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Gluten Free Diet for Celiac Disease

Introduction: Gluten Free Diet is recommended for patients who have Celiac disease. Gluten is a protein component of many of the common food we eat like wheat, barley, rye and oat. People who have the genetic predisposition, develops an immune response to this component of the food. As a result of this, they gradually destroy the inner lining (mucosa) of the small intestine. This inner lining is responsible for absorbing the food components that we eat. Due to immune response, it gets destroyed and cannot absorb various nutrients essential for human body. Once you stop taking the Gluten Containing diet, the initiator of the immune system to destroy the small bowel lining will be withdrawn and in due course of time, normal healthy small bowel lining will grow back restoring you to normal health.

Principles of diet: You have to avoid food made with wheat, barley, rye and oats. “Reading food labels and knowing the ingredients is a must habit for Celiac disease patients” states our GI expert Dr. Meah. Following is a list of foods to be avoided:

Food Items	Allowed	Not allowed
Cereals and breads	Cream of rice, cornmeal, hominy grits, soy cereals, corns Breads of corn, rice, sorghum, bean, potato	Cereals made of wheat, rye, barley, oats, malt etc. Breads made of wheat, barley, oats or rye are not allowed
Meat items	Fresh, frozen, smoked items are fine as long as no filler containing any of the gluten containing ingredients	Be aware of meat or fish mixed in broth or other fillers unless specifically labeled as Gluten Free
Egg	Eggs are allowed
Vegetable items	Pure vegetables in fresh, frozen or dried form are fine	Battered dipped vegetables could be detrimental
Beverages	Soft drinks, cocoa, tea, coffee and distilled alcoholic products are okay	Beer, malted beverages
Pizza		Unless made with Gluten Free ingredients
Sweets	Corn syrup, honey, jam, maple syrup, sugar
Pastas	Macaroni, spaghetti, rice noodles, potato, beans and peas are fine	Pastas of wheat and other gluten containing food items
Tortillas, Tacos	Corn tortillas and tacos are fine	Wheat tacos and tortillas to be avoided
Milk and milk products	Mostly fine	Malted milk and for other milk items please read labels and be aware of the Gluten containing fillers or mixers
Desserts	Allowed as long as Gluten free, like cookies, ice cream, gelatin	Avoid cookies, ice cream pies made of Gluten containing food items
Prepackaged food	Only if specifically labeled as Gluten Free	If not labeled Gluten Free, please avoid