Gluten appears in foods and products you would not expect, such as licorice, shampoo and lipstick. It is used as a thickener in salad dressing and a filler in processed meats. Soy sauce has gluten, and so does beer. People with gluten problems become label readers who become familiar with gluten's hiding places.
"Anything with wheat, barley or malt is automatically out," said Ross, "but it's the additives and preservatives and thickeners with the strange chemical sounding names that are so hard to figure out. Meanwhile, I discovered that dried mango isn't that bad."
The good news is that much of the damage is reversible, according to medical experts. The key is to get rid of the intestinal inflammation, and the best way is to avoid gluten and its fiery protein.
"It does recover," confirmed Keith, "and you can start feeling better in three to six weeks. The thing about a gluten-free diet is that it's difficult to adhere to. Gluten is pretty ubiquitous in our diet, and to eat gluten-free is expensive. But what is exciting for many of my patients now is that even Walmart has a gluten-free section."
Among restaurants, Curly's and the Pizza Plant restaurants (in New York) were among the first to take gluten avoiders' needs seriously, Hauck said.
At Western New York Gluten Free Diet Support Group meetings, there's been a "huge increase" in the number of people looking for help, said Hauck. When his wife, Marilyn, was diagnosed with celiac disease about 20 years ago, the Haucks started learning how to talk to restaurant staff about gluten.
Article Courtesy: Dr. Stephen Wangen
Excerpt from BuffaloNews.com
Image thanks to Stock.xchng.com
Let Us Know What You Think