Why Italy is the safest place for Coeliacs

When you're diagnosed with coeliac disease it can feel like one of the worst things in the world, especially when it comes to the consideration of travel and the inconvenience of going to places that may seem alien to you, where you may be forced to adapt to eating in a different way. A prime example of this is going to a hotel and having to eat from a buffet or being invited round to friends, these are all big, big fears for coeliacs.

For those uncertain about coeliac disease this is an illness the prevents the human body from being able to breakdown gluten or wheat as a result when you eat gluten or wheat what actually happens is rather than being broken up in your bowel it sits and rots. Undiagnosed celiac disease can lead to bowel cancer which as everybody knows can lead be fatal and lead to other types of cancer.

The whole minefield of coeliac disease sufferers is do I, or do I not choose to travel, many choosing to stay at home where they know that they can be ensured of a comfortable eating experience. Some people even fail to go out in their own communities because of the same fear so the opportunities of travel become more and more obscure.

For many years one of the worst places in the world to travel if you were coeliac was Italy but then in 2005 a national screening programme meant the Italians if they felt the need could be tested for the disease as a result Italy moved from becoming one of the least coeliac friendly countries to one of the most coeliac friendly countries in the whole world. While the screening programme has since been put on a hiatus due to the high cost of testing for the disease Italy ever concerned about that tourist industry have been one of the most forward-thinking countries in the world when it comes to coping with the disease.

Another benefit for those with celiac disease is that Italy’s prime jutting out into the water location into the Mediterranean puts it in an exclusive situation of being able to source the ingredients that are required for gluten free foods at a much lesser cost. The country is continually importing product as is the rest of the world but obviously the Mediterranean has a massive draw in terms of the stocks that it's able to source. So while Italy has been so forward thinking as has neighbouring Spain some of the other countries in the Mediterranean have not been so much on the ball.

I'm not ruling out the efforts of other countries such as Finland who actually have one of the highest gluten free populations on the planet. But efforts should be made by other countries, Germany and France are particularly bad especially in the northern areas of the region where if you're coeliac disease sufferer you are literally forced to eat salad because most of the towns that you will visit will not be prepared for it. In a recent visit to Metz in France and Trier in Germany I found it practically impossible to eat anything other than fries or salad and while in Germany, we were met with great sympathy and consideration, in France unfortunately they just had no interest in even attempting to try and cater for us whether it was due to us being English and having long running history with the country or just lack of understanding about what coeliac disease I will never truly know, as a result France unfortunately is forever off of my list.

Back to Italy and the wonderful thing about this nation is that whether you go North or South they are both as eagerly equipped to cater for you, you will find that many restaurants particularly in massive tourist locations such as Venice will make a conscious effort of highlighting their gluten free offer so you can go to the country and not worry about being left out in the cold when it comes to their delicious pizzas and pastas you can eat everywhere pretty much. But it's not just wheat-based food that benefits from this the Italians other natural diets if you look at things like risotto are actually gluten free as standard anyway unless you do anything to add to the contents.

While it's not unheard of to be charged extra for a gluten free version of a meal you generally find that while staying in Italy your meal will be priced at the same price point as people that you are with that may not be coeliacs, but let's face it as a coeliac we know that there's additional processes that go into places when they prepare gluten free foods such as cleaning surfaces and cleaning all of the cooking equipment, so you can eat safely, so if you are impacted by cost at least you know they're probably doing the best they can by you.

If your reading this and have long put off travel particularly the thought of travel to Italy because of your dietary concerns please put these thoughts to the back of your mind. Whether it's restaurants or supermarkets the Italians will look after you so that you have enduring memories of trips to this beautiful country and their classic signatory dishes.