Gluten Free Beer....Life is Good
I had no idea that there were gluten free beers on the market! You can almost hear the Celiacs and those with gluten sensitivities rejoicing! I am one of those people.
I do not think i have Celiac Disease, but I do know that I have a gluten (casein, too, but that's a different story) sensitivity. I'm not a fan of MDs, so this is not something I'll be tested for any time soon...if ever. ;)  I have done some elimination experiments and I am pretty sure I know where my problems lie. So, as part of the new year I am working on removing these things for good from my life.
Some of you may not be familiar with the term Celiac disease. There's a great article I came across at Celiac.com that explains it really well. Here's a little snippet:
"Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a genetic disorder that affects 1 in 1331 Americans. Symptoms of celiac disease can range from the classic features, such as diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition, to latent symptoms such as isolated nutrient deficiencies but no gastrointestinal symptoms. The disease mostly affects people of European (especially Northern European) descent, but recent studies show that it also affects Hispanic, Black and Asian populations as well1. Those affected suffer damage to the villi (shortening and villous flattening) in the lamina propria and crypt regions of their intestines when they eat specific food-grain antigens (toxic amino acid sequences) that are found in wheat, rye, and barley3. Oats have traditionally been considered to be toxic to celiacs, but recent scientific studies have shown otherwise. This research is ongoing, however, and it may be too early to draw solid conclusions."
The entire article can be read here.
Apparently there are quite a few gluten free beers out there. There are also gluten free alternatives for those of you that brew your own. I don't brew anything so I haven't looked into this as much as the various brands of gf beer. I just happened to see a few references to brewing recipes that are gluten free.
A few brands that I have seen so far:
* Redbridge by Anheuser Busch
* Bard's Tale Golden Dragon
* New Grist
I would love to know if any of you have tried any yet. I can't wait to sample a few myself!
