Gluten free diet

To follow a gluten-free diet, you should avoid wheat and some other grains while choosing substitutes that provide nutrients for a healthy diet.

Definition
A gluten-free diet is an eating plan that excludes foods that contain gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).

Target
A gluten-free diet is essential for managing the signs and symptoms of celiac disease and other medical conditions associated with gluten.

A gluten-free diet is also popular with people who have not been diagnosed with a gluten-related medical condition. The stated benefits of the diet are better health, weight loss, and increased energy, but more research is needed.

Diet details
Following a gluten-free diet requires paying close attention to food selection, ingredients found in foods, and their nutritional content.

Fresh food allowed
Many naturally gluten-free foods can be part of a healthy diet:

Fruits and vegetables
– Beans, seeds, legumes, and nuts in their natural, unprocessed forms
– Eggs
– Lean, Unprocessed Meats, Fish, and Poultry
– Most low-fat dairy products

The grains, starches, or flours that can be part of a gluten-free diet include:

• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Buckwheat
• Corn – gluten-free labeled cornmeal, grits, and polenta
• Flax
• Gluten-free flours: rice, soy, corn, potato and bean flour
• Hominy (corn)
• Son
• Quinoa
• Rice, including wild rice
• Sorghum
• Soy
• Tapioca (cassava root)
• Teff
• Grains not allowed
  Avoid all foods and drinks that contain the following:

• Wheat
• Barley
• Rye
• Triticale – a cross between wheat and rye
• Oats, in some cases
  While oats are naturally gluten-free, during production they can become contaminated with wheat, barley, or rye. Oatmeal and oat products labeled gluten-free have not been cross-contaminated. Some people with celiac disease, however, cannot tolerate gluten-free labeled oats.

Wheat Terms to Know
There are different varieties of wheat, all of which contain wheat gluten:

• Condition
• Einkorn
• Emmer
• Kamut
• Spelt
  Wheat flours have different names depending on how the wheat is ground or the flour processed. All of the following flours have gluten:
• Flour enriched with added vitamins and minerals
• Farina, ground wheat that is commonly used in hot cereals.
• Graham flour, a whole wheat flour course
• Raising flour, also called phosphate flour
• Semolina, the part of ground wheat that is used in pasta and couscous.