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How to Test for Wheat Allergy?
(May 13, 2010)
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Wheat is a staple, and an important part of meals. You can find wheat in breads, pastas, cakes and other baked goodies, and also part of several processed foods. Many people are sensitive to wheat and are said to have wheat allergy. The trigger for wheat allergy can be gliadins, which are gluten proteins. Wheat also has other kinds of protein known as lectin, which according to researchers, can cause wheat allergy. Wheat germ is a lectin which is connected to allergic response. Wheat can also be contaminated with pesticides and herbicides, and these can also cause wheat allergies in people, especially those who are sensitive.
Determining presence of wheat allergies: If you even have an iota of doubt that you have wheat allergy, then what you can do is take a notepad and jot down the names of foods that you consume in a week. Write down everything and then after a week, review the list and try to think which foods caused the allergic reactions. You must also remember that wheat is part of several packaged foods. Review your list to find out the food products that have wheat.
Identifying products with wheat: Food products like wheat starch, wheat germ, wheat bran, semolina, graham, pastry flour, cake flour, gluten, modified food starch, bran, tabouli, couscous, durum, and triticale are all associated with wheat. Baked products, desserts and most noodles and macaroni are wheat-based. You must also speak with a nutritionist to find out about food products that are not obvious sources of wheat.
Testing for wheat allergy:
If you review your diet and find that you have been consuming quite a few wheat-based products, and feel that the allergy might be from wheat, then you must approach a doctor and a nutritionist and discuss your problem. You might be asked to do a skin prick test to identify the allergen. If the results show that wheat is causing allergies in you, then the next step will be to eliminate those foods from your diet. This is generally done for two weeks.
A nutritionist will be able to help you eliminate wheat from your diet and then help you bring it back gradually. A nutritionist will also be able to create a balanced diet for you. For two weeks you will be off wheat products, and after that, you will be gradually introduced to wheat products to check if you are still sensitive to it or not. The challenge is done with pure whole wheat products like cream of whole wheat or whole wheat noodles.
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Submitted by M T on May 13, 2010 at 08:17
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