Best Medicine

Best Medicine

If celiac disease is suspected, a number of diagnostic procedures may be performed to confirm it, including blood tests, stool examinations, X-rays, or even a tissue biopsy of the lining of the small intestine itself.

If the condition is found, you can say farewell not just to your morning toast, but to a veritable cornucopia of other gluten-containing foods as well. "A celiac sufferer really needs to become a gluten sleuth." "Gluten in one form or another is present in so many different foods now that only by being very careful to read lables and sometimes even checking with food manufactures can only be totally certain of avoiding trouble."

The most obvious gluten villains are foods such as breads, cereals, and baked goods that are made from wheat directly, but foods made from other gluten-bearing grains (barley, rye, and oats) also must be avoided. After these most obvious offenders, however, things can get a bit tricky because gluten "quite literally can hide in everything from soup to nuts." It can be in cheese, ice cream, luncheon meats, canned soups, condiments, salad dressings, some instant coffees, and even grain-based liquors and beer. Even some wines, if they've been fortified with grain alcohol, need to be nixed.