Gluten Free Flours Contain to Gain in Popularity

Diagnoses of Celiac Disease, also known as gluten intolerance, have been on the rise in the last 20 years. As a result some restaurants and food manufacturers are upping their gluten-free food product line.

Theories regarding the rise in Celiac Disease, or CD, include everything from better methods of diagnosis to the "hygiene theory," essentially stating that our immune systems aren't challenged enough in our current environment to develop the antibodies we need.

CD is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestines in which the sufferer cannot digest the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats. This makes it difficult for people with CD to enjoy baked goods and many restaurant foods.

But with the growing popularity of gluten-free flours, grocery stores, food distributors, and even restaurants are better able to provide foods for people with CD.

Suburban Journals finds that restaurants featuring gluten free foods are cashing in on a specific foodie "niche" that appeals to a specific market interested in flours, sauces, and products that are traditionally made with gluten.

Gluten free flours include potato flour, almond flour, corn flour, rice flour, and soy flour. These substitute flours do tend to cook up differently than their traditional counterparts, but with some fine tuning many bakers and distributors are finding that products made with gluten free flours can be delicious.