Wheat Intolerance: How to live with it, how to deal with it?

What is Wheat Intolerance? Isn’t It The Same as Gluten Intolerance?

Since wheat is the most common gluten grain, many people actually assume that wheat and gluten intolerance are the same; however, it’s not. Gluten intolerance refers to a spectrum of gluten issues like celiac disease, non-celiac gluten allergy and wheat intolerance or allergy among others. It’s an autoimmune disorder, affecting the digestive system of the small intestine.

Wheat has various components including fat, starches and proteins. Gluten being a class of protein is just one of the many possible allergens present in wheat. Other proteins like gliadin, globulin and albumin are also present and anyone could be allergic to any of these proteins. Therefore, gluten isn’t always the culprit behind wheat intolerance. That’s why in many cases, people with wheat intolerance may still enjoy eating foods with gluten, as long as they aren’t made with nor has wheat in them.

Symptoms of Wheat Intolerance

Like any other type of allergy, wheat intolerance also has a wide array of symptoms that include:

•  Hives, eczema and other skin rashes
• Allergic conjunctivitis (red, itchy, watery and swollen eyes)
• Nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting
• Allergic rhinitis
• Difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing or runny nose
• Angioedema or swelling of face, tongue or lips
• Anaphylaxis or severe, systemic allergic reaction.

How Is Wheat intolerance Diagnosed?

Wheat intolerance or allergy isn’t easily diagnosed without subjecting the patient to both wheat and gluten allergy tests. Since gluten is a combination of two proteins – gliadin and glutenin – that are found in wheat, rye, barley and oats, the tests will have to be far-reaching to eliminate all other proteins as possible allergens.

•  Elimination Diet – Make a list of every food and drink, you take every day, every two- three days, once a week and less often. Identify those containing wheat and, starting with the wheat foods you eat/drink every day, avoid them totally for five whole days, see if the symptoms lessen or disappear and challenge with it for breakfast entirely on its own on the morning of day six. See if the symptoms come back.
• Food Challenge – starting with small doses, you will be given capsules containing wheat protein for you to eat. The dosage is gradually increased over a few hours or days while your doctor monitors any manifestation of signs and symptoms of wheat allergy
• Blood Test – if you are unable to do a skin prick due to a certain skin condition, your doctor may order you to have a blood test as an alternative. The blood test is used to screen for particular allergy-causing antibodies, including common allergens and wheat proteins.
• Muscle Test – one of the best and natural ways to identifying any form of wheat intolerance or allergy is by “muscle testing” the substance on the body. The muscles will react and become weak when the body is put in contact with any substance that causes stress. This is usually done by a Kinesiologist who can identify the various aspects and components of wheat intolerance (relevant organs, related symptoms, psychological components).

 Living with Wheat Intolerance

While conventional medicine is readily available for grab, seeking alternative medicine is always healthier and more sustainable. If your wheat intolerance is caused by an allergy with globulin or albumin protein, you can still enjoy eating foods with ingredients made from rye, barley, oats and other grains. However, if your wheat intolerance is caused by gluten, then naturally, you cannot eat anything that has gluten in it.

Whether you suffer from gluten or wheat intolerance, you can still maintain a healthy eating plan and enjoy foods like:

• Raw and cooked vegetables
• Fruits
• Beans and legumes, unprocessed nuts – even seasoned ones are good to eat
• Fresh and cooked eggs
• Fish and poultry meat, whether marinated or batter-coated
• Foods with gluten-free flours from potato, bean, soy, corn and rice
• Other roots, seeds and grains like arrowroot, amaranth, buckwheat, flax, corn, millet, quinoa, rice, soy, sorghum, teff and tapioca.

If you are craving for pasta, the regular ones can be replaced with quinoa or rice pasta.

When dealing with wheat intolerance, it is important to be aware of hidden places where wheat could be present. While you know the fact that you should avoid bread and only eat wheat-free food varieties, there may be some that will slip your mind, especially when grocery shopping. Foods like waffles, pancakes, crackers, pretzels any other products that have monosodium glutamate (MSG) in it should be avoided. The MSG that you are using for flavouring is made from wheat gluten, so this should be scrapped out of your kitchen.

What is more surprising though and equally alarming is that wheat is also present in food mixes and beverages, which we least expect. If you have wheat intolerance, you should also avoid using and ingesting the following:

• Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and gravy mixes,
• Root beer, regardless of brand,
• Licorice candies, and
• Instant chocolate drinks.

But aside from food, mixes and beverages, you should also avoid having contact with the following objects:

• Play-doh, which is wheat-contaminated. While the actual contact with this toy may not be harmful, putting the hand in the mouth without washing can cause the allergy to flare, if you or your child has wheat intolerance.
• Plastic utensils, strainers, and bowls that have been used in preparing wheat-containing foods. Plastic retains wheat protein, which can contaminate the food for a family member with wheat intolerance.
• Stoneware, like plastic, also retains wheat proteins, so don’t use wheat-contaminated ones to prepare food for those with wheat intolerance.

Taking Precautions and Checking the Labels

When grocery shopping, it is always important to check the back label of the products you are purchasing to make sure that they don’t have wheat in them. Although a product is unlikely to have wheat in it, don’t assume it doesn’t have any. Checking before buying saves you money and a lot of trouble. Here’s a list of items that need to be checked for wheat ingredient:

• Vitamins
• Yogurt
• Spices and seasonings
• Baking powder
• Gum base
• Ice cream
• Beef and chicken broth
• Tortillas
• Corn starch
• French fries
• Curry powder
• Candies.

Dealing with Wheat Intolerance

• The Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Techniques or NAET are a type of alternative medicine use to diagnose and treat allergies, including wheat intolerance. These techniques were developed by Devi Nambudripad, an acupuncturist and chiropractor in California. NAET has been practiced since 1983 using the combination of knowledge and techniques of chiropractic, acupuncture, acupressure, nutritional management and kinesiology. Reviews prove that allergy treatments using NAET are safe and effective. Alternative treatments are more sustainable because they are affordable, natural, and can be done at home.
• Kinesiology will also help assess naturally potential wheat intolerance and allergy and clear them by using gentle techniques enabling the body to recover a normal and balance reaction when put in contact with wheat.