Sunday, March 11, 2012

Gluten-free Diet Pros And Cons


Eating a gluten-free diet is the only treatment for the people suffering from Celiac disease. People suffering celiac disease have intolerance to gluten. Gluten is a protein, which is present in grains of wheat, rye, oats and barley. Gluten-free diet means staying off from those foods which are comprised of wheat, oats, barley and rye. Gluten can turn toxic for those people who are sensitive to it; those who are diagnosed with celiac disease. To maintain a completely gluten-free diet means eating fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and other stuff available. In addition, it is always better to have your meals prepared by you or someone who knows what foods to eat and not to eat by gluten intolerant people.
There are several pros and cons of eating a gluten-free diet. Let's discuss a few important pros and cons of having a gluten-free diet. Several processed foods are thickened and flavored with gluten and it becomes essential to identify those foods.

Medical Benefits of Gluten-free Diet

Having a gluten-free diet is the important consideration of the celiac disease treatment. Medically, it is prescribed to have this diet for the whole life. No medicine or drug is as effective as gluten-free diet for a celiac. Most of the people stick to this diet because of the medical benefits it offers. Some of the diseases that are treated by this diet are as follows.
  • Gluten Intolerance: This is a kind of allergy named the gluten allergy. Patients with this intolerance or allergy should follow only a gluten-free diet, as these patients cannot tolerate gluten.
  • Celiac diseases: This is an autoimmune disease that runs through families and if such a patient consumes the gluten, it damages their intestinal lining. To promote the healing of the intestinal lining, the patient is warned against consuming gluten by following a gluten-free diet.
  • Dermatitis Herpetiformis: This chronic skin disease is marked by fluid-filled blisters; believed to have been triggered by high gluten ingestion. Taking a gluten-free diet is an absolute must for these people.
    Migraine: Several migraine patients feel well by consuming gluten-free diet. This happens because many of them likely to have celiac disease.
  • Autism: According to several researches conducted, it is found that severity of the disease is directly related to consumption of high gluten. To improve the condition of children suffering from autism, they are kept on a gluten-free diet.

Weight Loss Benefits of Gluten-free Diet

Apart from medical benefits, a gluten-free diet also helps in losing weight. According to the available medical literature, people suffering from any of the following medical conditions are supposed to be benefited from including gluten-free diet as their treatment consideration. According to scientific research people with the following medical conditions are known to have fewer symptoms and/or quicker recovery should they be treated along gluten-free diet. This improves digestive health which hastens the healing by making nutrients available to the body.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Neuromyelitis
  • Down’s syndrome
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Seizures
  • Ataxia and late-onset Friedreich ataxia
  • Brain fog
  • Osteoporosis
  • Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes and anemia

Cons of the Gluten-free Diet

Following gluten-free diet for long can result in several deficiencies in body. Eating a gluten-free diet means you are not eating some healthy natural foods rich in required nutrients. Some of the gluten free foods are not fortified and do not have a variety of nutrients. These foods are low in folate, fiber and iron. In addition, gluten free foods are always not available so, patients do not get to consume the minimum recommended amount of the grains.
Source:

http://www.glutenfree-diet.org/benefits.htm

http://truefitnessbootcamp.com/Nutrition_Challenge.html


Gluten Free Candy
October 2005

Master Foods USA
(M&M Mars)
Consumer Affairs
800 High Street
Hackensack, NJ 07840
(800-627-7852)

Skittles
All Starburst
Starburst Jelly Beans
All M&M's (EXCEPT the blue package of crisps)
3 Musketeers
Milky Way DARK ONLY
Milky Way Dark Chocolate Covered almonds
Snickers Bar
Snickers with Almond
Snickers Cream molded
Dove Truffle Egg
All Dove Chocolate
Amazing Bars (Peanut Butter Chocolate only; NOT crunchy)
M& M Chocolate Hollow Filled Characters


NECCO CANDY
Revere, Ma
781-485-4500
www.necco.com

Necco Wafers
Mary Janes
Mary Janes Peanut Butter
Kisses
Canada Mint & Wintergreen Lozenges
Haviland Thin Mints & Candy Stix
Clark Bars
Talking Pumpkins
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Squirrel Nut Caramels
Banana Split and Mint Julip Chews
Necco Ultramints
Sweethearts Conversational Hearts Skybars
Haviland Peppennint & Wintergreen Patties
Necco Candy Eggs

HERSHEY FOODS CORP
Consumer Relations Department
100 Crystal A Drive Hershey, PA 17033
(800-468-1714)

Hershey Kisses
Milk Chocolate Bar
Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds
Jolly Rancher Candy
Jolly Rancher Lollipops
Almond Joy
Mounds
Payday
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
Reese's Pieces
York Peppermint Patties
Heath Bar
Mr. Goodbar

NESTLE
Confections & Snack Division
P.O. Box 2178
Wilkes Barre, PA 18703 (800-258-6728) nestlebaking(JO,casupport.com
Babe Ruth
Butterfinger
Chunky
Nestle Milk Chocolate
Oh Henry!
Sweet Tarts
SPREE
Bit-o-Honey
Nips
Nestle Turtles
Sno-Caps
Butterfinger BB's
Goobers
Raisinets
Nestle Treasures
Wonka Bottlecaps
Wonka Gobstoppers
Wonka Mix Ups
Wonka Pixy Stik
Wonka Shock Tarts
Wonka Tart 'N' Tiny
Wonka Fun Dip (Lik-M-Aid)
Wonka Laffy Taffy
Wonka Nerds
Wonka Nerds
Wonka Runts
Wonka Tangy Taffy
SweetTARTS Lollipops

TOOTSIE ROLL INDUSTRIES
Chicago, 1L. 60629
(773-838-3400)

Tootsie Rolls
Fruit Rolls
Frooties
Dots
Tropical Dots
Crows
Tootsie Pops
Tooties Peppermint Pops
Caramel Apple Pops
Fruit Smoothie Pops
Tropical Stonnz Pops
Child's Play

CHARMS COMPANY
A division of Tootsie Roll

Blow Pops/Super Blow Pops
Charm Pops
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-DA Pops
Fluffy Stuff Cotton Candy
Sugar Daddy Pops
Charms Squares
Charms Sour Balls
Family Fun
Pops Galore
Andes Mints
Sugar Babies

CELLA'S CONFECTIONS
A division of Tootsie Roll

Cella's Milk Chocolate Covered Cherries
Cella's Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries


CAMBRIDGE BRANDS, INC.
A division of Tootsie Rolls

Junior Mints
Charleston Chew Junior Charms


JUST BORN, Inc.
Consumer Affairs (800445-5787)

Year Round Candies
MIKE & IKE
Original Fruits
Tropical Typhoon
Berry Blast
Jolly Joes-Grape
Tangy Twister

HOT TAMALES
Original Hot Tamales
Hot Tamales Fire

ZOURS

Original Fruitz
Punch Fruitz

TEENIE BEANEE

Jelly Beans

PEANUT CHEWS

VALENINES DAY
Strawberry and Vanilla Creme Flavored MASRSHMALLOW PEEPS Hearts
Non-flavored Hearts

HALLOWEEN
MARSHMALLOW PEEPS Pumpkin, Spooky Cats and Ghosts
MARSHMALLOW PEEPS DelightFills and Cocoa Cats Snack Pack and Variety Pack Bags + MIKE AND IKE, HOT TAMALES, AND ZOURS

CHRISTMAS
MARSHMALLOW PEEPS Christmas Trees and Snowmen
Holiday Cookie Flavored MARSHMALLOW PEEPS Cutouts

TOPPS
401 York Ave. Dayra, PA 18642
(800-489-9149)

Ring Pops
Push Pops
Juicy Bugs
Juicy Drop Chews
Big Mouth Candy Spray
Flip & Dip Push Pop
Baby Bottle Pops        




4 comments:

  1. Fitness Boot Camp
    Thank you very much for this useful information.Please keep on blogging.I am looking forward to read your next great article..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Greetings! I am a fellow Certified Personal Trainer w/ a background in manual therapies and nutrition. I maintain a gluten-free diet myself and was delighted to come across your blog this evening. I just wanted to pass on that although the deficiencies listed are common with gluten-free diets with considerable packaged gluten-free foods and/or limiting high nutrient foods. They are not, as mentioned if one prepares their own foods and is willing to experiment. I find having a well rounded diet I get all the nutrients my body needs without adding any supplements. Thank you and I agree; keep blogging.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brie,

    I am total agreement with you. Preparing your own food from scratch helps to eliminate unwanted additives and will improve your nutrient absorption. Thanks for your comments.

    ReplyDelete