Dietetic information

The gluten-free diet forms the treatment for coeliac disease. The diet however, is not as straight forward as it seems. Everyone with coeliac disease is different in terms of their level of sensitivity to trace amounts of gluten, so people with coeliac disease need individual dietetic assessment and monitoring.

Additional considerations

There are no specific nutritional guidelines for people with coeliac disease, although there is a higher recommendation for calcium of 1000mg per day for adults with coeliac disease. For postmenpausal women and men over 55 years of age, the recommended calcium requirement is 1200mg per day.

Certain areas do need additional consideration, such as following diets with additional restrictions such as vegetarian and vegan diets and those diagnosed with both coeliac disease and diabetes. It is essential that patients with these additional considerations are followed-up on a regular basis to ensure nutritional adequacy of the diet.

The new allergen labeling directive is now mandatory. It is essential that patients are fully aware of what labels mean so that they can safely chose gluten-free foods.