Having tummy troubles and suspect gluten intolerance? Please don’t cut gluten out until you’ve been tested for coeliac disease!
Around 500,000 people in the UK alone are thought to be living with undiagnosed coeliac disease – so if you think that might be you, here are 2 things worth knowing…
1. If you’re getting tested for coeliac disease, it’s super important to keep including gluten in your diet until the test is done. Otherwise, it’ll be inaccurate.
How much do you need for an accurate test? The golden rule is to eat 10g gluten a day for at least 6 weeks before – that’s about 4 slices of wheat-based bread.
2. Gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean wheat-free and vice-versa.
Gluten can be removed from wheat, but leaving other wheat proteins – and gluten is in other grains too, such as rye and barley.
And remember, unless you have been diagnosed with coeliac disease or another kind of gluten intolerance (diagnosed by your GP or registered dietitian – not a random home test kit!), cutting out gluten-containing wholegrains may do more harm than good. Remember INclusion not EXclusion.
📸 my super easy and oh-so-satisfying wheaten bread (inspired by my Irish in-laws), recipes in Eat More, Live Well.
