Gluten

Nutrition

Gluten

By Jane Clarke

September 04, 2019

There is a trend for believing that gluten causes the body, especially the brain, harm, but this simply isn’t correct. While people with coeliac disease have to avoid all gluten-containing foods because they damage the gut, for the majority of us, eating foods with gluten doesn’t cause any problems.

I feel uncomfortable after eating gluten-containing foods. What’s the alternative?

Some people who don’t have coeliac disease still feel uncomfortable after eating gluten-containing foods. If, for example, wheat-based bread makes you feel bloated, you could try a loaf made with an alternative grain, such as spelt. There is less gluten in spelt than there is in wheat and it has a different structure, meaning it’s absorbed differently in the gut. For that reason, spelt bread suits some people better. You could also try chickpea pasta instead of your usual variety.