Gluten is a protein found in cereal grains such as wheat, rye, barley, corn, rice and oats, and also non-cereal grains such as quinoa and buckwheat. However, the strongest concentrations of gluten are found in wheat-based foods such as bread, pasta, pizza-bases, and many of the highly-processed junk food/ready meal products.
Gluten intolerance is simply an intolerance to gluten, nothing more serious than that, and in some people it is resolved by reducing foods containing gluten rather than eliminating gluten altogether from the diet. Sourdough, for instance, is lower in gluten than most breads. The degree of gluten intolerance varies from person to person. Many people have no intolerance to gluten at all.
The main symptom of gluten intolerance (also called gluten sensitivity) is diarrhoea. In some cases, diarrhoea after eating wheat products may simply be an intolerance to agricultural pesticides in wheat production which can damage the gut microbiome (the balance of good bacteria in your gut).
However, celiac (sometimes spelt coeliac) disease is far more serious. It is a chronic genetic autoimmune disease whereby gluten triggers an inflammatory reaction in the small intestine, which causes cell damage and poor absorption of nutrients.
Symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhoea, bloating, poor appetite, fatigue, weight-loss and in children it can cause impaired physical development. If you have celiac disease you must eliminate gluten from your diet altogether. Fortunately, there are gluten-free alternatives to normal bread and pasta and other foods that normally contain gluten, and some supermarkets even have a ‘gluten-free’ section in the food aisles.
The tennis star Novak Djokovic is the most famous example of someone with gluten intolerance, and his career really took off when he cut gluten from his diet.
As a personal trainer in London I’ve had several clients with gluten intolerance, and it can easily be managed by cutting out wheat products and choosing gluten-free alternatives.
(Dominic Londesborough is a personal trainer in London and an online nutrition coach)
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