More people have gluten-free diet, eateries adapt

If freshman Rebecca Fulmer eats food that has even been grazed by a utensil that has touched… If freshman Rebecca Fulmer eats food that has even been grazed by a utensil that has touched food including gluten, she plummets into agony. And unless it is specially prepared, almost all food contains gluten.

At 16 years old, Fulmer was diagnosed with celiac disease, a disease of the intestine that prevents a person from being able to handle gluten. Because of celiac disease and other gluten-sensitivity issues, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of providing gluten-free food to people who are allergic.

Gluten is a name for the protein groups gliadin and prolamin and is predominantly found in the wheat seed. It gives elasticity and the doughy texture to breads, cereals and pastas and is also used as a filler in a huge number of processed foods and beverages.

Fulmer is the secretary of the Gluten Free Club at Pitt, a club formed in October 2011 by freshman Dhanalakshmi Thiyagarajan. Thiyagarajan said that the club is an emotional support group for people who have celiac disease and other gluten-sensitivity problems.

“I can still remember the taste of normal food,” said Thiyagarajan, who was diagnosed with a wheat allergy just a little over a year ago and has had difficulty coming to terms with the limits on her new diet.

Along with the 30 other members of the club, Thiyagarajan wants to expand food choices and bring awareness of the seriousness of gluten allergy to people on campus.

For example, Fulmer said in an email that when she eats gluten, “I get very sick in the stomach … I can be sick for a few hours or for a week. I also get severe joint pain when I eat gluten.”

Today, celiac disease and intolerance to gluten are on the rise, said Julia Greer, the director of the 2nd Digestion and Nutrition course at Pitt’s School of Medicine.

Greer said that doctors are not exactly sure why there is an increasing prevalence of gluten sensitivity, but some attributed it to a combination of genetics and the fact that so many more foods in the U.S. are being processed with different grains.

“It’s estimated that at least 3 million Americans have celiac disease, and many more are simply intolerant of gluten,” Greer said in an email. “About 15 years ago, the incidence of celiac was believed to be about 1 in 3,000; now we think the number is closer to 1 in 100.”

According to Greer, gluten-free diets have become a trend in the past few years. But gluten-free diets are not necessarily healthier than diets that include wheat.

“It is not healthier unless you have celiac disease,” Greer said. “In fact, the majority of the breads, pastas and cookies that are manufactured to be gluten-free contain less fiber and are higher in calories than their gluten-filled counterparts.”

Greer said a gluten-free diet can be healthy if one substitutes processed foods with fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, but a diet of rice pasta and gluten-free brownies is not the way to go.

With more people discovering gluten intolerance in America, many restaurant menus have changed in order to accommodate gluten-free diets.

Freshman Amy Howell, the vice president of the Gluten Free Club, said in an email that she has not had too much trouble finding gluten-free food in Pittsburgh. She finds gluten-free options at restaurants such as Chipotle, Panera Bread, Pamela’s and Noodles & Company.

Fulmer is a fan of Gluuteny, a bakery in Squirrel Hill that sells a variety of baked goods, from cakes to cheddar biscuits. Fulmer likes Gluuteny because the gluten- and dairy-free foods still taste good.

“Everything here emulates its — I hate to say “normal” — but normal counterpart,” said Char Ross, the store manager.

Ross, 24, is not gluten intolerant but has learned a lot about celiac disease and other issues of gluten sensitivity by working at Gluuteny.

Instead of using wheat flour as the main ingredient in baked goods, the bakers at Gluueteny use a gluten-free blend of rice tapioca flour. The bakery sells its own brand of flour and cake mixes for people who would like to bake gluten-free at home as well.

Ross said she enjoys accommodating people who have been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, many of whom are students.