If you’ve consumed gluten
It can happen to anyone
It happens that a person with celiac disease accidentally consumes gluten. For example, you might mistakenly eat regular pasta instead of gluten-free pasta. Or a mistake can happen at home, in a restaurant, or in a school kitchen. Small and large gluten traps are everywhere, and almost everyone with celiac disease experiences at some point that they have accidentally consumed gluten.
Don’t stress unnecessarily over a mistake
Don’t become acutely worried over a one-time mistake. Worry isn’t helpful and can itself cause an upset stomach. Above all, don’t pass your anxiety on to a child with celiac disease. Doctors and dietitians in the field agree that a single mistake isn’t the end of the world, even though it’s of course not good. If it happened, it happened—and if you don’t continue consuming gluten, the reaction in the intestine will subside fairly soon. Exactly how long it takes likely varies from person to person and depends on the amount of gluten, but that aspect is difficult to assess.
Gentle, stomach-friendly food can help relieve the discomfort
A lot of advice and home remedies circulate online and on social media about what to do if you accidentally consume gluten. But there is no evidence that, for example, cheese puffs or apples would help. There is also no explanation for why those tips would work. If you have consumed gluten, you simply need to wait it out—unfortunately, there is no miracle cure. However, you can treat the symptoms that occur (pain, diarrhea, etc.) in the same way you would treat a stomach bug. That means eating and drinking things that are gentle and easy on the stomach.
- Eat “gentle” foods such as rice, boiled fish, blueberry soup, and gluten-free white bread (white = not high in fiber).
- Avoid coffee, lactose, strong spices, and too much fiber.
- Take probiotics. In some cases, they may help.
- Supplement with oral rehydration solution.
Do you have anything else you’re wondering about? Feel free to ask your questions via this form.
/Margareta Elding-Pontén, Fria’s Celiac Specialist