IT is the fad diet plan which has given rise to a basket of bespoke bakeries, but for others it is vital to their wellbeing and has seen bread dispensed by the NHS.
Gluten free food is now a mainstay of the supermarket aisles, and the nourishment of choice for fashionable diners everywhere.
Yet as England moves to restrict prescriptions for foods made without the protein, people in Scotland who are allergic to it will still be able to get it on doctors orders after the Scottish Government said it will not follow Westminster's lead in cutting costs.
Of over 200 health boards south of the border, a third provide full access to prescriptions, a third have introduced restrictions, and a third have removed gluten free prescriptions altogether.
READ MORE: Food just got good for gluten free fans
But in Scotland sufferers of gluten intolerance - known as Coeliac disease - will still be given foodstuffs including pizza bases, bread, flour and biscuits.
Coeliac disease, which also includes the dermatitis herpetiformis skin manifestation, has a range of symptoms including bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, tiredness, hair loss and anaemia.
While debate continues over health benefits of going gluten-free for people who do not have gluten allergies, it has become the food of choice for many seeking healthier lifestyles and the UK market is now worth an estimated £500m.
Yet at the same time products without gluten have been dispensed on prescription, with adults in Scotland generally given 18 'units' a month, one of which is equivalent to 440g of bread, 250g of pasta or 500g of oats.
Around 14,500 Scots face life with the disease, prompting firms like bakers like Sugar Daddy's, claimed to be Edinburgh's only fully gluten-free bakery, to set up shop and expand.
The Coeliac UK charity said a standard approach to prescribing staple gluten-free food on prescription is critical to giving all patients diagnosed with coeliac disease a better chance of adhering to the diet and managing their lifelong autoimmune disease.
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK, said: “It is reassuring that the Scottish Government are continuing their policy to provide staple gluten free food on prescription, and means that the 14,500 people in Scotland currently diagnosed with coeliac disease are more able to adhere to this strict, lifelong diet to manage their condition and potentially avoid expensive health complications down the track."
Ms Sleet added that it was critical to maintain gluten free food on prescription to "ensure appropriate care and treatment as more of these people are diagnosed and managing the condition".
READ MORE: Nairn's may need new factory for gluten free growth
Jon-Paul, 37, and Amy Ranaldi, 33, are looking to open a second bakery through a Kickstarter campaign to bake their own bread, currently sourced from Broxburn and to offer a wider range after three years in Canonmills.
Mr Ranaldi said: “We identified a gap in the market for quality, guaranteed gluten free cakes for coeliacs - since opening we have seen our customer base grow faster than we ever anticipated.
"One of the reasons is people are more aware of what they are eating and I think especially coeliac disease has been misdiagnosed for so long and it is becoming more prevalent that people are being diagnosed.
"If you have any sort of food allergy you have to stop and re-read the labelling on everything so that you know what you’re eating and it doesn’t contain whatever it is you are allergic to.
"About half of our customers are coeliac or have an allergy and the other half just really like our cakes."
Mr Ranaldi said that costs can be restrictive to some families and free prescriptions for gluten free staples should be maintained at the same level in Scotland, without the restrictions seen south of the Border.
He said: “It is an expensive thing and although it has become a fashion trend recently through celebrities suggesting that it’s healthier to eat that way, for a lot of people it’s not a choice, they have to eat a gluten free diet or else they are violently ill from it and can cause themselves a lot of long term damage by not following that diet.
“Although gluten free is much more widely available which means the prices are coming down in the supermarkets it is still quite pricey.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “The decision to restrict gluten free prescribing applies to England only. There are no plans for a similar approach in NHS Scotland.
READ MORE: Seeded Gluten Free Bread
“Gluten free food products are available to patients with a clinical diagnosis of coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis, either on prescription from their GP or through the community pharmacy Gluten Free Food Service.
“In Scotland, supported by Coeliac UK, it is recommended that only staple foods such as bread, flour, pasta and cereal are prescribed.
"It is currently for individual health boards to determine the gluten-free foods that may be provided.”
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