Gluten is a protein that’s found in some grains and can cause a serious problem for people with Celiac Disease, or Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity. It can also pose a problem for people with Gluten Ataxia, or wheat allergies. And that’s why some people have to go on a Gluten-Free Diet.

This eating plan excludes all foods that contain gluten. Since gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale, that means these grains are left out of the diet plan. Of course, gluten can also be found in other processed foods, so people sensitive to gluten must carefully read packages to insure the product is free of gluten.

Since November is Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month, it’s important for all everyone to consider the needs of people on gluten-free diets and help spread the word about gluten-free diets.

The History Of Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month

Although we’re unsure of exactly when Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month was created, we do know that it was created by The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. They created this month to raise awareness about gluten intolerance and to increase the support provided to people suffering from Celiac Disease or Non_Celiac Gluten Sensitivity.

Important Facts About Gluten & Celiac Disease

Anyone familiar with the work we do here probably knows that we’re not going to miss an opportunity to go into depth into the subject of holiday observance. Since Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month is concerned with gluten, we thought that we’d take a few moments to list some of the facts that we learned about gluten below.

• Not everyone with gluten sensitivity will develop Celiac Disease.
• Celiac Disease is diagnosed through bowel and blood tests.
• There is no good test currently to determine whether an individual has Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity.
• Approximately 5-6% of the American population has some degree of gluten sensitivity.
• Symptoms of Celiac Disease include diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, bloating, vomiting, anemia, mouth ulcers, joint pain, belly discomfort, and constipation.
• Symptoms of gluten sensitivity include headache, numbness in limbs, joint pain, and a cloudy mind.
• Wheat allergy symptoms include trouble breathing, congestion, itching, swelling around the throat or mouth, and swelling of the skin.

Observing Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month

During this month, people are encouraged to spread the news about this month. This can easily be done by hosting gluten-free events, or it can be done by using the hashtag #GlutenFreeDietAwarenessMonth.

People can also share their gluten-free recipes using that hashtag. Other things that people can do is support friends or family members who have Celiac Disease, and donate money to organizations that support those with this disease.