What happens to your body on a Gluten free diet
The Gluten free diet
At a Glance -
- If you have coeliac disease and/or dermatitis herpetiformis you have to avoid gluten for life.
- The gluten free diet is the only treatment for the condition.
- On the gluten free diet you can eat many foods including meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, rice and potatoes.
- You can also eat gluten free substitute foods and processed foods that don't contain gluten.
- If you have coeliac disease, your immune system reacts to gluten and leads to damage to the lining of your gut. This causes symptoms of coeliac disease, including bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, tiredness and headaches. This only happens if gluten is eaten. By avoiding all gluten (some people also need to avoid oats), your gut can heal and your symptoms should improve. The gluten free diet is the only treatment for coeliac disease. On the gluten free diet you can eat any naturally @gluten free foods@, such as:
- meat
- fish
- fruit and vegetables
- rice
- potatoes
- lentils.
Alchohol and Beverages
There are plenty of both alcoholic and soft drinks which don’t contain gluten:
There are also specially made gluten free beers and lagers available. You can usually find them in the free from section of supermarkets and some health food stores.
The following drinks are not suitable for people with coeliac disease:
- fruit juice
- flavoured water
- cordials
- fizzy drinks
- cider
- wine
- sherry
- spirits
- port
- liqueurs.
There are also specially made gluten free beers and lagers available. You can usually find them in the free from section of supermarkets and some health food stores.
The following drinks are not suitable for people with coeliac disease:
- barley squashes
- beer
- lager
- stout
- ales.