If you know someone with Celiac Disease (also called Coeliac disease), or you have seen the “gluten-free” sign at the supermarket on food labels, then you might be curious to know what is gluten and what causes Celiac disease. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune condition which can affect people of all ages and is life long. When people with Celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, it creates a toxic reaction that causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed. Gluten (from Latin gluten "glue") is a protein substance that is found in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye. Symptoms of Celiac disease include diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss amongst others.

Celiac disease is believed to have been prevalent from the time humans started cultivating grains thousands of years ago. The first well known documentation of Celiac disease is from 1887 while the specific identification of gluten as the key active ingredient causing Celiac disease was done in 1952. There has been some recent research identifying specific genes responsible for Celiac disease. While Celiac disease has been around for millennia, the prevalence is believed to be on the rise. About 50 years ago, only 0.2 percent of the population had celiac disease. Today, it’s estimated that about one in 100 people have celiac disease. Scientists don’t know why celiac is on the rise. It may be due to changes in the way wheat is cultivated or the increased usage of gluten in medications and processed foods in the last few decades.

At this time the only effective treatment for Celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. The list of foods that a Celiac disease patient may get ill by includes but not limited to any food that contains flours or grains of wheat, rye, barley and oats, marinades, sauces, mayonnaise, pickles, pasta, couscous, breadcrumbs, pastry, soy sauce and mono-sodium glutamate (MSG), malt or malt flavoring, malt vinegar, processed meat or seafood, beer, grain based spirits. . There is a large list of foods not allowed and as a simple rule; processed and prepared foods are not allowed unless specifically marked as gluten free.

If you are diagnosed with Celiac disease, it’s important to share your dietary needs with friends and family. You might be surprised how with a little help from you and the great gluten-free foods available these days, a great gluten free dinner could be prepared!

That’s where we at Tasty Bite come in! Out of our 39 products, 36 are gluten-free, check out Tasty Bite gluten free products here, and yet have tremendous flavor and good nutritional values. We have products with lentils, vegetables, paneer cheese and a myriad herbs and spices that make superb accompaniments or main courses in a meal. Use our Madras Lentils as taco base, our Punjab Eggplant as a pasta sauce or our Bombay Potatoes in a salad. So, for all of you and your loved ones on a gluten-free diet, Spice It Up with Tasty Bite and don’t look back!