Question: How do people get coeliac disease? What food does it stop you and your wife eating?

Rob Stanley answered on 14 Jun 2016:

We’re not entirely sure what makes people get coeliac disease, but its probably a combination of genes and diet. But you wouldn’t necessarily get coeliac disease if you have the wrong genes. Scientists are still trying to understand it all!

It stops us eating any food that contains gluten – the big one of these is wheat, so she can’t eat bread, or cake, or anything containing certain flavourings (I spend a lot of time in supermarkets checking the ingredient lists!). There are a lot of replacement foods, so there is special bread (made with other flours, like rice flour), but it means we have to be extra careful when eating at restaurants that they understand she can’t have certain foods.

I really don’t mind making the effort, if it makes her healthy. (I don’t have to eat gluten-free when I’m out of the house, and I can always sneak in a pizza or a Chinese takeaway when she’s out with friends!)