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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012
PAGE 24
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FOOD
Gluten-free diets provide healthy change
ROYA IBRAHIMI editor@kansan.com
When you walk into a restaurant today and open its menu, you notice a gluten-free section. When you walk into a grocery store, you see a "gluten-free" aisle. The question for many is, "What is gluten?"
Beth Kerling, senior research associate and registered dietitian for the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition's Nutrition Clinic at KU Medical center, said gluten is a protein formed when certain cereal flours are moistened and mixed, and it is a primary element in wheat, rye and barley.
Kerlin said that because of manufacturing and processing, gluten is also found in other grains including oats, malt, bulgur, and spelt.
Although many consumers have added gluten-free products to their diet by choice, others have been restricted because of the genetic disorder known as Celiac disease.
Natalie Bragg, a senior from
Shawnee, has this disease, which causes a severe immune reaction to gluten. Kerling says if left untreated, the small intestine loses its ability to absorb nutrients, resulting in gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating.
"I have been eating gluten-free for three and a half years," Bragg said. "I can't eat anything with wheat, flour, rye, barley or other grains; even things like soy sauce can have wheat flour in it."
Bragg must read each ingredient
label carefully before buying food because even a small amount of gluten can cause sickness for days.
Like Bragg, Megan Nguyen, a University graduate from Shawnee, is gluten-intolerant, but does not have Celiac disease.
Gluten-intolerant people are not at risk for the nutritional deficiencies that people with Celiac disease face, but still many feel sick after consuming wheat products.
Nguyen has been gluten-intolerant for most of her life, but didn't know until her freshman year of college.
A doctor's visit five years ago discovered her consumption of gluten caused the stomach pains.
"I always had terrible stomach pains and never knew why," Nguyen said.
Nguyen said this diagnosis brought a positive and healthy change to her life.
"The benefits of not eating gluten have made me so much healthier," Nguyen said, who became a certified nutritionist because of her experience. "I feel so much better than I did just a few years ago, and I learned all about how bad gluten is for people."
Both Bragg and Nguyen said finding gluten-free options while eating out is one of the largest downfalls of their diet.
"It's an expensive and restrictive diet," Bragg said. "I miss eating Red Lobster's cheese biscuits and Big Mac, but eating this way insures that I am not bedridden and nauseous all day."
However, Bragg said many restaurants in Lawrence offer appealing gluten-free choices.
"Lawrence is a surpassingly good place to live if you have to eat gluten free," Bragg said. "Fuzzy's (Tacos) is perfect for those eating on a gluten-free diet. You can find something for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and never eat the same thing twice. I say this from experience."
—Edited by Allison Kohn
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