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 Wheat is consumed more than any other grain and makes up about 25-30 percent of the average diet. Whilst wheat is generally a wholesome, fibre-rich food, supplying B vitamins, vitamin C, iron and protein, some people find that wheat is the cause of a food allergy.
Wheat food allergy symptoms include depression, wheezing, digestive problems, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and arthritis. Apart from obvious sources such as bread, pasta and cakes, wheat is contained in many processed and comercially prepared foods.
The main problem with wheat is gluten - a sticky glue-like substance which can slow down our digestive system and inhibit the absorbtion of nutrients. Gluten is wheat protein, can be difficult to digest and encourage the growth of unfriendly bacteria, such as candida albicans, which are responsible for toxins in the bowel.
Symptoms such as constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, indigestion, wind and irritable bowel syndrome often disappear when wheat is removed from the diet.
If gluten is the cause of a food allergy it is important to note that rye, oats and barley also have a fairly high gluten content. People with coeliac disease, a hypersensitivity to gluten, should avoid all these grains.
Cereal crops are also sprayed with pesticides and residues of these could cause a food allergy as much as the wheat itself.
Avoiding Wheat
Wheat can be hidden in foods by being called fillers, cereal binders, cereal fillers, cereal protein, starch, edible starch, modified starch or protein. Be aware of foods containing flour, such as bakery products, cakes, pastries, biscuits, foods sold in powder form, sauces, pies, sausages, burgers and grain-based drinks such as beer, whisky and gin.
Alternatives to Wheat
- Buckwheat; flour, flakes, spaghetti and pasta shapes
- Flour alternatives; chestnut, potato (farina), lentil, chickpea (gram), tapioca, yam, soya
- Rye flour, bread, crispbread
- Rice cakes, flour, flakes, puffed rice
- Oats, oat cakes
- Non-wheat pasta, rice noodles
- Alternative thickeners; arrowroot, corn flour, kuzu (Japanese seaweed extract)
- Wheat-free soy sauce
- Rice bran, soya bran, oat bran
- Wheat-free mixes for sausages, veggie-burgers, bread, cakes
You can also buy plenty of gluten-free foods such as breads, cereals and biscuits as well as trying rice cakes, manna bread, sprouted grain breads or loaves.
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