Rice and the Gluten Free Diet

Rice is a member of the grass family, and is therefore a grain.

Rice is an ideal food for most people with a gluten allergy or are on a gluten-free diet.

Rice

It is one of the world's most important staple foods, providing approximately one fifth the total calories consumed world wide. It is the second most highly cultivated grain after maize, but not all maize is directly consumed as food by humans, rice is the top the calorie provider in the world.

Rice is most often cultivated as an annual crop. This provides the greatest yield per acre. It can also be grown as a perennial in tropical regions, in a farming method known as ratooning. This provides a yield earlier in the season, but the yield per acre is reduced with each passing year.

The way rice is consumed varies greatly. The poorest of the poor eat plain rice, sometimes with chillies - the burning hot chillies make it easier to eat more plain rice.

There is s tremendous variety of rice-based dishes developed by the wide range of populations and cultures that base their cuisine or rice.

Rice may be an ingredient in a number of alternative foods, such as gluten free beer and baking for a gluten-free diet.

Rice Allergy

Some people develop an allergy to rice. As with any other food, you can get tests to see if you are allergic to rice, but they are not all that accurate.

False positives cause some people to needlessly eliminate rice from their diet.

False negatives may lead you to believe you are not allergic to rice, when in fact you may be.

Following an elimination diet is the best way to determine if rice agrees with you or not, except in the case of severe rice allergies.

Rice and the Gluten Free Diet

Have allergies? Find out more: Allergy

Read more about gluten-free diet

Copyright 2008 Douglas Samuel. May be republished providing above author information is included, and live links are used without the rel=nofollow attribute.

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