We have heard a lot about gluten. However, there are several myths about him. Gluten is a set of proteins that cereals and grains have and all the products derived from them. If you are not celiac, this is what you should know about gluten.
What is gluten
As we already mentioned, gluten is a protein present in various cereals such as rye, barley, wheat and oats. In fact, a huge variety of pastry products, jams and drinks have gluten in their composition. Therefore, it could be said that gluten is present in almost all types of food.
Now, most of us have known of people who are intolerant to gluten. Some of them, when consuming foods that have it, experience certain reactions that are quite unwanted and annoying. But countless people can consume it without any problem and yet have decided to eliminate it from their diet.
How gluten is formed
It is formed when wheat flour is mixed with water. The water transforms the proteins present in the flours giving rise to gluten. In the process of stirring and kneading the flour, the water causes the gluten proteins to produce a dough with elastic characteristics. When salt is added, it greatly contributes to reinforcing that kind of elastic mesh that gives rise to gluten.
gluten properties
Viscoelastic properties: this property gives the doughs of various flours that elasticity when they are kneaded. It also gives support and consistency to various drinks, jams and pastry products.
Nutritional properties: gluten is rich in minerals, especially iron. Its consumption favors the production of red blood cells in the body, thus helping to combat iron deficiency anemia. Although gluten provides very few amino acids and proteins, it is an easily digestible food and helps intestinal transit.
Vegans use it to make seitan, a vegan substitute for meat and chicken, to contribute to iron intake. It is widely used in the gastronomy of all countries: cakes, breads, pastas, milkshakes and beers. It is also used in the preparation of cheeses, sausages, preparation of nuts and sweets.
Functional properties: The viscosity and elasticity of gluten has been used in pharmaceutical products and in alloys to make biodegradable packaging. It has also been used in the cosmetic area in the production of shampoos, lipsticks and creams.
Gluten-containing foods
Foods that contain gluten are those derived from barley, wheat, rye and oats to a lesser extent and not directly, but because they are normally processed in places where foods that contain gluten are processed.
People with intolerance cannot consume the products that include these cereals in their manufacture. Among them bread, cookies, biscuits and all pastry products. Pasta and noodles, beers, candies, hot dog, pizza, some cheeses, ketchup, mayonnaise, wheat germ, rye bread, oat-based beverages, bulgur, soy sauce, sausages, cereal bars, white sauces and dressings manufactured.
Also, among them are some syrups and medicines, dehydrated soups and even the host that is given in the Catholic Church.
effects of gluten on the body
The effects of gluten in the human body will depend on how the body reacts to this substance. It is true that for people intolerant to gluten, its consumption can trigger a series of undesirable and even debilitating symptoms.
For the large number of people who are not gluten intolerant, gluten plays an important role in a healthy diet. And that is the most normal, since only 1% of the inhabitants of the planet are celiac.
In an organism that does tolerate it, gluten has benefits for intestinal health since it has prebiotic properties. These will provide food for the “good” bacteria that make up the intestinal flora, which contributes to maintaining healthy intestinal flora and preventing colon cancer. Likewise, its consumption should be moderate.
Let’s see the next video about the effects of gluten on the intestines and how cause autoimmune diseases:
Extract of video taken from the mini series “Transcendence”.
Watch the first episode for free on Gaia.com now!
Some disorders caused by gluten
Celiac disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that appears when the antibodies present in the intestine react to the action of gluten, causing the body’s own cells to attack the internal lining of the intestine.
When the intestine is severely damaged, it does not properly absorb the nutrients that reach it. This seriously affects the absorption of calcium and iron, causing much discomfort and serious long-term complications, such as anemia and osteoporosis. Even if the necessary nutritional corrections are not made, cancer could occur in any area of the digestive system, such as the colon and rectum.
How is celiac disease diagnosed?
Through a blood test, celiacs who have been consuming gluten in their diet can test positive for the detection of antibodies that allow the disease to be diagnosed. But if there are symptoms in people who abstain completely from gluten, it will be necessary to perform a biopsy to establish a diagnosis.
Celiac disease does not have a definitive cure. It can only be controlled by definitively eliminating the consumption of gluten from the diet. These are the symptoms that people with celiac disease experience, especially when they eat a food that contains gluten.
Symptoms
– They experience fatigue or tiredness often.
– Strong intensity abdominal pain.
– Abdominal inflammation.
– Nausea and vomiting.
– Nutritional deficiencies.
– Frequent liquid evacuations or diarrhoea.
– Constipation or constipation.
– Thinning or very evident weight loss.
Other symptoms that people who are intolerant to gluten have experienced have to do with skin conditions. Sometimes there is a skin sensitivity manifested by itching and very painful blistered pustules called dermatitis herpetiformis. This skin rash usually appears on elbows, knees, shoulders and even on the face.
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity
Some individuals experience gluten sensitivity, but are not necessarily celiac. When carrying out the antibody tests, the autoimmune response that characterizes people with celiac disease is not revealed.
It may be a sensitivity that simply goes away when you reduce or eliminate gluten from your diet. But there are no tests that determine that you are sensitive to gluten without being celiac. However, antibody tests and biopsies can determine that the person does not have the autoimmune disorder known as celiac disease.
Perhaps this sensitivity that occurs when they eat gluten is simply an allergic reaction to wheat.
Gluten allergies
Consumption of wheat and barley products often manifests with skin reactions, urticaria, rhinitis, and in severe cases, anaphylactic shock. It is more common in children and usually disappears in adulthood. The difference with sensitivity or celiac disease is that someone allergic to gluten will react even if the gluten has not reached their intestine, whereas people with gluten intolerance normally need to eat it.
Other Gluten-Related Autoimmune Diseases
– Rheumatoid arthritis
– Hashimoto’s syndrome
– Chron’s disease
– Fibromyalgia
– And others
Why do people without gluten intolerance eliminate it from their diet?
People with celiac disease cannot eat anything that contains wheat, oats, barley, and rye, the TACCs. And it is that if they consumed it, their own life would be at risk. But what is happening that more and more people are refraining from consuming gluten-containing foods?
Although only 1% of the world’s population is celiac, there are 30% who have completely eliminated gluten from their diet. These people have believed for a long time that if we do without gluten there is no problem, that it is not harmful not to consume it.
On the other hand, recent studies carried out by some universities and other medical institutions have shown that this theory is wrong. So if you are not celiac, you should analyze the information that we leave you in this article about gluten below.
What some studies say
Many believe that the consumption of gluten and its role in the body is not beneficial for anyone, even for those who do not have celiac disease.
In this sense, The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) published a study in 2014, which states: “The existing evidence of potential harm from a gluten-free diet includes possible nutritional deficiencies, financial costs, and negative psychosocial implications.” As with other dietary interventions, this diet is a rapidly evolving topic, and additional information is needed to guide a full discussion between patients considering a GFD and their healthcare providers.”
On the other hand, Harvard University published a study in 2017 reporting that healthy people who do not consume gluten in their diet are more likely to develop diabetes and heart problems, due to the potential reduction in the consumption of whole grains.
A similar study was conducted by The American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention / Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions, also in 2017, reaching the same conclusions.
Gluten FAQ
Does gluten make you fat?
This idea is completely false. What makes you fat is the amount of carbohydrates and sugars that are often added to foods with gluten.
Is gluten bad?
Studies carried out show that gluten only causes problems for intolerant people. However, the vast majority of wheat consumed today is markedly deficient in nutritional quality when compared to wheat of the past. Here is one of the studies that demonstrates this.
Since industrialization, everything has changed. From the way we grow it, the way we process it, and the way we eat it. This has happened in two separate “technological revolutions.” The first was in milling, the second in cultivation and agriculture. Both have had a profound effect, but most people have no idea.
What does the term mean gluten-free?
The Federation of Food and Drugs (FDA) since 2014 has set a limit for the gluten content in food. This limit was set at 20 parts per million (ppm), when the presence of gluten in some foods is unavoidable.
Due to the increase in people with celiac disease, manufacturers are required to identify their products with this label. The term gluten-free means ”gluten-free” or gluten-free.
So the intolerant can rest easy when these labels appear on the food they buy. This follows the rule…