Gluten- free Italy

Hi Folks!

Today, I’m coming to you with a growing problem that Italy has been facing for many years, namely celiac disease. Unfortunately, as the latest figures show, Italy is still in the first place in the world in terms of the number of sick people, and there are 600,000 of them, of whom only 135,000 have been diagnosed. As the trend is on the rise, let’s take a look at the factors that influence this situation and how the Italian market is tackling the prevalence of gluten ;).

To begin with, for those unfamiliar with the subject, let us remind you what celiac disease is and how it manifests itself. Celiac disease is a chronic intestinal disease caused by intolerance to gluten. Typical symptoms can be found in preschool children – they can suffer from diarrhoea, abdomen pain, enlarged belly, but also weak muscles and weight loss. In adulthood, gluten intolerance manifests itself with digestive problems, feeling of being full and general loss of appetite. Interestingly, in the case of women, celiac disease may appear with pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. Factors that favour the development of the disease include: a family member with celiac disease, down syndrome, type 1 diabetes or immune disorder. The only treatment is a life-long gluten free diet which is based around the complete avoidance of foods which contain even the smallest amount of cereals (barley, wheat, rye, etc.).

And so we’re coming to the heart of the matter ;P. In the country of Italy, absolute exclusion of gluten is very difficult because the entire cuisine is based on flour products, like pizza, pasta and bread. However, the problem is very wide, as I saw for myself during my stay in northern Italy. At a birthday party in an Italian house, 4 out 6 children had a celiac disease :0. Fortunately, the market in Italy has developed a lot and is increasingly coming forward for people with a gluten- free diet. Now, there are over 1200 restaurants and pizzerie serving gluten free dishes (using for example hemp flour) around the country and it is quite common to find specialised shops selling gluten free food even in small towns. Remember that also most pharmacies sell a varied range of gluten free products like corn or rice flour pasta and bread. In an Italian ice-cream parlour or any other eating place, don’t forget the expression “cibo senza glutine” (gluten- free food), so you can enjoy Italian cuisine without worrying about your health J.

See you next time! :D