FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK FACTSHEET
Dairy foods, wheat, gluten - do I have to avoid them?
People with severe symptoms
of any kind (health, behavour, learning) may have to avoid dairy foods and/or
wheat or gluten.
SIGNS OF PROBLEMS WITH
DAIRY FOODS
* pale face and/or dark
circles under eyes
* a history of lactose
intolerance as a baby
* frequent ear infections
as a baby or toddler, or grommets later on
* crave dairy foods,
unwilling to give them up
* love dairy foods, would
live on them if allowed
* or the opposite - don't
like milk
SIGNS OF PROBLEMS WITH
WHEAT OR GLUTEN
A relative with coeliac disease
or irritable bowel is a warning sign or problems with wheat or gluten. One
mother had been doing the diet with what she considered success for two years
but still received complaints from school. When her sister was diagnosed as a
coeliac, she removed gluten from her son's diet and he became a completely
different person.
SOME SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED
WITH GLUTEN INTOLERANCE
* low-key stomach aches and
ill-health
* unexplained low iron
levels
* female infertility
* patchy baldness
* a range of neurological
dysfunctions including behaviour and depression
* insulin-dependent
diabetes
If you have a family
history of some of these, you may want to consider coeliac disease. There is a
blood test which can indicate whether you are likely to have it.
Some people react only to
wheat, and can eat rye, oats and barley. Consider wheat or gluten intolerance
if your irritable bowel symptoms started suddenly after a gastrointestinal
infection such as rotavirus or giardia, or if someone in your family has to
avoid either of those.
www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info
The information given is not intended as
medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying illness. Before
beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food
intolerance. You can find a supportive dietitian through the Dietitians
Association of
© Sue Dengate update
2003
