Tips for a gluten free diet

Celiac disease is a pathology that tends to inflame the small intestine of all those subjects that are genetically predisposed chronically. Gluten, a protein fraction contained in some cereals, is the wild element of this pathology. To date, the only effective treatment against celiac disease is a gluten -free diet to follow throughout life. In these lines we will try to give you the right tips to follow a correct "gluten free" diet.
Gluten is a protein present in cereals such as wheat, barley, rye and also in some types of oats. Gluten in itself does not have a high nutritional value. He is responsible for the elasticity of the flour dough, and gives that "sponginess" typical of the loaves and cooked doughs. Before starting to follow a gluten free diet, it is essential to ask for a specialist doctor's opinion. Also because it is not always easy to diagnose celiac disease: gluten ingestion can in fact cause tiny intestinal lesions, whose symptoms are not always visible. In a gluten free diet it is important to consume natural products, because pre -packaged ones have a greater risk of containing gluten tracks. The ideal is therefore to consume absolutely natural foods, which can be purchased in any store specialized in gluten free products. On the market, for example, there are products that are based on wheat starch, whose gluten rate is so low that they can be safely taken even by celiac people.

To correctly follow a gluten free diet, it is also important to know how to shop. Avoid all those products in which the simple wording "low gluten content" is present. The perfect products for a gluten free diet are those who have specific to say, such as "suitable for people intolerant to gluten", "suitable for celiacs", "designed specifically for people intolerant to gluten" or "produced specifically for celiacs" A good rule is to read the list of ingredients shown on the product packaging, to verify the actual presence of gluten. This also applies to the most important products because, for example, depending on the country of distribution, different ingredients could be used.

The greatest attention to follow a diet. Gluten Free must be placed when consuming meals away from home, such as at the bar, restaurants or canteens. In families, however, in which one of the components is celiac, it is important to eliminate foods based on wheat flour and breadcrumbs and use gluten -free bread, mashed potatoes and other gluten free foods. In this way the foods cooked at home can be consumed by everyone, including celiacs.