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Gluten-free diet
Diet excluding proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A gluten-free diet (GFD) is a nutritional plan that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of prolamin proteins found in wheat (and all of its species and hybrids, such as spelt, kamut, and triticale), as well as barley, rye, and oats.[1] The inclusion of oats in a gluten-free diet remains controversial, and may depend on the oat cultivar and the frequent cross-contamination with other gluten-containing cereals.[2][3][4][5]
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Gluten may cause both gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms for those with gluten-related disorders, including coeliac disease (CD), non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), gluten ataxia, dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), and wheat allergy.[6] In these people, the gluten-free diet is demonstrated as an effective treatment,[7][8][9] but several studies show that about 79% of the people with coeliac disease have an incomplete recovery of the small bowel, despite a strict gluten-free diet.[10] This is mainly caused by inadvertent ingestion of gluten.[10] People with a poor understanding of a gluten-free diet often believe that they are strictly following the diet, but are making regular errors.[10][11]
In addition, a gluten-free diet may, in at least some cases, improve gastrointestinal or systemic symptoms in diseases like irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, or HIV enteropathy, among others.[12] There is no good evidence that gluten-free diets are an alternative medical treatment for people with autism.[13][14][15]
Gluten proteins have low nutritional and biological value and the grains that contain gluten are not essential in the human diet.[16] However, an unbalanced selection of food and an incorrect choice of gluten-free replacement products may lead to nutritional deficiencies. Replacing flour from wheat or other gluten-containing cereals with gluten-free flours in commercial products may lead to a lower intake of important nutrients, such as iron and B vitamins. Some gluten-free commercial replacement products are not as enriched or fortified as their gluten-containing counterparts, and often have greater lipid/carbohydrate content. Children especially often over-consume these products, such as snacks and biscuits. Nutritional complications can be prevented by a correct dietary education.[4]
A gluten-free diet may be based on gluten-free foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, potatoes, rice, and corn.[17] Gluten-free processed foods may be used.[4] Pseudocereals (quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat) and some minor cereals have been found to be suitable alternative choices that can provide adequate nutrition.[18]