The Doctor Gluten Project

“Our daughter is gluten-free, and much better. However, we are concerned as she is going on holiday with friends.  We were worried that her friends might find it difficult to maintain the diet.  If they fail to adhere to the diet, will she get a severe reaction?"

I reply:

It is hard to predict what her reaction would be. Small amounts of gluten do not cause any long-term damage.  But she is likely to get her symptoms back again for a few days.

The usual symptoms are tummy ache, irritability, diarrhoea, eczema and vomiting. 

You could experiment at home, before she goes away.  Perhaps give her a little bit of gluten - then you will all know what happens.  Then she is in a position to judge how much she can stray from her gluten-free diet.

She might tolerate a small amount of gluten without a problem. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.