| Each year, thousands of people are diagnosed | | | | foods that do not contain gluten. Often times, |
| with celiac disease. This is an autoimmune disorder | | | | even those foods with labels declaring them to be |
| that affects the small intestine. This disorder is | | | | gluten-less contain this ingredient. For this reason, |
| usually genetic, and affects more than one | | | | many decide to cook most of their own food to |
| percent of people. The symptoms can include | | | | ensure than no gluten is included. |
| diarrhea, fatigue, vomiting, bloating, and mouth | | | | When cooking without gluten, there are many |
| ulcers. Celiac disease causes the small intestine to | | | | ingredients that must be substituted. For example, |
| become inflamed when gluten is present in the | | | | wheat flour cannot be used, as it contains gluten. |
| patient's system. This in turn causes the patient | | | | However, wheat flour can be substituted with |
| to suffer from malabsorption, which means that | | | | brown rice or sweet rice flour. Karo corn syrup |
| their body is not able to absorb the necessary | | | | can also be substituted in many recipes that call |
| nutrients needed for optimal health. To date, the | | | | for sweetener. There are many websites available |
| only treatment effective in treating the effects of | | | | that offer gluten-less recipes at no cost to the |
| this disease is a gluten free diet. | | | | user. Many magazines containing helpful hints, |
| A gluten free diet is one that is completely void | | | | ideas, and recipes are also available for those |
| of ingredients that are derived from foods | | | | attempting a gluten free diet. Almost any |
| containing gluten, including wheat, barley, rye, and | | | | ingredient containing gluten can be substituted for |
| oats. Many people who opt to begin a diet without | | | | one that does not. "No gluten" recipes are |
| gluten as part of their treatment for celiac | | | | becoming increasingly popular as the number of |
| disease find it can be difficult to find packaged | | | | people diagnosed with celiac disease grows. |