It is fair to say, the trend around eating “gluten free” has grown sporadically and will keep on growing. This is due to the fact that people are becoming more self conscious about their health but also because more and more of us are developing intolerances.

First things first, what is gluten? Gluten is the collective term for a group of proteins. These proteins are found in the grains wheat, rye and barley but also in their various forms.

There are three different types of gluten related disorders:

1. Autoimmune (known as Celiac disease). 1% of worldwide population have been diagnosed with celiac disease. Celiacs have more than an allergy, they have an autoimmune reaction where consuming gluten triggers an attack on the intestines. The intestines become damaged and the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream. This can lead to malnourishment and other serious chronic conditions. Whilst diagnosing celiac disease can be done by screening tests, endoscopy or bioscopies the results are not always accurate.

2. Wheat allergy. Being allergic to wheat leads to the typical allergic reactions such as itching and swelling but also appearances of rashes on the skin. It seems this affects 0.4% of the population, which is considerably lower than celiac disease.

3. Gluten sensitivity. Whilst the studies aren’t fully accurate, it could be considered that 6% of the population are faced with gluten sensitivity, seen as an intolerance. Whilst this produces no autoimmune reaction the symptoms can be vast, up to 300 different ones have been recorded. It can lead to ‘leaky gut’ where large pieces of food microbes and toxins can get in the body. It is very likely that a person with gluten sensitivity will develop intestinal symptoms.

Bottom line: "should I be eating gluten?"

It depends how you react to it. For people who might have gluten sensitivity working through a diagnosis of exclusion is an efficient way to see for yourself how your body reacts to gluten. This ‘diagnosis of exclusion’ evolves different steps to see how your body reacts to gluten after eliminating it from your diet for a while and re-introducing it slowly. This should be accompanied by with other methods of restoring the intestinal flora and methods to improve digestion. It is recommend it to do this with someone who will keep you accountable and on track (I wonder who that could be... wink/wink). On a final note, even if you are gluten intolerant does not mean you are forever condemned to stomach discomfort or bloating every time you eat a warm loaf of bread or a delicious plate of pasta. There are steps to take in order to reintroduce gluten in specific way and enjoy the foods that contain gluten free of any symptoms.