This is maybe more than you wanted to know. Someone, was really troubled by this stuff, and starts to hyperventilate.. but you know the drill, the more the merrier..Gluten, lets start with;
WHAT: Gluten is a mixture of individual proteins classified in two groups, the Prolamines and the Glutelins. The prolamine, Gliadin, seems to be a major problem in celiac disease; gliadin antibodies are commonly found in the immune complexes associated with this disease
WHERE: Wheat proteins are collectively called "Gluten". Wheat is closely related to other cereal grains, especially rye, barley, and oats. Enthusiasm for "whole grains" to increase intake of dietary fiber, especially in the past decade, led to increased consumption of whole cereal grains. Relatively unrefined grains, often in combination, as with granola cereals and whole wheat breads fortified with bran, coarse flours, and other additives are now eaten in large quantities. .
WHY: We eat the seeds of the grain plants. The seed has a bran casing, a starchy endosperm which contains 90% of the protein, and a small germ nucleus which is the plant embryo waiting to grow. Any flour made from the starchy endosperm contains prolamines and is potentially problematic to the grain intolerant person.
WHEN: Gluten in wheat is the principal problem food- barley, oats, and rye must be excluded as well. Millet is usually an acceptable grain alternative. Corn and rice are usually tolerated when gluten prolamines are the chief and only food intolerance, although corn triggers food allergy for its own reasons. Triticale is a new hybrid grain with the properties of wheat and rye, and is excluded on a gluten-free diet. The identity and the amount of the prolamine decides the kind of reaction that is likely to occur. It should be noted that there is considerable variability in the prolamine content of various foods made from cereal grains, and this variability is one of the many reasons why food reactions are not consistent.
Rice is used as the staple grain in Alpha Nutrition and gluten-containing foods are excluded.
Janatuinen et al presented evidence that 52 adult celiacs tolerated oats for one year with no evidence of harm. The study period is too short to be definitive since relapses after longer periods have been observed repeatedly in celiac patients who resumed eating grains. Their study at least raises the question of what foods can be considered safe in the long term. Celiac dogma treats the four cereal grains as equally risky. The older assumptions need to be reviewed by further studies.
Recently marketed grains, Spelt and Kamut, are gluten-containing wheat variants (despite claims to the contrary) and are likely to cause problems similar to other wheat varieties.