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Lifestyle and home remedies

By Mayo Clinic staff

Digestive Health

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If you've been diagnosed with celiac disease, you'll need to avoid all foods that contain gluten. Ask your doctor for a referral to a dietitian, who can help you plan a healthy gluten-free diet.

Here's an overview of foods that contain gluten and gluten-free foods that are safe to eat.

Always avoid
Avoid food and drinks containing:

  • Barley
  • Bulgur
  • Durum
  • Farina
  • Graham flour
  • Malt
  • Rye
  • Semolina
  • Spelt (a form of wheat)
  • Triticale
  • Wheat

Read labels
Packaged foods should be avoided unless they're labeled as gluten-free or have no gluten-containing ingredients. In addition to cereals, pastas and baked goods — such as breads, cakes, pies and cookies — other packaged foods that may contain gluten include:

  • Beer
  • Candies
  • Gravies
  • Imitation meats or seafood
  • Processed luncheon meats
  • Salad dressings and sauces, including soy sauce
  • Self-basting poultry
  • Soups

Certain grains, such as oats, can be contaminated with wheat during growing and processing. It's not clear whether oats are harmful for most people with celiac disease, but doctors generally recommend avoiding oats unless they are specifically labeled gluten-free. Occasionally, even pure oats can be a problem for people with celiac disease.

Allowed foods
Many basic foods are allowed in a gluten-free diet, including:

  • Fresh meats, fish and poultry that aren't breaded, batter-coated or marinated
  • Fruits
  • Most dairy products
  • Potatoes
  • Vegetables
  • Wine and distilled liquors, ciders and spirits

Grains and starches allowed in a gluten-free diet include:

  • Amaranth
  • Arrowroot
  • Buckwheat
  • Corn
  • Cornmeal
  • Gluten-free flours (rice, soy, corn, potato, bean)
  • Pure corn tortillas
  • Quinoa
  • Rice
  • Tapioca

Fortunately for bread and pasta lovers with celiac disease, an increasing number of gluten-free products are available. If you can't find any at your local bakery or grocery store, check online. There are gluten-free substitutes for many gluten-containing foods.

Treatments and drugs
References
  1. Ludvigsson JF, et al. The Oslo definitions for coeliac disease and related terms. Gut. 2013;62:43.
  2. AskMayoExpert. What are the most common manifestations of celiac disease today? Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
  3. Celiac disease. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/indigestion/index.aspx. Accessed March 20, 2013.
  4. Scanlon SA, et al. Update on celiac disease — etiology, differential diagnosis, drug targets, and management advances. Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology. 2011;4:297.
  5. Rashtak S, et al. Review article: Coeliac disease, new approaches to therapy. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2012;35:768.
  6. Rubio-Tapia A, et al. The prevalence of celiac disease in the United States. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2012;107:1538.
  7. Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&about=true&uniqId=229935664-2192. Accessed March 21, 2013.
  8. Rubio-Tapia, A, et al. Prevalence of small intestine bacterial overgrowth diagnosed by quantitative culture of intestinal aspirate in celiac disease. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 2009;43:157.
  9. Rubio-Tapia A, et al. Classification and management of refractory coeliac disease. Gut. 2010;59:547. Accessed March 29, 2013.
  10. Walker MM, et al. An update in the diagnosis of coeliac disease. Histopathology. 2011;59:166.
  11. Rubio-Tapia A, et al. Increased prevalence and mortality in undiagnosed celiac disease. Gastroenterology. 2009;137:88.
  12. Presutti, RJ. Celiac disease. American Family Physician. 2007;76:1795.
DS00319 May 22, 2013

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