It seems more and more people than ever are opting for gluten-free alternatives in their everyday lives. It’s certainly becoming easier than ever to find GF labels on café and restaurant menus, so it’s quite likely that you may have wondered if you should be avoiding gluten as well. The Doc’s put together this helpful blog post to help you find out whether or not you could be gluten-intolerant.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a family of proteins found in many grains, including wheat, barley and rye. It is composed of two different proteins: glutenin and gliadin, the latter of which is predominantly responsible for gluten sensitivity.
What is gluten-intolerance?
Gluten-intolerance occurs when your body produces an abnormal immune response when breaking down gluten during digestion. Coeliac disease is an extreme form of gluten-intolerance, which can lead to bowel damage if undiagnosed. Coeliac disease affects roughly 1 in 70 Australians, however a large percent of this population are living undiagnosed.
What are the symptoms of gluten-intolerance?
The most common symptoms to look out for are abdominal pain, bloating and excessive wind, and general aches and pains. You may experience severe symptoms or none at all.
What to do if you think you are gluten-intolerant
If you have experienced any of these symptoms, you should make an appointment with your GP to test for Coeliac disease. Your GP can perform a simple blood test or small intestine biopsy. If you don’t have Coeliac disease, the best way to test for gluten-intolerance is to follow a strictly gluten-free diet for a few weeks and monitor any changes to your symptoms and overall health.
The Doc’s menus are designed by a team of doctors and nutritionists and packed full of fresh, balanced wholefoods to ensure that you are getting all of the essential nutrients that your body needs and loves. Head to the Doc’s website today to order your completely gluten-free-meal. Alternatively, choose from our healthy-balance-meals, dairy-free-meals, pescatarian-meals, vegetarian-meals, or vegan-meals. #thanksdoc
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