Gluten-free diets have become extremely popular over the last few years. This is largely due to increased awareness surrounding coeliac disease, gluten intolerance and other gluten-related disorders, which affect sufferers in a variety of ways, ranging from mild discomfort to extreme pain.

Gluten is a type of protein that creates a binding effect, and everyone’s body reacts differently to it. Some people must cut gluten out of their diets completely (coeliacs), whereas other people are simply better off not ingesting gluten.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack itself upon the ingestion of gluten, and this can manifest itself in a variety of unpleasant and painful symptoms. Gluten intolerance, on the other hand, has a milder effect in that it does not cause damage to the gut, but is nonetheless unpleasant.

Can anyone go gluten-free?

It isn’t just those with coeliac disease who can and should go gluten-free. It can alleviate many types of conditions, such as gluten intolerance, wheat allergy, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and more.

For example, Tennis star Novak Djokovic is famously gluten-intolerant (not coeliac), and is reported to have noticed an immediate positive effect upon cutting gluten out of his diet.

If your body has no issue with digesting gluten, there is said to be no specific health benefit to you going gluten-free – but there is nothing stopping you from doing so, and it won’t have an adverse effect as long as you are still taking in all the nutrients your body needs.

For instance, you may find that switching to a gluten-free diet helps you feel more energised. This could be down to the fact that you are gluten-intolerant, but it could also be down to the fact that you are consuming fewer refined carbohydrates.

Gluten is almost everywhere

 

It’s not just refined carbohydrates like bread and pasta that contain gluten. Here are some other common food products that can contain it for some reason or other:

• Sauces such as ketchup, mayonnaise, marinades and stocks
• Crisps
• Vitamin supplements
• Beer
• Meat substitutes

In many cases, gluten can find its way into non-gluten food products by way of cross-contamination. A good example would chip-shop chips that have been fried in the same fat as battered fish (which, unless it is specifically a gluten-free batter, will contain gluten).

Health benefits of gluten-free living

For sufferers of coeliac disease, wheat allergy, gluten intolerance and other such conditions, there are numerous benefits of switching permanently to a gluten-free diet.

Here are some of the most widely known:

• Heightened energy-levels
• Fewer headaches
• Improved bone health
• A reduction in joint pain
• Less fluctuation in weight
• Lighter mood (especially in coeliacs)

 

Enjoying a gluten-free lifestyle

For many people who switch to a gluten-free diet, one of the most daunting things about it is this idea of making so many changes.

But these days, going gluten-free is simple and you don’t even have to sacrifice on taste. The last few years has seen a proliferation in gluten-free food products, including tasty substitutes for everyday staples such as bread and pasta. There are brands like Glutafin that provide gluten-free foods on prescription.