The Challenges of Living a Gluten-Free Lifestyle
by Nicholas Pearson
Here is a recent interview with Mrs. Johnson (not her real name), a mother of three who has to live gluten-free. I met with Mrs. Johnson in the sunny kitchen of her wooded New Jersey townhouse where she currently home schools all three of her children.
Q: Which gluten-free products do you enjoy the most?
A: Bread, cookies, pasta, and cereals.
Q: How cautious do you have to be when buying something with gluten-free label?
A: I am also highly allergic to soy, so I have to check for that also.
Q: What is the most difficult aspect of being gluten intolerant?
A: Trying to eat out at a restaurant.
Q: When did you first find out you were gluten intolerant?
A: Last January. I was tested for Celiac disease and am borderline, so I decided to cut out gluten products.
Q: How much did your diet change?
A: I no longer eat highly processed food and I try to consume foods in their natural state.
Q: Do you have a routine that you follow when grocery shopping? And if so, can you tell me about it?
A: I tend to stick to the outer ring of the grocery store, which encompasses the fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, and fish. I will add gluten free cereals and ingredients when needed from a special gluten-free aisle in the store.
Q: Does your family eat gluten-free with you?
A: Not usually, but I switched them to gluten-free pasta and they haven’t noticed the difference.
Q: What are some foods and/or drinks that people would be surprised to know have gluten?
A: I am a vegetarian, but now can’t eat most veggie burgers because they contain wheat.
Q: How often do you find that products other than food also contain gluten?
A: I am in the process of analyzing hair care products because they have been found to have traces of gluten in them.
Q: Thank you for your time and for your patience.
A: You’re welcome.
Mrs. Johnson is one of the 15% of Americans who suffer from some form of gluten sensitivity. She has tested borderline for Celiac Sprue disease, a serious and debilitating form of gluten intolerance. Please see our article on this website for detailed information about celiac sprue. Those who are not affected by Celiac disease or gluten sensitivities often do not seem to realize how hard it can be for those who are and tend to dismiss it as they would a cold. As Mrs. Johnson explained to me, shopping for foods and eating out in restaurants pose significant challenges.
A good place to start shopping for gluten-free products is a health food store, however, even health food stores stocking healthy, organic, gluten-free foods also carry foods that contain gluten. Consumers need to be aware of issues in labeling and to educate themselves about common ingredients in processed foods that might contain gluten. Please see our article on this website about gluten-free food labeling for more information.
A strong supporter of consumer awareness in this regard is the Whole Foods Market chain, founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, currently with about 330 stores nationally, including locations in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York. Whole Foods Market offers a helpful website containing information on gluten-free shopping, links to gluten-free recipes, and lists of some of Whole Food’s gluten-free products.
Many beverages also contain gluten, especially those made from grains like alcoholic beverages. Consumers seeking guidelines can have reference to the gluten-free beverages website providing a list of beverages that do not contain gluten.
Gluten in cosmetics is a common concern for people with Celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders. Usually, those who are intolerant avoid lipsticks and lip glosses containing ingredients like wheat germ or barley extract, as those products will be used on the mouth and may be ingested. Furthermore, due to inadequate labeling, it is never clear how much gluten these products actually contain. The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recently presented the results of a landmark study, “Gluten in Cosmetics: Is There a Reason for Concern?” The article highlights the questions surrounding the issue of gluten in cosmetics and was written by authors Tricia Thompson, MS, RD, an expert in gluten-free testing and labeling, and Thomas Grace, CEO of Bia Diagnostics. The authors reveal test results of four lip products and two lotions that reported using gluten-containing ingredients. They plan on conducting additional tests as soon as possible. According to the study, no amount of gluten was found in any of the products tested, but they acknowledge that their sample size was quite small. The authors do note that lip gloss and lipstick can be more dangerous than lotion as the risk of absorbing gluten through the skin is less than if ingesting it. The authors reiterate that, while individuals with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivities should not be overly concerned about products applied to the hair or skin, they should take care to wash their hands after use. The authors also suggest that those who are concerned about gluten in their cosmetics, should avoid products that contain wheat, barley, malt, rye, oat, triticum vulgare, hordeum vulgare, secale cereale, and avena sativa.
In pharmaceuticals, gluten is a common ingredient or filler, one of the “inactive ingredients” or “excipients” added to the active drug. In addition to other uses, fillers provide shape and bulk for tablets and capsules, and aid in water absorption to help the tablet disintegrate. These inactive ingredients can be derived from any starch source, including corn, potatoes, tapioca, or wheat. Unfortunately, very few medications are labeled for gluten content. Inactive ingredients may be listed on the ingredients list or the package insert, but it is difficult, if not impossible, even for pharmacists, to tell if these contain gluten. For the most part, any starch ingredient (including pre-gelatinized starch and sodium starch glycolate) not specifically labeled as coming from a gluten-free source (for example, corn, potatoes, tapioca, etc.), should be a signal to precede with caution. In addition to starch, other inactive ingredients that might come from wheat or barley include dextrates, dextrins, dextri-maltose, and maltodextrin. The website, Gluten-free Drugs, provides additional information on gluten-free products in medicine.
This article is meant to provide helpful resources for those living with Celiac disease and gluten intolerance. For more information about Celiac disease, please visit the article on our website about Celiac Sprue and gluten intolerance. There are many additional resources on the internet for those who need help navigating the confusing issues related to Celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Scott Adams, who was diagnosed with Celiac disease in 1994, created the website Celiac.com a year later, explaining: “I created this site for a single purpose: To help as many people as possible with Celiac disease get diagnosed so they can begin to live happy, healthy gluten-free lives.” Celiac.com was the first website created solely for the purpose of providing information about Celiac disease, and it has become an invaluable resource for people worldwide who want to know more about the disease and the gluten-free diet. Additionally, in 1998, Adams created Gluten-Free Mall, Your Special Diet Superstore!, “the first gluten-free food site to offer a shopping cart-style interface, and the ability for people to order gluten-free products manufactured by many different companies at a single Web site.” Adams has co-authored the book Cereal Killers and is founder and publisher of Journal of Gluten Sensitivity. Remember, if you think that you, or someone you know may be displaying symptoms of Celiac disease, call a doctor and get tested.
Here are some further sites with helpful tips and shared experiences about forging a path to a gluten- free lifestyle:
Living Without is one of the first websites and magazines addressing a gluten free lifestyle.
GlutenFree.com is an online provider of gluten free products.
As the Thanksgiving holidays approach, our readers might enjoy this link on the Huffington Post to gluten free Thanksgiving recipes!
E. Nicholas Pearson is a sophomore in high school, and has been homeschooled since the first grade. He enjoys reading, going to the movies, and playing football. Nicholas is the oldest of seven, and currently resides in New Jersey.
