What Is Gluten Intolerance And Gluten Sensitivity?

Gluten intolerance and sensitivity are now recognized by the medical
community.  These terms are used to describe someone who has a
reaction  to gluten.  These people feel better when not ingesting gluten,
but also not diagnosed with Celiac.  When a biopsy is done on these
people, no damage is found.

The symptoms are abdominal pain similar to people with Celiac.  Other
symptoms can be headaches and fatigue.  The prevalence is not known
and it is not uncommon for people to come to the conclusion they are
sensitive to gluten by trial and error.  More studies are being done on this.

What Is Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Dermatitis Herpetiformis is a chronic skin condition with a
characteristic pattern of lesions with itching/burning sensations.
The lesions are often symmetrical and seen on the elbows, knees,
butt and upper back.  Patients with this often have no GI
symptoms but damage to the lining of the gut is present in most
cases.

What Is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune condition in which the
absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten.
The disease affects about 1% of the population.  This results in
an inability of the body to absorb nutrients: protein, fat, vitamins
carbohydrates and minerals.

When a person with Celiac ingests gluten, an autoimmune response
is triggered that causes the body to react by damaging the lining of
the small intestine.  The damage caused has both long and short
term effects.  These effects can lead  people with the disease
susceptible of developing complications such as osteoporosis,
malnutrition, anemia, just to name a few.

Celiac disease is not a food allergy.  It is a permanent condition.
Some allergies can disappear over time, this is not seen with Celiac.
It is now considered the most common autoimmune disease in
Europe and North America.  At this time, there is no cure, treated
by a strict gluten free diet.

What Is Gluten?

Getting back to the basics, what is gluten? 

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and all related grains (bulgur, einkkorn, durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, triticale, and faro) rye, barley and oats.  Technically oats do not contain the same protein found in the other grains, and most people with Celiac tolerate pure oats.  Oats are grown next to wheat, causing cross contamination.
Gluten  is the term for the proteins that have been found to be toxic for people with Celiac disease, gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity.  It is the gluten in the flour that helps bread and other baked goods bind.  This  binding feature has make gluten widely used in the production of many processed and packaged foods as well as the obvious, baked goods.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Happy Hanukkah!!!

Christmas Fudge

One last Christmas easy gluten free recipe.

Christmas fudge

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
12 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup dried cranberries, raisins, and walnuts