Is your love for baking giving you a tummy ache? Abdominal pain and bloating after your Bake Off creations may be more than just overindulgence. Dr Dave Nichols, NHS GP, warns that common ingredients could be sparking hidden issues. If you experience bloating, gas, or other symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and joint pain after eating baked goods, it could signal a gluten intolerance or coeliac disease.
Some 500,000 people in the UK might be living with undiagnosed coeliac disease. Even if you test negative for coeliac disease, a gluten intolerance might still be at play, causing discomfort. Unlike coeliac disease, which triggers an autoimmune response, an intolerance doesn’t damage the gut but can still leave you feeling less than your best.
Just ask baking enthusiast Nerissa, who turned to DNA testing after her symptoms persisted post-coeliac test. With the MyHealthChecked Intolerances and Sensitivities DNA Test, she discovered a gluten intolerance, sparking a journey into gluten-free baking. Now, she enjoys gluten-free cookies and gooey brownies without the bellyache.
For those wanting to enjoy bakes without discomfort, Dr Nichols suggests simple swaps:
– Use gluten-free flour blends or single flours like almond or oat.
– For self-raising flour, add 2 tsp baking powder per 150g of gluten-free plain flour.
– Blitz gluten-free bread for breadcrumbs or try ground almonds.
– Thicken sauces with cornflour or arrowroot instead of wheat flour.
– Experiment with dairy-free alternatives like almond or soy milk.
Even Peter Sawkins, GBBO winner, is a fan of gluten-free baking. Nearly half of the recipes he created for the show were gluten-free, proving that intolerance doesn’t mean compromising on taste or quality.
The world of gluten-free baking might seem daunting at first, but with a few tweaks and tricks, you can bake delicious treats without the gluten guilt! 🍰✨
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