Celiac and A Completely Gluten Free Life

by Sarah Pittman, Dietetic Intern

Finding products that are gluten free used to be such a hard task. But with people being more aware of gluten in their diets (celiac and non celiac people alike) as well as the FDA stepping in on the manner, it has made finding gluten in food and non-food products much easier.

“On August 2, 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its long-awaited gluten-free food labeling rule. According to the rule, when a manufacturer chooses to put “gluten-free” on food packaging, the item must comply with the new FDA definition of the term – less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten”₄.

When patients with celiac disease eat gluten it can cause abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, rash, or heartburn₁.  Even if not consumed directly, cross contamination can occur with gluten. It only takes 10 mg to potentially cause problems in patients with celiac disease_5.

Cross contamination can happen by:

Putting gluten free bread in a toaster that has had non-gluten free bread in it

Using sponges to clean dishes that have also been used to clean dishes of gluten products

Using cutting boards that have been used with gluten products₂ 

Any product that may come in contact with the mouth and in turn be ingested needs to be gluten free for people with celiac disease. But not all products are labeled gluten free, so how do you know if it contains gluten?

Some of the best ways to know if a product is gluten free is by:

Calling the manufacturer and asking if the product contains gluten or if there is possible cross-contamination of gluten

Read ALL the ingredients on the product

Check out glutenfreedrugs.com on medications that include gluten₆

Some brands that have gluten-free hair care/bath and body products include:

Acure

Avalon Organics

Desert Esence

Dove

Paul Mitchell

Suave₃ 

Do you know of any other brands that have gluten-free options?

References:

1. Celiac Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Risk Factors. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celiac-disease#1. Published 2019. Accessed January 22, 2019.

2. Cross-Contact | BeyondCeliac.org. Beyond Celiac. https://www.beyondceliac.org/gluten-free-diet/cross-contact/. Published 2019. Accessed January 22, 2019.

3. 9 Best Gluten-Free Shampoos and Conditioners. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/gluten-free-shampoo-conditioner-and-other-hair-products-562439. Published 2019. Accessed January 22, 2019.

4. 10 Fast Facts About the FDA Gluten-Free Labeling Rule | Celiac Disease Foundation. Celiac Disease Foundation. https://celiac.org/about-the-foundation/featured-news/2014/08/fda-gluten-free-food-labeling-information-page/. Published 2019. Accessed January 22, 2019.

5. Is That Gluten-Free Diet Really Gluten-Free? – Today’s Dietitian Magazine. Todaysdietitian.com. https://www.todaysdietitian.com/enewsletter/enews_0518_01.shtml. Published 2019. Accessed January 27, 2019.

6. Hidden Gluten in Nonfood Products – Today’s Dietitian Magazine. Todaysdietitian.com. https://www.todaysdietitian.com/enewsletter/enews_0515-01.shtml. Published 2019. Accessed January 27, 2019.

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