Gluten Free Diet
 Many people, for a variety of reasons, may choose to have a gluten free diet. Usually, this is because of a health concern, such as gluten intolerance or a gluten allergy, but there are a variety of benefits that are considered to come along with this manner of eating and preparing food.
Gluten is a protein that is found in many common grains such as wheat, kamut, spelt, barley, rye, and triticale. Usually, people adopt a gluten free diet because they suffer from a gluten intolerance, allergy, or celiac disease, which makes it painful to digest products that contain gluten. But many other decide to eat gluten free foods to help them lose weight or for other health conditions.
No matter what the reason for eating this type of diet, there are many things that need to be taken into consideration when choosing gluten free products, including:
- Some medications and vitamin supplements may contain gluten.
- Gluten is commonly used as a filler or thickener (often called dextrin) for many foods you may not consider like ketchup, ice cream, and in some meat.
- Some cosmetics and lip-glosses contain gluten.
- Envelope glue may contain gluten as a binding agent.
- Many alcoholic drinks contain gluten as they are often made from wheat, barley, and rye.
- The potential for cross contamination is very high, since many establishments that process or bake foods use products with gluten in them in the same areas where they may be producing "gluten free" items.
If you are considering a gluten free diet, it is important to consult with your primary care provider and an experienced dietitian to learn more about gluten free foods and learn how to properly use gluten free cooking. Not everyone will benefit from such a diet change, so you should talk to an experienced health care professional before making this, or any other change, to your personal health plan.
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