Gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes foods containing gluten. If you've been diagnosed with coeliac disease, read this article to find out what problems gluten can cause and how to choose gluten-free foods.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including spelt, durum and atta), rye, barley and oats.
This means gluten is found in a wide variety of foods, including flour, bread and baked goods, cereals, pasta, processed foods, takeaway foods, snacks, beer, seasonings, sauces and stock cubes.
What problems can gluten cause?
In some people, gluten can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms after it’s eaten such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea bloating, excessive wind, tiredness, poor concentration and general aches and pains.
Although dietary intolerance to wheat or gluten is felt to be quite common, finding the cause of these symptoms is important to make sure there are no serious medical conditions present such as coeliac disease.