if you've been to the restaurant in the last five years, you've probably come across the phrase "gluten-free" written somewhere on the menu.
but what exactly is gluten, and why can't people digest it? why hasn't it been a problem until recently?.
What is a Glutean ?
elastic protein that is most often present in wheat, rye and barley and that has the ability to trap air, much like a balloon—is formed when two important proteins in wheat flour, glutenin and gliadin, bond together in the presence of water.
Whether we are trying to create more of it in rustic bread or pizza dough or working to limit its development for tender baked goods like cakes and muffins, there's no denying gluten's importance.
But beyond our conceptual understanding of it, is there a more tangible way to see and feel gluten?
We ran a simple experiment to find out.
We made two basic doughs by mixing flour and water in a food processor until a smooth ball formed.
For one dough we used cake flour, which contains between 6 and 8 percent protein, and for the other one we used bread flour, which usually runs from 12 to 14 percent protein.
After making the doughs, we placed each in a mesh strainer and massaged them under running water to wash away all of the starch.
Once the water ran clear (a sign that the starch was gone), we were left with two piles of essentially pure gluten.
The differences in the appearance and texture of the two doughs were a dramatic confirmation of the profound impact of gluten.
Why is gluten an enemy to certain people?
1. It can be fatal for people with celiac disease.
2. It bad influences people sensitive to gluten who do not have celiac disease.
Any application of Gluten-free Diet in a healthy person doesn't have any impact on their health.
What is GLUTEN-FREE DIET?
The inclusion of oats in a gluten-free diet remains controversial.
Oat toxicity in people with gluten-related disorders depends on the oat cultivar consumed because the immunoreactivities of toxic prolamins are different among oat varieties.
Furthermore, oats are frequently cross-contaminated with other gluten-containing cereals.
Gluten causes health problems for those with gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease (CD), non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), gluten ataxia, dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) and wheat allergy.
In these patients, the gluten-free diet is demonstrated as an effective treatment, but several studies show that about 79% of the people with coeliac disease have an incomplete recovery of the small bowel, despite a strict gluten-free diet.
This is mainly caused by inadvertent ingestion of gluten.
People with poor basic education and understanding of gluten-free diet often believe that they are strictly following the diet, but are making regular errors.
In addition, a gluten-free diet may, in at least some cases, improve gastrointestinal or systemic symptoms in diseases like irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis or HIV enteropathy, among others.
Gluten-free diets have also been promoted as an alternative treatment of people with autism, but the current evidence for their efficacy in treating the symptoms of autism is limited and weak.
Gluten proteins have low nutritional and biological value, and the grains that contain gluten are not essential in the human diet.
However, an unbalanced selection of food and an incorrect choice of gluten-free replacement products may lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Replacing flour from wheat or other gluten-containing cereals with gluten-free flours in commercial products may lead to a lower intake of important nutrients, such as iron and B vitamins.
Some gluten-free commercial replacement products are not enriched or fortified as their gluten-containing counterparts, and often have greater lipid / carbohydrate content. Children especially often over-consume these products, such as snacks and biscuits.
Nutritional complications can be prevented by a correct dietary education.
A gluten-free diet should be mainly based on naturally gluten-free foods with a good balance of micro and macro nutrients:
meat, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, potatoes, rice, and maize are all appropriate components of such a diet.
If commercially prepared, gluten-free replacement products are used, choosing those that are enriched or fortified with vitamins and minerals is preferable.
Pseudocereals (quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat) and some minor cereals are healthy alternatives to these prepared products and have high biological and nutritional value.
How to avoid these common gluten free mistakes
1.How to recognize Celiac disease?
Any particular Diet as a lifestyle is nothing new, it goes in some cycles and all that depends upon the power of the campaign, which invests in the promotion of something. Therefore, a many people around the world switch over to a Gluten-free diet. In the USA, one out of every 133 people suffers from Celiac disease. Of course, there is a mild Allergic Sensitivity that appears in some people, but it is not a disease. We need to know the difference. Moreover, there are people who convince themselves that they are sick, consciously and unconsciously.
Anyway, Gluten-free Diet should not be a matter of fashion and caprice.
The body responds to a foreign invader that can not be controlled. This problem occurs because the body works unselectively and instead to eliminate only the substance that makes the problem it attacks and cells of the small intestine with various products of inflammatory reactions.The Celiac disease is usually manifested in childhood, but it is not a rule. Actually, this is hardly recognizable disease as it manifests itself differently. In any case, your doctor should conduct the laboratory and immunological analysis.
2. How to avoid a necessary risk in Gluten-free Diet?
Ok, you found out the diagnosis of Celiac disease and you are aware of the only way to a healthy life, and it's Gluten-free Foods. Here are several useful tips to get rid of worries:
Take a special shelf in the storage for keeping Gluten-free Foods and also mark each of them.
Keep prepared meals in the sealed containers to avoid contamination of Gluten-free Meals.
Before cooking and preparing Gluten-free meals, clean the kitchen worktops, kitchenware, kitchen appliances etc.
Of course, read product declarations when purchasing your Gluten-Free products in the stores.
3. Misconception about Carbs
Gluten-free and carbohydrate-free is not the same thing. Just pay attention to the product labels. Actually, there are a lot of grains and carbs that do not contain Gluten. These are Beans, Flax, Quinoa, Polenta, Soy, Tapioca, Millet, Kasha and many others.
The Truth About Gluten free Diets
Stay Healthy on Gluten-free Diet.
Gluten is an important part of food because it contributes to the texture, flavor and appearance of the food. It is also used as a thickener and stabilizer in many processed foods.
To be on a gluten-free diet means that you can't eat any foods that contain gluten. This includes breads, pastas, cereals, cakes, cookies, crackers and many other foods.
Some people who are allergic to gluten may have severe reactions when they eat it. People with celiac disease must avoid gluten at all costs because their body cannot tolerate it.