So, what the heck is Celiac Disease? (Part 1)

If you've never heard of Celiac Disease (abbreviated C.D.) you're probably wondering what the heck it is. Since it's not a very well-known disease like Diabetes or Crohn's, I'm not surprised you may not have heard of it. This post is aimed towards explaining what C.D. is and why it's so important that we raise awareness about it.

In order to explain C.D., I have to explain what Gluten is.

"Gluten (from Latin gluten "glue") is a protein composite that appears in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye...Gluten is the composite of a prolamin and a glutelin, which exist, conjoined with starch, in the endosperm of various grass-related grains. Gliadin, a water-soluble, and glutenin, a water-insoluble, (the prolamin and glutelin from wheat) compose about 80% of the protein contained in wheat seed...Worldwide, gluten is a source of protein, both in foods prepared directly from sources containing it, and as an additive to foods otherwise low in protein." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten)

So, basically, Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye and their derivatives. If Gluten were just found strictly in wheat, barley, and rye it would be much easier to find them, but the fact that Gluten is found in derivatives of these grains (such as malt flavoring, dextrin, brewer's yeast, and hydrolyzed plant protein) it makes it much more difficult to choose foods that are Gluten Free (abbreviated GF).

So, what can people with C.D. eat?


Typically, oats are considered GF if they are pure oats. This means that the oats have not been processed on the same machinery or even in the same plant as wheat, barely, and rye products, which they often are. Pure oats contain very little gluten protein so eating them won't activate C.D. unless they are consumed in very, very large amounts. Pure oats will be labeled as such on the packaging. If they have been processed in the same plant as wheat, somewhere on the package it will say "May contain wheat ingredients", or something like that.

Rice (white and brown), corn, sorghum, millet, and teff are all okay to eat. Other nutritious foods and grains that don't contain Gluten are:
-Amaranth
-Arrowroot
-Beans
-Buckwheat
-Flax
-Montina
-Potatoes
-Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah)
-Soy
-Tapioca
-Nuts and seeds

Even though it may seem like there are lots of foods that people with C.D. can't eat because they contain gluten, there are tons of other options that they can have...And often they're better for you or taste better!

Now I bet you're wondering, "So, then why is gluten so bad? What does it to do you when you eat it?" This will be covered in part 2.