GLUTEN ALLERGY

Wheat, by far, is the most popular grain in Western countries like the United States, where people put a premium on light, springy baked goods and pasta.  However, gluten - the elastic protein in wheat that makes baked goods springy and light - is a prime cause of wheat allergy.  Some people are sensitive not only to wheat but to grains low in gluten.  Symptoms commonly caused by wheat or gluten allergy are:

• eczema
• abdominal problems like indigestion
• cramps
• colitis
• bloating
• gas
• diarrhea
• respiratory problems like asthma and hay fever

Wheat and gluten sensitivity is now being recognized as a possible cause of headaches, depression and even symptoms resembling neurosis and schizophrenia.  (Celiac disease, a food-related illness that responds to the elimination of grain from the diet, is not an allergy).

This information is taken from The Allergy Self-Help Book by Sharon Faelten and the Editors of Prevention Magazine. (This book is presently out of print, however you may be able to locate it via your local library or in a store that sells used books)