WTF is Gluten-free and Why Should I Care?

Years ago, when I first started noticing all the gluten-free stuff popping up everywhere,  I used to think to myself, "What is all this over-priced, gluten-free crap and what do all these pasty, sad, annoying people have against gluten, anyway? Eat a bear claw and quit whining already!" (Seriously, that is what I really thought). I really had no clue at all.  I have since learned that a lot of people, including myself, have sort of an allergy to gluten, which causes their immune system to turn on their own bodies. 

In her book, Root Cause, Izabella Wentz writes, "Certain proteins may induce an immune system response. The most well-described is the gluten intolerance seen in celiac disease. Gluten is a protein found in wheat that causes intestinal damage and thus destroys the intestine's ability to absorb nutrients in people with gluten intolerance. " Researchers have discovered that many autoimmune diseases are aggravated by gluten and that symptoms and damage to the body can be reduced by cutting gluten out of ones diet.

So what does gluten-free really mean? Gluten is not confined to wheat.  It turns out that gluten can also be found in other grains like barley, as well as ingredients processed in the same facilities as wheat. This is called cross-contamination and is one reason why people who are sensitive to gluten need to make sure the stuff they eat is truly gluten-free.  The gluten-free label is kind of a promise from the manufacturer that their production facility is not contaminated with gluten, kind of like an organic label is a promise that the product doesn't have pesticides or other inorganic ingredients. But, similar to organic foods, a gluten-free label is not always a guarantee that the product is gluten-free.

Enter, the Gluten Intolerance Group.  If you want to make sure a product you are interested in purchasing is "certified" gluten-free, you can go to the GFCO.org website and verify it.  What is certification, you ask? Evidently, the Gluten Intolerance Group actually tests products for their gluten content. If they test below 10 parts per million of gluten, they are certified, although most have less than that and some of the products contain no level of detectible gluten at all. 

The GFCO.org website is actually pretty cool. Take that back. It's REALLY cool.  They have a gluten free nutrition guide, they have a label reading guide, and a restaurant guide, to help find a restaurant that serves certified gluten-free meals near you.  They also have a Facebook page and links to local support groups. It's chock full of relevant and extremely useful information!

So, going gluten-free is not a fad diet. Sure, some people do follow a gluten-free regimen in order to lose weight, and it's pretty effective.  But people with autoimmune disorders follow a gluten-free diet to get healthy. Mild gluten intolerance has similar symptoms as lactose intolerance.  It's not pretty, if you get my drift. Severe gluten intolerance can be debilitating and can cause rashes, joint pain and swelling, extreme fatigue, depression, hair loss, and the list goes on and on. So, try to be kind to your gluten-free friends.  They just want to feel as good as you do. And maybe they will...  some day.