Common Food Allergies: Peanuts, Wheat, and Milk

Dania Sonin May 16, 2017 Allergy, Dairy Products, gluten, Health, Nuts

Wheat

There are three distinct reactions to wheat and it’s important to know the difference, even if the solution to each is to avoid wheat. A wheat allergy is an anaphylactic response to wheat itself, which can be anything from a rash, hives, and swelling, to respiratory issues. A sensitivity to wheat or gluten usually has less severe symptoms which are generally gastrointestinal, much like lactose intolerance. Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to a protein found in wheat and other grains called gluten. People who suffer from celiac disease have systemic reactions that can result in chronic fatigue, pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and even intestinal damage and weight loss.

How to avoid it:

Each of these conditions requires avoiding wheat, which can not only be found in food, but in cosmetics, art supplies like modelling clay and glue, and even medications. Thanks to the popularity of gluten-free diets, there are tons of gluten-free and wheat-free products and substitutes on the market. However, if you are a person who likes to take supplements or you use cosmetics, be extra vigilant. It’s also important to remember that there are plenty of varieties of wheat that might sound like exotic grains, like spelt, kamut, semolina, durum, and bulgur. Couscous, which seems like a grain, is actually a wheat pasta product.

It’s also important to know whether you suffer from Celiac Disease or an allergy, since a gluten-free product must be wheat-free, but a wheat-free product may contain gluten.

See our gluten/wheat-free recipes >>

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Author

Dania Sonin

Dania is a web designer and writer, though she loves anything creative and that includes cooking. Add to that a passion for food, and SOSCuisine was a perfect fit!