Where is gluten found?

•Gluten is found in the grains: wheat, rye, barley and oats.
•Foods that are suitable for those on a gluten free diet may be grouped into three different categories:

1) Naturally gluten free foods - There are a wide variety of fresh foods that are naturally gluten free. These include:
•Fresh fruit and vegetables
•Fresh meat, poultry and fish
•Eggs, nuts and legumes
•Milk (some flavoured milk may contain gluten)
•Fats and oils
•Grains including: rice, corn (maize), soy, sago, tapioca, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, sorghum, quinoa and arrowroot

2) Food labelled ‘gluten free’ - A number of products are labelled gluten free. If a food is labelled gluten free, it must contain ‘no detectable gluten’. The gluten free label also overrides the ingredient listing.

3) Products that are gluten free by ingredient - If a product is not labelled as gluten free, it is important to check the ingredient listing. Some products, although not made specifically for the gluten free market, simply happen to be gluten free by ingredient. Under the mandatory allergen declaration standard in Australia, all ingredients and food additives derived from wheat, rye, barley and oats must be declared on food labels. This means that ingredients where the source grain is not identified are therefore from a non-gluten containing grain and are gluten free. Ultimately, if wheat, rye, barley, oats or gluten is not declared on a food label, there are no ingredients derived from gluten-containing grains.

Exceptions: the following ingredients are so highly processed that they are gluten free even though a gluten source is indicated:
•Glucose syrup from wheat/wheat glucose syrup
•Caramel colour from wheat
•Dextrose from wheat

Gluten is the protein found in many of our common grains, namely: wheat, rye, barley, oats and triticale. Gluten has a number of beneficial properties and is most well known for providing the ‘elasticity’ in starchy foods such as breads.

For most of us gluten is encouraged to be included within a healthy diet, however for people with coeliac disease gluten must be avoided and alternatives included.

Some suitable alternatives to gluten containing grains include: rice, corn (maize), quinoa, buckwheat, tapioca, arrowroot, amaranth, sorghum and millet. Many gluten free products are now available in supermarkets, grocers and health food stores throughout Australia.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye oats and barely. These days gluten is in so many foods it is difficult to keep track (pasta, bread, cookies etc..).

What is seldomly talked about are the ill effects of gluten. Gluten is a gut irritant to humans (yes, that means you to). The issue is that people have been lead to believe that gluten is only a problem if you have coeliac disease. This is completely false, as stated above - gluten is a gut irritatant to every human being on the planet. Some simply get such as low level reaction that symptoms are not detectable. Others, like those with coeliac disease are at the other end of the spectrum, where only a small amount of gluten causes a significant reaction. It's similar to getting a bee sting; everyone gets some kind of reaction to the bee venom, however, a select few will have a full anaphylactic reaction which can be potentially fatal requiring medical attention to treat the symptoms.   

You can have the test done to see if you have coeliac disease, but if you don't here is the best way to discover how gluten affects you. Remove gluten from your diet (completely) for 30 days and see how you look, feel and perform. Then reintroduce gluten and see how you look, feel and perform. I'm sure you will notice some significant differences.

Gluten also causes systemic inflammation and new research is showing that it is potentially the cause of many autoimmune diseases.

For more information on the ill affects of gluten check out Dr Loren Cordain's website: www.thepaleodiet.com or Robb Wolf's website: www.robbwolf.com

Hope this helps

Dr Adam Gavine

Hi Dr Adam, I would love to get a hold of some peer-reviewed scientific journals that supports your view that gluten is a gut irritant to every person? As wel as that gluten causes systemic inflammation and that gluten is the cause of many auto immune diseases? Could you supply these for me to look at? I can't seem to find any for the general healthy population through pubmed and medline….

I have had a look at the references that Dr Gavine's ( Chiropractor) say support his comments that gluten is a gut irritant to all people.

These references show  people who have some pre existing pathology/ disease, genetic predisposition ( e.g.inflammatory bowel disease,  coeliac disease, irritable bowel syndrome) are/maybe sensitive to gluten in food. As part of the treatment for these diseases gluten is removed.

To say that gluten is the cause or aetiology  of these disease is misleading, when the underlying pathology was always present. And then to extrapolate this information to say it is true for all people who do not have this pre existing pathology is also misleading.

A good way to remember Gluten Containing Grains is to think of ‘BROW’.  Brow stands for Barley, Rye, Oats and Wheat. There are other gluten containing foods and grains such as Spelt, so be careful to know your triggers. When eating out there is generally a Gluten Free option these days which is great. If in doubt, stick to brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, rice noodles as a base to your favourite meals.

Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats, and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye). It is present in the following:

1. Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, cereals, pastas and flour.
2. Manufactured foods - including foods with sauces, foods with thickening agents, sausages, foods coated in flour batter or crumbs.
3. Unexpected sources -such as medications, Playdough, beer, baking powder

Gluten damages the lining of the small bowel in people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis. The treatment for these conditions is lifelong exclusion of gluten from the diet. All foods and medications need to be gluten free. Foods and medications which are ‘low gluten’ should not be included in your diet.

Common foods which people may mistake for "gluten free" (and which actually contain hidden sources of gluten) include:

• Sauces, marinades and canned goods (check ingredients)
• Teething rusks
• Pie fillings
• Hot chips and potato wedges coated with flour
• Sausages, burgers and rissoles
• Processed meats
• Canned legumes (check ingredients)
• Malted milk
• Artificial cream
• Custard powder and ready-made custard (check ingredients)
• Fruit flavoured yoghurt may contain thickener (check ingredients)
• Cheese pastes/spreads (check ingredients)
• Drinking chocolate
• Commercial soups, stock cubes and gravy mixes
• Lollies and filled chocolates

It is important to READ THE INGREDIENTS LIST to identify possible gluten sources. It is also important to be aware of the possibility of cross-contamination of foods with gluten. Ensure all food preparation for is completed separately (using separate chopping boards, knives etc) to everyone elses meal to ensure it is not cross-contaminated with gluten. Furthermore, any shared spreads or condiments will need to ensure the knife is not scraped back into the container with the possibility of spreading crumbs.

If you have any further questions, please seek advice from an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

Ashleigh