So you need to follow a gluten-free diet but can't imagine a day without coffee. Well, there's actually no need to worry. Whether you've just been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance or simply want to follow a gluten-free diet for other reasons, you don't have to give up your cup of joe. Coffee is naturally gluten-free, which isn't to say, however, that things you add to it are necessarily gluten-free – or that it can't be cross-contaminated with gluten.

Coffee and Gluten

According to Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF), coffee is gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease to drink. Yet there's still debate over whether people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance can drink coffee; some believe that coffee cross-reacts with gluten, meaning that it has proteins that the body treats as invaders the same way it does gluten.

According to a study published in Food and Nutrition Sciences in 2013, coffee did cause a gluten response in people with celiac disease, but only a certain type of coffee: instant coffee that was cross-contaminated with traces of gluten. The researchers concluded that drinking pure coffee that has not been contaminated with gluten may be safe for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. The researchers also pointed out that some people may have a bad reaction after drinking coffee not because of gluten but because they're allergic to coffee beans.

In 2016, CDF stated outright that there there's no scientific evidence to show that coffee has proteins that cross-react with gluten.

Coffee Flavorings



While pure coffee is naturally gluten-free, be careful that you're not adding things to it that contain gluten. Although milk and sugar are gluten-free, some coffee creamers and syrups may not be. They may contain thickening agents and other ingredients, such as wheat flour, that contain gluten. Flavored coffee, such as mocha or peppermint coffee, may also have gluten ingredients in them. So when buying coffee creamers, syrups and flavored coffee, check the ingredient labels carefully.

Labeled Gluten-Free

Also be aware that food products labeled "gluten-free" can actually contain gluten. Under current Food and Drug Administration rules, a product can be labeled "gluten-free" if it has 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten or less. If you're especially sensitive to gluten, even in very small amounts, don't depend solely on a "gluten-free" label. Instead, check the ingredients list to make sure that it doesn't contain anything with the protein.

Cross-Contamination

Even if a food doesn't contain gluten, it can be contaminated with gluten while being made, processed or handled. For example, a business that roasts coffee beans for a coffee label may also handle gluten-containing ingredients for other companies. This increases the chance of the gluten-free food coming into contact with gluten. That's why some product packages show disclaimers stating that there may be a chance of cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination can also occur when buying coffee from restaurants and cafes. For example, an employee may have eaten bread and, without washing his hands, brewed your coffee. Or perhaps the cafe is using the same coffee maker for all types of coffee, including flavored coffee that contains gluten.