Gluten is a protein - or more precisely a combination of two proteins - found in cereal plants belonging to the grass family. Wheat, barley, and rye are the common 'foods' that contain both proteins.

Gluten is an important ingredient in many foods, one of the most recognisable being bread. The gluten in flour gives elasticity or chewiness to bread and is a key ingredient allowing the bread to rise - without the gluten, the bread would not hold the carbon dioxide released by the yeast and the result would be flat bread (in fact, it is the gluten holding the carbon dioxide thats gives risen bread its 'holes'). Many other foods contain what is known as 'gluten' but is only made up of a single protein and as a result does not cause sensitivity as with wheat and barley. It is increasingly recognised that people can be sensitive, or intolerant, of gluten.

Coeliac Disease

Coeliac Disease is caused by an intolerance to gluten. Put simply, if someone with Coeliac Disease eats a food (or drink) containing gluten the gluten can coat the sensitive lining of the small intestine causing the body to produce antibodies which 'attack' what they see as foreign organisms. This damages the lining of the gut and reduces its ability to produce the enzymes it need to digest the food and drink we eat.

In Britain, 'Coeliac UK' is the national charity established to help those diagnosed with Coeliac Disease and defines it as:

“Coeliac disease (pronounced see-liac) is not an allergy or simple food intolerance. In fact, it's an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. In people with coeliac disease this immune reaction is triggered by gluten, a collective name for a type of protein found in the cereals wheat, rye and barley. A few people are also sensitive to oats. In coeliac disease, eating gluten causes the lining of the gut (small bowel) to become damaged and may affect other parts of the body.” (source www.coeliac.org.uk)

According to Coeliac UK symptoms of Coeliac Disease can range from a very mild tummy upset to severe cramps and pains, however, not all the symptoms are related to the gut. This complication means many people live their life undiagnosed - in fact, there is thought to be at least 1 in 100 people affected with coeliac disease, yet only 1 in 8 of those people are currently diagnosed.

Getting Diagnosed

If you think you or your child has coeliac disease, there is a great deal of advice on the Coeliac UK website (click here to visit the site now) and this is often the first port of call for many people. Your doctor, of course, will also be able to provide a wealth of practical advice and information.

With a wealth of information at our fingertips on the Internet it may be tempting to self-diagnose. However, without professional advice this can be counterproductive and could even complicate your particular problems. Trying to self-manage a problem like this without a proper diagnosis may make it more difficult to get a diagnosis at all.  

By being diagnosed with coeliac disease, however, you will be eligible to get certain gluten free foods on prescription. For more information and details of Coeliac Disease, its symptoms, diagnosis & treatment, and the variety of products available specifically for a gluten free diet, the Coeliac UK website is a really good place to start.

Living with Coeliac Disease

If you have been diagnosed with coeliac disease then a gluten free diet is the treatment, by taking gluten out of your diet it allows the damage to your gut lining to heal and the symptoms to recede. Please note, however, that if you have not been diagnosed properly, cutting out gluten may make diagnosis difficult and may cause you to be diagnosed incorrectly.

Here are a few tips to help live with Coeliac disease or to lead a gluten free life:

• Be consistent in your awareness of where gluten may crop up. Be sure to avoid eating wheat, rye, barley and any form of non gluten-free baked goods. Pastas also fall into the category to watch out for.
• Durum and Semolina are forms of wheat as well as Spelt and Kamut.
• Living gluten-free means always reading labels. Watch out for trigger words such as "modified food starch", or "food starch" for that matter. The ingredients quite possibly contain grains that are incompatible with someone who lives with Coeliac disease.
• Scour the Internet for gluten free recipes. You can find gluten free recipes for foods such as: gluten-free pizzas, gluten-free bread, gluten-free cakes, and even gluten-free alcoholic drinks!
• If you are preparing a Sunday Lunch and you want to have gravy, be sure not to use flour, unless it is some form of gluten free flour. Try making your gravy with cornstarch or arrow root. These are both acceptable ways to make gravy if you are living a gluten free life.

We've put together some recipes for you to try out, click here to go straight to our recipe page. We've tried to use some of our own gluten free dishes to show how - with a bit of imagination - you can make the most of the gluten free products that are available. We'd also love to know about any other interesting recipes you've created for yourself, either with our own gluten free dishes or with any other staples that you have in your cupboard.