Going against the grain
If you're a coeliac or have a gluten intolerance, then you have to avoid cereals like wheat and barley. But what happens if you're a beer lover? Daniel Cooper reports.
For many of us beer is only beer if it is made from four ingredients, the finest malt barley, choicest hops, pure spring water and specially selected yeast. However, for beer-loving suffers of coeliac disease it is the use of barley malt that makes the consumption of beer problematic.
Many of us have heard of coeliac disease or at least recognise gluten intolerance but what actually is it and how does it affect the people that suffer from it? More importantly, what has the brewing industry done to help sufferers of the disease enjoy their favourite tipple?
Coeliac disease is not a food allergy but rather an autoimmune disease where the body’s own immune system produces antibodies which then attack its own tissue. The symptoms of the disease can range from mild to severe and include things such as bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, tiredness, anaemia, abdominal discomfort and mouth ulcers. More serious long term health effects can manifest themselves if the disease remains undiagnosed and therefore untreated until later life as coeliacs are more at risk of osteoporosis and gut cancer.
The component of the diet that is responsible for coeliac disease is gliadin, a gluten protein, found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. The body’s immune system reacts to the gluten protein producing antibodies which attack the small fingerlike projections known as villi that line the small intestine and play a vital role in digestion. When damaged the villi are unable to absorb food properly leading .....
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By Daniel Cooper
Section : Beer Production
Page number : 69
