To
Wheat or Not to Wheat? Wheat, Gluten and Yeast Intolerance Explained
Wheat free, gluten free, yeast free... the list is forever
expanding of things that we should supposedly not be consuming. There is a fair bit of overlap of
why you should not eat these foods groups and what kind of people should
avoid them. This article aims
to shed some light on the topic so that you can make an informed choice of
whether or not you can tolerate these food
groups.
The difference between wheat and gluten
free
Wheat is high in a protein called gluten, which is usually
the culprit that gives you digestive discomfort. Wheat is not the only
grain which contains gluten however, so a wheat free product is not
necessarily gluten free. The
gluten protein in wheat is larger than a lot of other grains, which makes
it harder to digest. It is for this reason that many people who can’t
tolerate wheat can eat other gluten containing grains without much
difficulty.
Wheat intolerance or
allergy
Wheat intolerance is very common in today's society. This is
because of the mass production methods which are used to produce wheat,
which yields a grain which is higher in gluten. Refining of grains also
adds to the problem, removing the outer husk which is rich in vitamins and
minerals to yield white flour, which is then bleached to make it whiter
still.
Traditionally wheat was part of a balanced diet which included other
grains, whereas now it is not common for people to have toast for breakfast,
a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner – which equates to three
servings of wheat a day! Less common is a wheat allergy, where the
consumption of wheat can make the person severely ill, with the resulting
reaction sometimes requiring hospitilisation.
Some of the classic signs of wheat intolerance are
bloating, indigestion, flatulence, foggy headedness and feeling tired after
a meal.
Wheat free
options
For those of you who are lucky to have an intolerance to
wheat and not gluten, your options are surprisingly good. Wheat flour
substitutes include spelt, kamut, rye, barley, corn, rice, oat, amaranth,
quinoa, buckwheat (this is not actually anything like wheat) and millet.
Some of these grains contain a small amount of gluten, however it is much
more easily digested than the gluten from
wheat.
Gluten sensitivity
explained
There are varying levels of gluten sensitivity, from an
autoimmune reaction to an inability to digest. The most severe gluten
intolerance is called Coeliac Disease. In people with Coeliac disease,
gluten causes an autoimmune reaction in the intestines, destroying the
intestinal wall which is essential for the digestion and assimilation of
nutrients. Those with coelic
disease will get very ill if even consuming a small amount of gluten, so
need to avoid it their whole lives. Many people suffer from a gluten sensitivity or gluten
intolerance, with symptoms ranging from digestive discomfort and diarrhoea
to fatigue and allergy like symptoms. Gluten free grains which can be used include rice, corn,
millet, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat and besan (chickpea) flour. Pasta,
breads and flours are now available in many of these
grains.
Yeast
sensitivity
For some yeast can cause digestive discomfort, bloating,
flatulence and even irritability! Yeast is found in commercial breads in
high amounts and yeast extract
spreads like vegemite. Yeast free options include sourdough bread (beware
of breads which claim to be sourdough but have added yeast), flat breads
and wraps.
Assessing if you have an
intolerance
The most simple way of checking if you have a food
intolerance is by removing it from your diet. Start with gluten, and then
if you find that you have no problem try and introduce some of the wheat
free grains like spelt or rye. An easy method that I use with my patients
is as follows:
Week one: Remove all wheat from the diet. Use only gluten free
breads, pastas and flours made with rice, corn, buckwheat, millet,
amaranth, quinoa or besan flours. Keep a food diary with what you have
eaten for the day and how you felt.
Week two:Introduce some gluten containing wheat free grains such as
spelt, kamut or rye. Continue to record symptoms and foods in you
diary.
Week three:If you found that you tolerated the last weeks grains then
try and introduce some organic wholegrain wheat such as wholemeal bread or
pasta.
Record what you eat and how you feel daily in your food
diary. By looking back on you food diary, you may be able to trace
which foods were associated with your symptoms. Most people will realise
that wheat of gluten was their problem within the first few days of
stopping eating it.
Other tests
available
There are other tests available to evaluate the severity of
a food intolerance or allergy. The IgG food panel is a salivary test which
indicates the level of which you are allergic to something with a 1+, 2+,
3+ or 4+. Other tests include blood tests to measure your antibody levels
and white blood cells which can be raised in an allergenic person.
For help with identifying any food allergies you may have,call 3368 3369 and make an appointment today.
