Wheat Allergy and Intolerance
Many people could be avoiding certain foods unnecessarily and without proper advice:
• Research shows that up to 20 per cent of adults think they
suffer from a food allergy or food intolerance
• However evidence suggests that the real prevalence of food
allergy and intolerance in adults is less than 2%
• Over 98% of the UK population can therefore choose from a
wide range of foodstuffs to make up a healthy balanced diet without
worrying about allergies or intolerances .
The Wheat Hypersensitivity Report, authored by Dr Heather Mackenzie and Dr Carina Venter of the University of Portsmouth reveals that over half of the British population believes that wheat allergy is a common illness and also believe that in 2009, wheat was the most commonly self reported food allergen for both men and women.
However, this new report commissioned by the Flour Advisory Bureau
highlights that:
• Confirmed wheat allergy is less common than other food
allergies such as peanuts and other nuts, eggs and milk.
There is a clear discrepancy between the number of people who report that they have food allergy or intolerance and the numbers whose food allergy/intolerance can be confirmed by a medical diagnosis: self-diagnosis and other diagnostic tests (not conducted by qualified medical professionals) are not reliable.
Food allergy is usually investigated via a skin prick test by a
medical professional with access to the patient’s clinical history,
sometimes in conjunction with a period of eliminating the suspect
food.
Parents who believe their child has a food allergy may feel anxious
about their health and go to great lengths to ensure their child
avoids certain foods. Children are more prone to nutritional
problems when foods are excluded from the diet so it’s even more
critical that they receive a correct diagnosis.
At present there are no validated tests for diagnosing food
intolerance and the diagnosis is through the avoidance of the food
for a period of four - six weeks. If the symptoms improve, it is
recommended the food should either be introduced at home or during
a food challenge, over a period of at least four days.
The report highlights and explains the difference between wheat allergy, wheat intolerance and coeliac disease, which are frequently confused:
• Wheat allergy is a reaction to wheat involving an antibody
called Immunoglobulin E (IgE). Typically symptoms occur within two
hours of eating wheat and range from mild to severe, including
hives, itching, gastrointestinal symptoms and wheezing.
• Wheat intolerance does not involve the immune system but
symptoms are often similar to those of allergy although they are
usually less severe and tend to occur after a longer period of time
and after ingestion of a larger amount of food.
• Coeliac disease is immune-mediated but different antibodies
are involved than in wheat allergy and there is a wide variation in
symptoms experienced, which can include weight loss, diarrhoea,
stomach cramps and iron deficiency.
If you have symptoms which you think may be caused by a food allergy or intolerance, you should seek help from a qualified medical professional. Any food, including wheat, should not be excluded without appropriate advice on how to maintain a healthy diet.
The Wheat Hypersensitivity Report also highlights that wheat is
present in a wide variety of foods such as pasta, ready meals,
bread and biscuits so avoiding it can be difficult and negatively
affect your daily routine. Avoiding any one food such as wheat may
have an adverse impact on your nutritional intake, and quality of
life, so don’t make life complicated for yourself without getting
proper medical advice.
If you exclude bread from your healthy, balanced diet, you’ll won’t be able to enjoy a great tasting food which is naturally low sugar, low in salt, is calcium enriched and is a good source of protein and fibre.
White bread is fortified with vitamins and minerals to give your
family a great taste and a healthy choice. Four medium slices of
white bread (140g) provides:
• 248mg calcium, which is 31% of the EU Recommended Daily
Amount (RDA) of 800mg
• 15% of the RDA of iron for a woman
• 0.35mg of thiamin which is 43% of RDA for a woman (19-50
years old)
