Abstract
In this paper, we study the link between cereal grains and diseases because the clinical consequences are often underestimated. Cereal grains are commonly incriminated when ingested or inhaled. In the first part, we deal with true allergies related to cereal grains such as Baker's asthma and rice allergy, where the purpose of the treatment is to make the symptoms disappear. In the second part, we deal with the most commonly known disease caused by cereal grains, which is coeliac disease (CD). Because many of its clinical features are atypical or non-standard, there are still long delays in the diagnosis of CD which may have serious consequences. In addition, several diseases have been described as being associated with CD. Furthermore, an increased risk of malignancy and mortality has been reported in patients on a normal or even a low gluten diet. Thus, for the sake of patients, a lifelong strict gluten-free diet is mandatory. It has become necessary to make physicians more aware of the problem and to label gluten-containing foods and glutencontaining ingredients in commercial foodstuffs. Health-care professionals, the food industry, government officials and the public should be educated about diseases related to cereal grains. Enlightenment may help to prevent long-term hidden health problems without clinical symptoms.