Wheat intolerance

Doctors are divided over whether or not wheat elimination works. Some patients with eczema notice a difference to the severity of their eczema when eliminating wheat. Others report an improvement in their health when eliminating wheat, eg improvement in the symptoms of irritable bowl syndrome for example.

It is advisable when eliminating foods from your diet to seek specialist medical advice from your GP, or a dietitian.

Alongside dairy intolerance, wheat can also be problematic for a great many people. However, like dairy produce it can be difficult to eliminate totally. Wheat can be found hiding in all sorts of foods, eg in some fish fingers (in the breadcrumbs), sausages (rusk to bulk the sausage), pasta and in the more obvious foods such as cakes, biscuits and breads. However, there are a wide range of good alternatives available. It may even be possible to obtain some foods on prescription. Look out for some of the following: whole grain cereals, cornflakes, rice crispies, rice pasta, rice cakes, rice/buckwheat/potato flour, wheat free biscuits (try your local health food store).

Eliminating wheat means srcutinising food labels for wheat based ingredients.

Specialists believe that any food elimination diet should show positive results within about 6 weeks. If the condition of the individual is improving, it is usual to continue to eliminate the particular food for about a year.

Some doctors believe that wheat should be avoided for the first year of life if a baby is showing signs of eczema or if there is eczema in the family. However, there is little practical evidence to substantiate this claim.

Remember to speak to your GP before eliminating wheat to ensure you have all the information you need to maintain a healthy diet.

Information written by the talkhealth medical panel

Last Reviewed: 18 October 2010
Next Review Date: 18 October 2012