NEW YORK – People with celiac disease and others who avoid gluten should beware that foods that are supposed to be naturally gluten-free are often contaminated, warns a new study.
Gluten is a kind of protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. In people with celiac disease – a condition that affects up to about 1 percent of the U.S. population – gluten triggers an immune reaction that causes damage to the small intestine and keeps the body from absorbing nutrients.
Grains such as oats, millet, and rice don't have this protein. But in a new survey of grains, seeds, and flours that should be gluten-free, researchers found that some of these products had picked up traces of gluten – probably from being grown or processed near grains that do naturally contain gluten.
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