The Gluten Free Diet: Celiac or Not?

Currently, there is a ton of information being spread about gluten-free diets. Are they healthier? What is celiac disease? Should I remove gluten from my diet? These are questions I often get.

Grain products seem to be the latest food that people are trying to avoid. Some people are not able to eat grain products because of a wheat intolerance or because they have celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that with the intake of gluten-containing products damages the villi of the small intestine. When the villi are damaged, there is a decrease in the absorption of valuable nutrients from any foods ingested - whether they have gluten or not! People diagnosed with celiac disease should strictly avoid gluten, which is the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley.

These days, it seems that many people are blaming the gluten in foods for an upset stomach, bloating, pain, as well as other ailments. It is important to avoid self-diagnosis and to always consult with a physician if you find your symptoms are linked to a food you are consuming. It also seems that people are removing gluten-containing foods because they are following the Paleo diet (involves removing grains, beans, and dairy products) or other popular diets that remove grains. Although the Paleo diet does encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables (which is great!), it also encourages the removal of other food groups that are rich sources of a variety of vitamins and minerals, especially calcium and vitamin D. You should not begin removing foods without guidance from a dietitian or a physician as you may end up unnecessarily removing valuable nutrients from your diet.

Here at Northeastern, we have made several changes in the dining facilities to accommodate the growing need for meals made without gluten ingredients. Our campus executive chef will have a post later this week further explaining our menu items that are made without gluten ingredients and how this differs from the gluten free options we have available.

If you are still curious about gluten, check out these websites below. And if you would like to talk with me about gluten intolerance, celiac disease, or any other food allergy, my contact information can be found in the footer of this post.

• If you want more information about celiac disease (what it is, symptoms, etc.) check out this link from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/#what
• If you have celiac disease and are looking for resources, recipes and tips check out this link http://www.celiaccentral.org/gluten-free-recipes/
• This is the website for a local dietitian who not only researches celiac disease she has also lived with celiac disease for 20 yrs. http://www.deletethewheat.com/

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Nutritionist Christine Clark works with Dining Services to provide you with tips and techniques to stay healthy during your time at Northeastern. If you have any further questions about this topic or are looking for more information about any other nutrition or diet topic, such as food allergies or sports nutrition, please contact her at christine.clark2@compass-usa.com.