Individuals with celiac disease should consume a strict gluten-free diet for life. Their diet should not contain any of the following;
Any food products or drinks that may contain the above ingredients should also be avoided.
The following foods are safe for individuals with celiac disease as long as they are free from gluten contamination:
Wheat is a very common ingredient of our diet. Contamination of other food products with wheat is common. For example, the preparation of corn flour on the same machine that makes wheat flour (aata) may lead to gluten (from wheat) contamination. Therefore, corn flour made on such a machine will not be safe. Even a small amount of gluten can lead to serious health problems. The person may not sometimes feel any symptoms after eating a contaminated food item; it can still cause damage to the intestines. If ingestion of contaminated products continues, further complications may occur. When buying food items, the ingredients list should be checked to ensure that they do not contain any gluten. If there is any doubt about contamination, it is best to avoid the food or drink in question. A gluten-free diet is costly and can be complicated to follow. A consultation with a skilled dietitian is essential to go over the details of a gluten-free diet.
CAUTION: Testing of gluten in foods is complex. The consumers are responsible for ensuring that the food products manufactured in Pakistan that claim to be “gluten-free” are following the proper standards of gluten-free certification. There are some vendors in Pakistan who are marketing wheat flour (aata) as “Diet” and Gluten-Free”. These claims are absolutely false and misleading as there is no “gluten-free” wheat flour. These flours and products made from them should not be consumed by people with celiac disease.
