Wheat Free Diets

Wheat, a notable source of fiber and protein, is a staple in the American diet. However, some individuals are not able to tolerate wheat due to an allergy or bowel issue, and must adopt a wheat free diet for optimum health. People should include several foods in this diet plan for nutritional balance and avoid specific ingredients and foods in addition to those that obviously contain wheat.

Foods to Include

• Individuals following a wheat free diet should stick to a healthy diet that provides them with adequate proteins, healthy fats and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Breads made of wheat free flours like potato, rice, or tapioca are ideal, as well as wheat free cereals like cream of rice and puffed corn varieties. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a part of the wheat free diet plan, as well with any healthy eating plan, to provide the body with sufficient amounts of iron, magnesium and vitamins C and A. It's best for those who need to avoid wheat to choose fresh, unprocessed foods that aren't contaminated with wheat or wheat products.

Foods to Exclude

• Wheat free diets exclude whole wheat breads and pastas. Flours like bulgur, semolina and durum are also ground versions of wheat this diet should exclude. Other foods to eliminate include crackers made from wheat flour, wheat bran, wheat germ and most baked goods like cookies and cakes. Hidden wheat-containing ingredients in foods will trigger symptoms like skin rashes, sneezing, shortness of breath or fatigue in people whose bodies can't tolerate wheat. These ingredients include vegetable starch, vegetable gum and hydrolyzed vegetable protein.

Wheat Allergy

• A person with a wheat allergy has an aversion to the protein in wheat; specifically, the immunoglobulin, or IgE, react to one or several of the proteins found in wheat, such as albumin, gliadin and glutenin or gluten. According to Wellness.com, wheat is one of the six main allergens (eggs, soy and milk are among them) that causes 90 percent of all food allergies. Symptoms of a wheat allergy vary among individuals, but reactions to this otherwise healthy ingredient can include rashes and skin hives, along with eczema, gastrointestinal discomfort and asthma.

Celiac Disease

• The effects of a wheat allergy can be severe, and many of these symptoms mimic those people with celiac disease, also called celiac sprue, experience. Celiac sufferers can't digest the proteins in wheat, but also have a negative physical reaction to any grain that contains gluten, which includes rye, barley and oats. The villi, which are small hair-like structures in the intestines, flatten in people with celiac disease, making it hard to digest nutrients, so those with the condition have to take special care to eat a balanced diet filled with unprocessed and all-natural foods. In addition to allergy-like symptoms, celiac disease can also cause severe weight gain or loss, vomiting and pain in the joints.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

• IBS is another reason people may want to avoid foods containing wheat, since eliminating wheat from the diet can relieve the bloating and constipation often associated with irritable bowel syndrome. IBS can also be a symptom of celiac disease, but not everyone with with irritable bowel syndrome suffers from celiac sprue.