain
allergies
Grain products are ubiquitous. A common allergy is to gluten, a mixture
of proteins found in wheat and other grains (rye, oats, barley etc.). The
treatment consists of avoiding wheat and gluten in any form. Some foods
labeled "wheat free" may still contain gluten. For gluten free baked
products, a mixture of rice flour, potato starch flour, and tapioca flour
can be used. Corn is another potential allergen, distinct from gluten
allergies. As with wheat, corn products are found in any number of
products. Symptoms range from skin rashes, runny nose and itchy eyes, to
asthma. Copyright 1996-2001, Eileen
Kupstas Soo.
Reference: Misc.kids Frequently Asked Questions:
Allergies and Asthma (General Information — part 1/2) Revision 1.4
Author: Eileen Kupstas Soo
Website: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~kupstas/FAQ.html
Gluten free recipe
Fruity, Nutty, Ginger, Cherry Macaroons
Best macaroons in the galaxy, and gluten-free, too.
For lactose-free macaroons, see below.
These delicious macaroons are my all-time favourite food. Yummy, chewy
and sweet, these macaroons have enough substance to let you know you've
had a good snack.
Ingredients:
2 cups coarsely shredded coconut
2 cups dessicated (finely shredded) coconut
1 tin (415g) sweetened condensed skim milk
1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit
125g hazelnuts, crushed (OR your favourite nuts)
90g (3oz) glace (candied) cherries, halved
90g (3oz) chopped preserved ginger in syrup
OR 1 teaspoon ground (powdered) ginger
Method:
Turn the oven on. In a large bowl, stir everything except the condensed
milk. Add the condensed milk and mix thoroughly.
Dollop teaspoonfuls of the macaroons mixture on to a non-stick baking
tray. Bake for 145 C (300 F) until slightly golden - about 25 minutes.
Macaroons burn easily, so watch them for the last five minutes. Turn off
oven and leave the macaroons in oven for another half an hour. (That stops
them from going soggy.) We have an old oven bought for $30 in a garage
sale, and it helps to bake macaroons high in the oven. Leave the macaroons on the baking tray to cool slightly - well, OK,
you're allowed to eat ONE now - before putting on a cooling rack.
Note: Use preserved ginger in syrup if you can. Much
better than ground ginger. Crystalised ginger, chopped small, also works
OK. The macaroons look really tempting if you put half a cherry on top of
each one, before putting them in the oven. You'll need about 40 cherry
halves.
Lactose-free macaroons: Replace the condensed milk with 3/4 cup
of caster sugar, two large beaten eggs and two teaspoons of lemon juice.
Bake at 170 C (350 F) for about 16 minutes. Rescue them just before they
burn.
Makes about 40. Foods made with wheat are staples in North
American and European diets. Unfortunately, wheat and its close
relatives, barley, rye and oats have proved to be a problem in the diets
of many of our patients. Allergy develops to proteins in these grains
known as "gluten". Celiac Disease is the best-recognized form of gluten
allergy.
From: Best Gluten-Free
Recipes
Website:
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~coeliac
http://www.nutramed.com/digestion/gluten.htm
http://www.lpch.org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/allergy/wheat.html
http://busycooks.about.com/library/glossary/bldefgluten.htm
http://www.wordreference.com/
http://www.abchomeopathy.com/c.php/113
http://allergies.about.com/cs/gluten/a/aa020899.htm
http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa012201a.htm
http://allergies.about.com/library/blniaidceliac1.htm
http://allergies.about.com/library/blniaidceliac1.htm
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