Should your child be gluten free if you are? It may seem unfair to be so restrictive on your child if there is no apparent need, but here is an argument for it.
There are many reasons to go on a gluten free diet, and that is the first place to start, then we will see if it is worth imposing the same on your children.
Why Go Gluten Free?
There are many reasons people go gluten free. The worst reason is because it is a fad. See The Gluten Free Fad on this website. Just because famous people are doing it, doesn’t mean to say you have to. On the other hand, the gluten free industry will thank you for it, so carry on.
If you are celiac however, it is a different story. In this case, you must go on a strict gluten free diet for life, no exceptions, no cheating, unless you want to risk ill health and a shortened life.
For those with a gluten allergy or gluten sensitivity, you are pretty much driven to a gluten free diet by your symptoms. If you don’t have anything too bothersome, you might quite happily cheat on occasion, often, or all the time.
Should Your Children Go Gluten-Free?
Now how about your children. Should they go gluten free too?
If you’re doing it because it is a fad, I would say, probably not. You will only make life difficult for them, and have them run into all sorts of awkward situations at school.
If you have celiac disease, then there is a higher chance they too will have celiac disease. Perhaps you should wait until they are older before introducing gluten-containing foods such as wheat, oats, barely and rye, and then consider getting them tested after about a year of gluten ingestion, or right away if they develop celiac disease symptoms.
If you have a gluten allergy, I suggest you also consider keeping them off of gluten. There is a chance that gluten will cause them to develop a leaky gut syndrome, causing all sorts of problems, including autism. See Gluten Free Diet, Autism and Leaky Gut Syndrome on this website.
What is your opinion. Do you think your child should be gluten-free because you are? Please leave a comment.
References
The content above is based on other articles on this website, and is my own personal opinion. See links to source articles for carefully researched facts and links to references.