Gluten is a protein found in 3 grains:
1. Wheat
2. Barley
3. Rye

Maintaining a gluten-free diet, so far, is the only way to treat gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Be careful!Non-contaminated, pure oats are gluten-free. They are safe for most people with gluten-intolerance. The main problem with oats in gluten-free eating is contamination. Most commercial oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, and rye.

There are more than 300 known symptoms of celiac disease, a serious genetic autoimmune, as well as gluten intolerance. You may even have none of the symptoms and still be affected by it.

People are affected in many ways by this intolerance or illness. The most common symptoms appear in the digestive system, causing diarrhea and abdominal pain. But symptoms can also appear on other parts of the body. In children, for example, irritation is one of the most common symptoms.

Other symptoms include:

- increased gases;

- Frequent flatulence and abdominal cramps;

- Persistent diarrhea or constipation

- Weight loss;

- Unexplained fatigue

- Unexplained anemia (low red blood cell count, which causes fatigue);

- Bone pain or articulation;

- Osteoporosis, osteopenia;

- Changes in behavior;

- Numbness or tingling in the legs and hands (from nerve damage);

- Muscle cramps;

- Convulsions (severe tremors);

- Lack of menstruation (due to weight loss);

- Infertility (lack of fertility); repeated abortions;

- Increasing delay;

- Lack of infant development;

- Pale mouth sores;

- Discoloration or loss of enamel;

- Skin rashes (known as dermatitis herpetiformis)

-impotence.

To diagnose celiac disease, doctors usually require blood tests to measure antibody levels as follows:
- Immunoglobulin A (IgA)
- anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTGA)
- IgA anti-endomisium antibody (AEA)

It is very important to keep in mind to follow a normal diet with gluten-containing foods such as; bread, pasta..etc. If this gluten-containing diet is interrupted before testing is done, the results may be negative for the disease when it is actually present.
If tests and symptoms suggest the presence of the disease, the doctor may suggest an endoscopic biopsy of your small intestine. An endoscopy is a procedure that allows your physician to see what is going on inside your GI tract. A scope is inserted through the mouth and down the esophagus, stomach and small intestine, giving the physician a clear view and the option of taking a sample of the tissue.

Currently, the only treatment for celiac disease is a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet. Eating gluten, even in very small amounts, can damage the intestine.

When a patient is diagnosed with the disease, the doctor should, as a rule, direct the patient to a certified dietitian to inform them of the appropriate and needed products, certainly without gluten content.

All fruits
All vegetables
Meats
Fish
Dairy products
Amaranth, Arrowroot, Cassava, Tapioca (truffle species that are rare in Albania)
Buckwheat (nettle of a plant)
Corn
Legumes (mullet, beans, peas)
Flax seeds seeds

Wheat * Including, wheat starch, wheat bran, wheat germ, cracked wheat, hydrolyzed wheat proteinA
Barley
Rye
Triticale (mixture between rye and barley)
Other wheat products
starch
White wheat
Processed foods containing wheat, rye, barley
Concentrates used for cooking mostly soups
Rice coffee
All kinds of cheaps (unless specified on the label "gluten free")
Sweets (unless specified on the label "gluten free")
Sausages, sausages (unless specified on the label "gluten free").
Gravy sauce
Imitation fish
Cereal cookies (unless specified on the label "gluten free")
Mixed rice
Turkey (unless specified on the label "gluten free")
Soups (unless specified on the label "gluten free")
Soy sauce (unless specified on the label "gluten free")
Flavored vegetables (unless specified on the label "gluten free")

According to Beyond Celiac Foundation, if you accidentally ingest gluten, it is recommended that you::

Drink as much water as possible
Drink as much boiling water with ginger or bone broth;
Drink as much coconut water as possible;
Rest and sleep as much as possible;
Eat foods that are easily digestible, preferably liquid foods. Then, gradually, start eating foods like bananas, rice, boiled eggs or mashed potatoes;
Avoid carbohydrates or dairy products as much as possible;
Try to do physical exercise every day gradually.

You can find a wide range of gluten free products in several different markets and supermarkets such as Conad Albania, SPAR Albania, Rosman & Lala, Baroness BioJu Supermarket Big Market. Many of these gluten-free products are certified products. If you know of other stores that offer gluten free products, welcome your suggestions.

It is very important not to confuse food intolerance with allergies, which are very different from one another

Food intolerance, otherwise known as food hypersensitivity, does NOT cause an immune system reaction. It occurs due to an enzyme defficiency, which is responsible for processing a food ingredient and therefore our body is unable to digest or assimilate certain nutrients.

Unlike allergies, food intolerance does not cause an immediate reaction. Different symptoms of food intolerance can occur several hours after eating a meal or even after a few days. These symptoms usually include :

• difficulty in digestion
• headaches / migraine
• vomiting
• lack of concentration etc.

Unlike an intolerance to food, a food allergy can cause a serious or even life-threatening reaction by eating a microscopic amount or inhaling the food.

In Albania, there are several clinics that provide food intolerance tests.

Only with a single test, with a simple blood sampling, can you obtain information on intolerance to more than 100 foods. Foods are divided into categories such as:

• Gluten-containing cereals
• gluten free cereals and;
• groups of foods such as meat, milk and eggs, fruits, herbs and spices, nuts and seeds, vegetables, legumes, salads, mushrooms, fish and seafood and;
• Other foods such as yeast, honey, coffee and black tea