Many people blame wheat, found in most of the grain-based products, for causing their abdominal pain, gas, bloating and diarrhea.

"But more likely, gluten is what's irritating your gut," says Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, author of the American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion.

Gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, is the common denominator in most of the grain-based products we eat, such as cereals, breads, and pasta.

Not all foods from the grain family, however, contain gluten. Examples of grains that do not have gluten include wild rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, teff, oats, soybeans, and sunflower seeds.

Simple gluten intolerance can be uncomfortable, but the symptoms are fleeting, Bonci says. The good news is that gluten intolerance is not a food allergy, and eating gluten does not usually cause damage - unless you have celiac disease.

If you have a gluten allergy, you don't need to worry about tiny amounts of gluten in your diet as long as you feel OK. On the other hand, if you have celiac disease, you must eliminate all gluten, even if you feel OK.

Source: By Elizabeth M. Ward, MS, RD
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

The following grains & starches are allowed:

The following grains contain gluten and are not allowed:

The following ingredients should not be consumed. They are derived from prohibited grains:

Additional components frequently overlooked that often contain gluten: