Why is gluten-free a consideration for some people?
Celiac disease is a genetic disorder. If you have it, foods with gluten (a specific type of protein) will set off an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine. This damage causes malnutrition and other complications, since the small intestine loses its ability to absorb nutrients from food. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and to a smaller degree, oats. Triticale, spelt, and kamut also contain proteins that cause this reaction.
Celiac disease is currently incurable, so the only only known treatment at this time is to strictly follow a gluten-free lifestyle. You can find out more about this disease using the links at the end of this article.
So why doesn’t this site offer a gluten-free search?
There are varying degrees of gluten intolerance; it affects different people in different ways. For example, some products that are advertised as “gluten-free” do contain some of the other ingredients known to cause issues, such as spelt flour.
Self-management is a critical component of someone with celiac disease. As we mentioned, store-bought products advertised as gluten-free may still cause issues, and there’s also no way for us to know for sure if a more complex lunch item contains any of the trigger ingredients. So as not to mislead someone with this disease, we decided not to offer a gluten-free search to reduce the risk that someone would consume something to make them sick.
