Finland. In Finland it should be possible to find gluten free options in all restaurants and coffee shops. Some allergy websites have called it "the headquarters for celiac disease".
Celiac disease affects children and adults alike. Celiac disease usually affects individuals of the non-Hispanic white race (1000 per 100,000 individuals), Hispanics (300 per 100,000 individuals) and non-Hispanic blacks (200 per 100,000 individuals). Women are more commonly affected by celiac disease than men.
For many years, Asians were considered less susceptible to gluten intolerance and coeliac disease. However, recent studies from multiple global institutes have concluded that gluten intolerance is on the rise among Asians, especially among the Chinese and Indian consumers.
The majority of American wheat grown is hard red wheat, which is high in protein and thus gluten. In Europe, the majority of wheat grown in Europe is soft wheat, which is lower in gluten. Julia Child famously lamented trying to make French-style bread with American flour.
Most people can handle the undigested gluten with no problems. But in some people, gluten can trigger a severe autoimmune response or other unpleasant symptoms. An autoimmune response to gluten is called celiac disease. Celiac can damage the small intestine.
Italians are very conscious of the connection between health and food, and have worked hard to adapt their regional cuisine to accommodate a gluten-free diet. So, despite gluten being a common component of many classic Italian dishes and desserts, Italy is an easy place to find great gluten-free food.
About 11 per cent of Australian adults follow a gluten-free diet. Less than 0.5 per cent does this for diagnosed coeliac disease.
Fortunately, most Indian food is naturally gluten-free, as major staples include rice, veggies, and meats and features beans and legumes like chickpeas and lentils. Indian food dishes vary from region to region.
The immune system may see the undigested gluten particles are a microbial invader and attack them. Our environment has become much cleaner over the past 50 years. This means, to some scientists, that our clean and sterile environment has made our antibodies not able to fend off so many bugs and infections.
The amount of pizza we're eating has gone up dramatically. The amount of fast food that we eat, of course, has increased dramatically," says Dr. Murray. There also may be a dose effect of gluten in those who are at a genetic risk.
Gluten-free on the East Coast of Australia
check for yourself, I was pleasantly surprised that celiac safe, gluten-free practices were in most cases the norm at places we ate. I didn't get sick once the entire time that I was in Australia and we ate out quite a few meals over three weeks.
Not really a fad
It's become part of the fabric of people's general understanding of food. Because we've heard people badmouth gluten for so long, we tend to believe it. A survey in 2013 found that 27% of people who chose gluten-free products did so because they thought it would help them lose weight.
How common is gluten intolerance? Research suggests that about 6% of the U.S. population is gluten intolerant. It's more common than celiac disease, which affects about 1% of the population.
Some Jewish movements do not eat any grains during passover (non gebrochts) and that food would be naturally gluten free. There are now several sources for oat matzo made from gluten-free oats. A matzo made from potato and tapioca starch is also available.
“Gluten is everywhere in the Chinese diet.
One of the safest bets is to stick to rice-based dishes. Fried rice, plain white rice, and even lo mein can usually be made gluten free upon request, and most Chinese restaurants will have gluten free soy sauce available.
SBS spoke to a French baker in September about baguettes who revealed the biggest difference between a French baguette and some Australian loaves is the absence of sugar, fat, or enhancers. He also explained that the Aussie variety of wheat is much more “glutenous”.
Wheat is the largest enterprise in the Australia grain industry, grown throughout southern and eastern regions in the crescent known as the Australian grain belt. Australia produces about 25 million tonnes of wheat per year, accounting for 3.5 per cent of annual global production.
In Europe, the majority of wheat grown is soft wheat, lower in proteins and thus lower in gluten content. Fact: American wheat is covered in glyphosate. Glyphosate is a herbicide (main ingredient in Roundup) used on American wheat to kill bacteria, dry out and prepare the wheat crop for harvest.
Note that many larger grocery chains in Germany carry gluten-free foods, marked with the words glutenfrei or the German Celiac Society (DZG) logo. The logo features the “crossed grain symbol,” an international symbol that means consumers can trust that the food is certified for celiacs.
If you're like me, it's probably going to have something to do with either pizza or pasta. Neither of which are particularly easy to find prepared safely for Celiacs, at least at home (for us) in the United States. However, in Italy, you can find Celiac-safe pizza, pasta, tiramisu, focaccia, and everything in between.