Can People With Celiac Disease Drink Beer?

Choose a gluten-free beer if you have celiac disease.

If you have celiac disease, you are probably well aware of the importance of choosing gluten-free foods and beverages. Even small amounts of gluten can trigger severe allergic reactions that attack the small intestines. While some foods and beverages are clearly labeled “gluten-free,” others are more dubious and do not feature this conspicuous labeling.

What about beer? Can people with celiac disease enjoy an occasional beer without suffering from any ill side effects commonly associated with this disease? The short answer is yes, people with celiac disease can still enjoy beer; however, there are a few things you should know before you begin drinking a frothy, ice-cold glass of beer.

What Is Celiac Disease?

According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), approximately 1 in 133 people have celiac disease. This all-too-common disease is characterized by an autoimmune response triggered by the wheat-based protein known as gluten. When a person with celiac disease consumes gluten, their body views this substance as a foreign invader and responds by attacking the small intestines. This often results in a wide range of unpleasant side effects, including bloating, gas, cramps, headaches and nausea.

The ingredients people with celiac disease should avoid are wheat, rye, barley and spelt — and any and all foods containing these ingredients.

Beer For People With Celiac Disease

Unfortunately, the majority of beer sold today is produced with gluten-based proteins, making them a poor choice for people with celiac disease or other forms of gluten intolerance. Drinking a single beer may seem harmless enough, but it can trigger some pretty intense allergic reactions. And constantly forcing gluten into your body — if you suffer from celiac disease — can lead to permanent damage later down the road.

Beer is typically produced with either hordein or gliadin, both of which contain gluten. If you have celiac disease, it’s important to choose beer that’s made without hordein, giladin or other other gluten-based compounds; otherwise, you place yourself at risk for an allergic reaction.

Harvester Brewing touts itself as being the first dedicated gluten-free brewery in the U.S. The company produces a pale ale and a dark ale, along with several seasonal beers that are sold at different times of the year.

“We don’t and never will use barley, wheat or rye and then attempt to chemically or enzymatically remove the gluten,” states Harvester Brewing’s official website.