Coeliac disease

What is it?

People with coeliac disease react to a protein fraction from grains (gluten). The lining in the small intestine becomes atrophied over time and absorption of nutrients is insufficient. Nutrients reach the large intestines (bowels) and can cause bloating, pain and diarrhoea. Other symptoms might be present as well.

What causes it?

Gluten is found in grains: Wheat, rye, barley and to a lesser degree oats. (Also spelt/dinkel and triticale contain gluten. The first is an ancestor to wheat and the second is a cross between wheat and rye.). Oats are tolerated by a majority of coeliacs, they have a slightly different form of gluten (avenin). Unfortunately they are contaminated with other grains on the production line, so oats should be left out as well. All products which contain these grains also contain gluten in various amounts. 

Dietetic Treatment

If coeliac disease is diagnosed (through a biopsy), the person’s diet must not contain gluten. Naturally gluten-free foods for example are rice, corn/maize, potatoes, tapioka/cassava, beans, peas, chickpeas, buckwheat, arrowroot, amaranth, quinoa.

Label-reading is vital to ascertain products are gluten-free. Products labelled gluten-free can be consumed. There are different gluten-free pasta, breads, cereals, flours, even cakes and biscuits available in the supermarkets in the health section or in health food shops. Other foods or food groups that do not contain gluten are fruit, vegetables, meats and most dairy. Label reading is important to find ingredients that are derived from the gluten-containing grains. For example cornstarch can be made from wheat and must therefore eliminated for a gluten-free diet. Also buckwheat flour might contain a mix of buckwheat and wheat flours. Arrowroot flour can also contain wheat, and products made with it contain wheat most of the time. Some thickeners, malt/maltodextrin and other ingredients are derived from wheat/barley/oats and contain small amounts of gluten.