It's difficult to overstate the role wheat plays in modern foodstuffs, especially in the west. For a start, it's in countless foods; not only obvious ones like bread and pasta, but in lots of others too, including mayonnaise, soy sauce and beer to name a few. And why not? Wheat has lots of amazing qualities: it's delicious, nutritious and it works as a binding and rising agent, not to mention being natural preservative. These are all properties that make it a staple not only in bread recipes but also in most processed foods. It's just unfortunate that millions of people across the world simply can't eat the stuff.
There are several different disorders that prevent people from eating wheat-based foods. It can get a little confusing trying to sort it all out, but basically there are 2 main complaints: allergy and intolerance. People with a wheat allergy have a problem with one or more of the proteins found in wheat and wheat based products. Gluten gets the most press, but people can be just as allergic to the others, like gliadin or globulin. Those with gluten intolerance usually have Coeliac Disease.
Those with allergies can experience hives, nausea and other symptoms including dangerous swelling to the point of asphyxiation. Gluten intolerance is often misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome as it has slightly less sever symptoms in adults, though child sufferers face a serious malnutrition threat if they remain undiagnosed.
Both of these conditions cause varying degrees of abdominal distress when a suffer eats wheat. Both can occur in either childhood or adulthood. Neither can be treated with medication and those afflicted must avoid wheat and gluten as a part of their diet or face permanent health risks. The list of food products includes spelt, rye, barley in flours or other combinations, distilled vinegar, beer, whiskey, malt, modified food starch and dextrin. Some with Coeliac Disease can tolerate oats. Rice and corn are usually fine.
In short, people with wheat and gluten allergies don't have a lot of dietary choices. Especially difficult for many sufferers is the absence of bread on the menu. Virtually all commercial bread has wheat in it, and those few specialty breads that don't are often expensive, hard to find, and lacking in variety. Well, here, at last, is some good news. With the simple purchase of a home bread-maker, those with wheat and gluten problems can finally bring bread back into their life.
Bread-makers are a great blessing for those who can't have wheat and gluten in their baked goods. It allows them to carefully monitor their food and meet their dietary requirements while reclaiming a bit of the variety their condition has prevented them from enjoying. There are many wheat free bread recipes and free gluten free bread recipes online, and most places that sell bread-makers and bread-maker mixes have a wheat free bread mix selection. There are even treats like wheat free muffins and gluten free scones available. So Coeliac Disease or a wheat allergy doesn't need to be a moratorium on bread for those who suffer from them provided they have a bread-maker.
Additional articles at:
www.bread-maker.net/resource/gluten-free.htm
1. Is a Wheat Allergy the Same Thing as Celiac?
2. Wheat Allergy and Gluten Intolerance Symptoms
3. Wheat and Gluten Free Bread-maker Recipes
