viernes, 11 de mayo de 2012

Wheat Free Vs. Gluten Free

Mar 14, 2011 | By Sandy Keefe
Sandy Keefe, MSN, RN, has been a freelance writer for five years. Her articles have appeared in numerous health-related magazines, including Advance for Nurses and Advance for Long-Term Care Management. She has written short stories in anthologies such as A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Children with Special Needs.
Wheat Free Vs. Gluten Free
Photo Credit Wheat bread. image by juri semjonow from Fotolia.com
Gluten refers to a number of plant storage proteins that include gliadin from wheat, hordein in barley, secalin from rye, avenin formed by oats, zein found in corn and oryzenin protein from rice plants. Some people are allergic to gliadin or other proteins in wheat, but can handle foods made from other grains. If you have celiac disease, your body can't safely digest the glutens found in barley, wheat or rye.

Wheat Allergy and Celiac Disease

A wheat allergy causes a body-wide allergic response that can include hives, difficulty breathing and a life-threatening response known as anaphylaxis. Celiac disease, on the other hand, causes a localized autoimmune response that affects the small intestine. This autoimmune response damages the villi, small fingers of tissue along the inner walls of the small intestine. Over time, these damaged villi slough off, leaving fewer villi to absorb vital nutrients from foods traveling through the gastrointestinal tract. Celiac disease can cause malnutrition, osteoporosis, infertility, diabetes and other autoimmune problems.

Forbidden Grains

If you are allergic to wheat, read food labels carefully and avoid all products that list wheat as an ingredient. Some ingredients are obvious, such as refined wheat, wheat bran, whole-wheat or just plain wheat. Some less obvious wheat terms include semolina, durum, couscous, stone-ground, bulgur, dinkle, spelt, einkorn, fu, kamut, matzo, seitan and triticale. People with celiac disease should avoid all of these ingredients, as well as any foods made with rye and barley.

Allowed Grains

People with wheat allergies can safely eat foods made with any grains except wheat, including rye- and barley-based products. If you have a wheat allergy or celiac disease, you can also safely enjoy foods that contain almond flour, amaranth, brown or white rice, corn, arrowroot, tapioca, coconut flour, dasheen flour, flaxseed, hominy, maize and quinoa.

Food Preparation Tips

When you're preparing gluten-free meals or snacks, remember that four of the five food groups are naturally gluten-free in their natural state. You can comfortably add fresh, canned or frozen vegetables and fruits to your diet as long as gluten hasn't been added as a thickener or preservative. Milk and most dairy products are also gluten-free. Gluten is a plant protein, so animal foods such as meat, poultry and fish are gluten-free as long as you don't add breading or gluten-laden sauces to them. If you have a wheat allergy but can safely ingest other forms of gluten, you have more freedom to plan healthy meals.

References



Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/346807-wheat-free-vs-gluten-free/#ixzz1uazKfoQL
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