Complete gluten intolerance concerns only 1% of the population European. However, these fifteen In recent years, we have seen the gluten-free diet explode. We talk about it to lose weight, to eat healthy or to improve sports performance: in fact, gluten has been accused of all evils. This runaway has obviously was excessive!
The positive point of this fad is that many food products ” gluten free ” have developed besides bread and pasta (by opportunistic industrialists) from which the genuinely intolerant can benefit 🙂
The gluten-free diet: fad?
Remember that this total intolerance to gluten concerns only 1% of the population European and is an autoimmune DISEASE. This means that the person who is affected, develops antibodies that he will direct against the intestinal enzyme that he has and which in normal times allows him to digest gluten well: trans glutaminase.
The undigested gluten will then cause a local inflammatory reaction which destroys the intestinal mucosa, triggers abdominal pain and transit disorders and alters the absorption capacity of nutritional elements such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Also, once the diagnosis has been established, the only treatment is a gluten-free diet.
The gluten-free diet
With the exception of this precise diagnosis, you must follow the gluten-free diet and for this you must remove from your diet all grain products containing gluten : rye, oats, wheat, barley and all the preparations derived from them: flour, semolina, bread, pasta, biscuits and other processed products, on the simple fact that “everyone is talking about it”, deprives you of the nutritional quality of these foods and risks unbalancing your diet.
Of course, on the program Know how to lose weight the gluten-free diet offers balanced low-calorie menus adapted to this specific diet but is not one of those many “anti-everything” movements that we see flourishing on the internet and in magazines!
A reminder about the gluten-free diet
Gluten is a protein present in rye, oats, barley and particularly wheat and all its derivatives (bread, pasta, biscuits, etc.). The gluten-free diet is to be followed in case of intolerance and only in this case.
Celiac Disease (CD) is a permanent intolerance to one or more protein fractions of gluten. It causes villous atrophy (destruction of villi in the small intestine). This leads to malabsorption of nutrients, especially iron, calcium and folic acid. The only known treatment remains the total elimination of gluten from the diet. Before starting such a demanding diet, it is necessary to establish with certainty an accurate diagnosis.
Make a diagnosis of MC
The criteria for asking a diagnosis of CD are :
- look for disease-specific antibodies (anti-transglutaminase) in the blood.
- if positive, perform an endoscopy with samples (biopsies) from the upper part of the small intestine (duodenum).
- notice a remission of symptoms after the gluten-free diet.
Some celiac patients have negative antibodies and, in case of strong suspicion, an endoscopy may be necessary to make the diagnosis.
Note that many industrialized products also contain added wheat starch (commercial sauces, etc.). So be very careful on the choice of products and systematically check the list of ingredients. To be sure of what you are buying, this site is THE reference: http://www.afdiag.fr/dietetique/produits-sans-gluten/. The logo “ear of wheat crossed out in a circle”, is a guarantee that the product is free of gluten.
Tips for following the gluten-free diet
There are also gluten-free product lines sold in health food stores. In particular, you can find a range of gluten-free bread and rusks to use for breakfast.
But our main advice remains favor natural foods and to cook as much as possible yourself.
For starches, you can replace those containing gluten provided by rice, potatoes, quinoa, polenta, pulses or gluten-free pasta also sold in health food stores.
About the program Know how to lose weight, you will find a special page “The Gluten-Free Diet”. Take the time to consult it and print it to refer to it as often as necessary! You can substitute wheat by using cornstarch, rice and rice flour, quinoa, or even potato or potato starch.
