Why gluten-free baked goods?

There are essentially three different clinical pictures in which gluten, gluten-containing food or food containing wheat must be avoided in the diet.

• Coeliac disease
• Wheat allergy
• Non-Coeliac-Disease/Non-Wheat-Allergy Wheat Sensitivity (Wheat Sensitivity)

Coeliac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease that is triggered by the consumption of gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including emmer, einkorn and kamut), spelt, barley and rye.

In affected people, regular consumption of products containing gluten causes inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and, as a result, a regression of the intestinal villi. The result is a reduced absorption of nutrients, which can lead to various complaints. Non-specific symptoms such as digestive problems, fatigue and weight loss occur. It is assumed that 1 – 2 % of the world’s population is affected, although it is thought that there is a high number of unrecognised cases of coeliac disease of 80 – 90 %.
Coeliac disease is not an allergy or intolerance to gluten or wheat, but an autoimmune reaction of the body. The symptoms and complaints can only be alleviated by a gluten-free diet.

This is a genuine allergy, in which the body’s immune system reacts to non-infectious foreign substances. The body responds with signs of inflammation and the formation of antibodies (antigen-antibody reaction). Wheat allergy is triggered by various wheat proteins (both albumins and globulins as well as gluten proteins), with even small amounts capable of causing a reaction.
Various organs can be affected and the reaction can vary in severity. The symptoms range from skin rashes and digestive problems to anaphylactic shock, which can be life-threatening. In Europe, around 0.1 % of the population is affected. For children under the age of 5, the proportion is around 0.3 %.

Affected people should avoid wheat and products containing wheat. In addition, wheat-like types of grain such as spelt, durum wheat, kamut and emmer can also cause a reaction. Furthermore, it must be noted that a low content of wheat in other cereals cannot be ruled out due to the processing methods. 

Caution is advised with gluten-free foods. These may be unsuitable for wheat allergy sufferers, too, e.g. if they contain wheat starch. The wheat starch may still contain small residues of wheat proteins. The list of ingredients and allergen labelling must be observed.

Sensitivity to wheat is not an autoimmune disease or allergy and is therefore also referred to as non-celiac disease/non-wheat allergy wheat sensitivity. This is an intolerance reaction to wheat components. Two triggers are suspected: The first are amylase trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) and the second are FODMAPs (fermentable oligo-, di- and monosaccharides and polyols). FODMAPs are carbohydrates and alcohols that are poorly absorbed by the small intestine in some people. Susceptible people may experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, flatulence or diarrhoea. This is also referred to as irritable bowel syndrome. It is assumed that  3 – 5 % of the world’s population is affected by this form of the disease.

Cereals containing FODMAPs are mainly wheat, rye and barley. A gluten-free diet can therefore help to alleviate symptoms. Spelt, oats, buckwheat and rice contain fewer FODMAPs (FODMAP Konzept Institut für Ernährungsmedizin, TU München).