Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month

by Cascade Ice on November 14, 2011

November has been named Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Although there is quite a list of celebrities who practice a gluten-free diet (Zooey Deschanel, Ryan Phillippe and Emmy Rossum just to name a few), there are still some who don’t exactly know what going gluten-free is all about.

Gluten refers to the proteins that are found in wheat, grains, barley and rye. When a person who is gluten intolerant consumes gluten products, their small intestine becomes inflamed leading to a myriad of health problems.

Celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, affects 1 in every 133 Americans. However, it can take a long time for a doctor to diagnose celiac disease because its symptoms are so broad and often times are similar to irritable bowel syndrome.

Maintaining a gluten-free diet for those with celiac disease is essential. If a person with celiac disease continues to consume gluten the chance of gastrointestinal cancer increases by a factor of 40 to 100 times that of the normal population.

Finding somewhere to eat can be difficult if you suffer from gluten intolerance, but the NFCA has provided a list of restaurants who have participated in their GREAT Kitchen program that can safely prepare gluten-free meal options. Of course you can always grab a Cascade Ice, because all our flavors are gluten-free!