Celiac Awareness Month Highlights Need for Gluten-Free Restaurant Options

Celiac disease or gluten intolerance affects one in 133 Americans, but 97 percent of those with the disease don’t know they have it, reports say.

Many more people don’t even know what the disease is or why gluten could be a bad thing for them, said dietitian Mitzi Dulan.

“[Celiac disease] is an auto-immune disorder where the villi in the small intestine are damaged, so wheat, rye and barley are problematic for those individuals,” she said.

Villi, which are along the lining of the intestines, are needed to help absorb nutrients. “When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products that contain gluten, their immune system reacts by damaging these villi,” according to the PubMed Health website, which is under the National Institutes for Health.

“Many people are undiagnosed and sometimes it takes years to get a diagnosis,” Dulan said. “Pay attention to what you eat and your reactions to certain foods.”

Some symptoms of gluten intolerance include feeling bloated or gassy, having unexplained weight loss, experiencing constipation or diarrhea and, over time, symptoms such as depression and fatigue can occur because the body is not absorbing the nutrients it needs, according to PubMed Health.

It was the lack of iron in Severna Park resident John Benkert’s blood that led him to be diagnosed with celiac disease in 2004.

“I’m a runner. And for years I knew I had low iron. My family doctor said it was common with runners,” he said. “One time I went in and my iron levels were very low and they thought my intestinal track was bleeding … Finally, a gastroenterologist saw something in my small intestine.”

Benkert said in 2004 there were very few restaurants in Anne Arundel county that offered gluten-free menu choices and even if foods didn’t contain gluten, they weren’t labeled that way.

“It was fairly hard [to change diet choices],” he said. “I ate healthy before … but then I found out that Snickers candy bars are gluten-free, so I was eating them like they were healthy.”

And with “gluten-free” being a relatively new buzz word, Dulan reminds those with gluten intolerance to remember that just because food is free of gluten doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

“What we’re finding is that in a segment of the population, people are trying it out and seeing how they feel,” she said. “Some people just find that wheat, rye and barley give them a little bit more bloating and gas. They just don’t feel as good. “

She said many of the people who don’t have gluten intolerance but want to try a gluten-free diet means they feel “cleaner.”

“Eating clean means trying to avoid artificial ingredients and eating foods that are close to nature,” she said. “Gluten free doesn’t mean taste free. It’s easy to eat well and live well if you know where to look.”

Benkert said when he’s not eating at home, two of his favorite nearby restaurants to visit are Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill.

“They have gluten-free menus and they’re trustworthy,” he said, adding that cross contamination is a big issue when eating out. “A lot of times the cooks know about gluten-free [diet restrictions], but the servers don’t … So, for example, they’ll just pull the croutons off of a salad instead of making a fresh one.”

Bonefish Grill server Harrison Bruns said he usually gets about three or four requests for the gluten-free menu during the five to six days he works.

“It’s easier than before [for customers],” he said. “It used to say ‘GF’ on the menu. Now, it has its own separate menu.”

Bonefish started offering guests the separate gluten-free menu a little more than a month ago, Bruns said.

The menu offers three appetizers, three grilled specialties and all of the fish dishes that are available on the full menu except Ahi Tokyo Style. Two desserts also are offered—creme brulee and a flourless macadamia nut brownie—as well as a gluten-free beer, Redbridge by Anheuser-Busch.

Restaurants that offer gluten-free menu options in the area include:

• Bonefish Grill
• Brian Boru Restaurant and Pub in Severna Park
• Carrabbas Italian Grill in Pasadena
• Cheeseburger in Paradise in Pasadena