Gluten, a cereal protein that is the main culprit of celiac disease, is found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. It is also used as an additive in many prepared foods and in medications. Affected individuals are to maintain a lifelong gluten free diet in order to manage its symptoms, and avoid severe nutritional deficits brought by it.
Since gluten is found in most if not all the foods we love such as pasta, bread, syrups, beer, cakes, cookies and pastries, a change in this type of diet is never easy. Eliminating gluten in the diet would mean avoiding foods that may contain it. This is a burden for most celiac patients and to parents with children who have the condition. However, with the help of modern science and growing public awareness about the disease, substitutes for wheat, rye, barley, oats and other gluten-containing ingredients are already available. Food manufacturers offer gluten-free products that give ease to celiac patients from the feeling of being indifferent, abnormal or a nuisance to one’s family. However, the biggest challenge perhaps in this type of diet is to still enjoy the types of food one wants to eat. This is particularly true to adults who love to drink beer.
Beers are obtained by the yeast fermentation of malted cereal grains (usually barley and corn or rice), to which hops and water have been added. Barley is a variety of grains that contains gluten, a protein that people with celiac disease is intolerant. Because there are beer-loving celiac patients, brewers saw the demand and finally formulated gluten free beer. These beers are made up of gluten substitutes such as: buckwheat and sorghum; rice, maize, corn, and sunflower; amaranth, flax, millet, quinoa, wild rice, soybean and rape. Sorghum and buckwheat are the most common ones used in gluten free beers.
Aside from these gluten free beers, researchers are also trying to formulate more of these gluten free products, so that gluten free diet is still something one can enjoy, only without taking the risks.