Wheat-Gluten Allergyabout wheat-gluten allergy
Learn about wheat-gluten allergy, gluten intolerance, symptoms, foods you need to avoid, recommended diet, and a new natural treatment to eliminate this allergy permanently!
Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat; it is the part of flour that allows leavening to occur and it is used to bind substances together. People who have wheat-gluten allergy usually react to one or more of the proteins within wheat, which are: albumin, globulin, gliadin, and gluten. Then there is gluten intolerance (discussed below). In the U.S., about one in 130 people have an intolerance to gluten. If someone in your direct family has this intolerance, there is up to a fifteen percent chance that you may get it as well. The term gluten can cause confusion as it is often used interchangeably with the term wheat. In actuality, there are grains other than wheat that contain gluten, such as rye and barley. There are also foods that contain less obvious sources of gluten, such as: fermented beverages, bran, couscous, durham, groats, kamut, malt, oats, spelt, and triticale. Those with a wheat-gluten allergy need to avoid these foods.
You have most likely heard the term wheat-gluten allergy as well as gluten intolerance, so we would like to explain the difference between the two terms. Where an food allergy is involved, the immune system launches an abnormal response to an otherwise harmless substance and this response involves immunoglobulin (IgE) antibodies. Food intolerance or sensitivity is an adverse reaction to a food in which the immune system is not involved. When you have a wheat allergy, your immune system is hypersensitive to one of the proteins in wheat, so your system reacts against the protein as though it were some foreign invader. With wheat-gluten intolerance, there is discomfort but the symptoms are shorter in duration and they do not ordinarily cause damage to the body. There is simply an impaired ability to digest gluten properly that can lead to gastro-intestinal, dermatologic, or respiratory symptoms. There is, however, a more severe gluten intolerance referred to as celiac disease in which the intestines can be damaged. We will discuss celiac in another section.
symptomsThe symptoms of wheat-gluten allergy are not the same for everyone; they vary between individuals. Also, sometimes symptoms begin a few minutes after eating a wheat product, or it can take several hours for symptoms to appear. The most common factor and most recognizable symptom among patients is there is an impaired ability to digest wheat products. It is important to note that oat and barley are included within the category of wheat products, so these grains can cause symptoms as well. Wheat-gluten allergy and intolerance symptoms can range from flatulence to diarrhea, to skin and dental disorders. However, symptoms do typically involve the intestines and can include nausea, indigestion, stomach cramps, and vomiting. A more complete list of wheat-gluten allergy symptoms is as follows:
bloating headaches foul smelling stools vomiting osteoporosis diarrhea allergic rhinitis anemia muscle cramps eczema swelling around the mouth tingling in the feet and legs irritability depression hives
the wheat & gluten free dietConventional medical advice in dealing with food related allergies is to avoid the substance you are sensitive to. In the case of avoiding wheat because of an allergy or as a result of celiac disease, you are simply constructing a diet composed of alternative grains. A caution, however, is for one to remain cognizant of obtaining enough fiber, as well as B vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and also iron. This is because gluten-free products are not as vitamin enriched as most wheat products usually are, and they may not contain as much fiber.
Lets take a look at foods you will need to avoid if you have wheat-gluten allergy, since they contain wheat or they are associated with wheat: batter-fried foods, biscuits, bologna bouillon, bran, bread, bread crumbs bulgur, buns, cakes, candy cereals, chocolate, cocoa, cold cuts cookies, cornbread, crackers, cream of wheat croutons, doughnuts, dumplings, farina flours, graham crackers, granola, gravies hot dogs, ice cream, ice cream cones, liverwurst macaroni, malt products, malted milk, matzos mayonnaise, MSG, muffins, noodles ovaltine, pancake mixes, pasta pastries, pepper, pies, pita bread, pizza pretzels, puddings, pumpernickel bread, rolls rye bread, sauces, sausages, soups soy sauce, tamari, spaghetti, tortillas
vermicelli, waffles, wheat germ, some yeasts Fruits & Vegetables: fresh and frozen fruits; fresh and frozen vegetables; fruit and vegetable juices. wheat-gluten allergy treatmentThe main conventional treatment for wheat-gluten allergy is avoidance and this topic is covered through our Gluten Free Diet above. Medical treatment consists primarily of drugs that help to control symptoms after an allergy attack has occurred. This includes epinephrine to treat severe reactions, Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) which is an over-the-counter antihistamine, and corticosteroids which help to reduce swelling and treat skin reactions. Lets move onto a treatment that is showing real promise in eliminating gluten allergy. Energy-Based Allergy Treatment
Many have found energy-based allergy elimination treatments to be a quick, effective, and permanent cure of food and environmental allergies. Im not talking about a lengthy, expensive treatment. My milk allergy, for example, was cured in one, simple twenty minute session. I urge you to thoroughly examine our section about The New 24-hour Allergy Cure. I feel this cure has saved my life, irrespective of its simplicity and ease of delivery. There are literally thousands of practitioners who are curing food allergy and environmental allergy with energy-based treatments. |