Gluten: What It Is, Why It Is Harmful And What Foods Contain It

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Gluten: is the devil as scary as he is painted?

Gluten-free diets quickly spread around the world around 2014. At the same time, not all of their followers know exactly why they should give up gluten products. Consider all the facts about gluten that are known to medicine today, and decide - is it as dangerous as they are trying to convince us.

Gluten - what is it

Gluten is a type of storage protein called gluten. In nature, it is found in many cereals, in particular, in wheat, rye, and barley. For the first time, gluten as a separate substance was isolated by Jacopo Bartolomeo Beccari in 1728 from flour. Since then, gluten has found many uses in a wide variety of fields.

Gluten was first obtained in pure form from flour

Gluten is actively used in the bakery industry, as it is able to give the dough the desired consistency, stickiness and viscosity. Its addition in the right proportions can increase the specific gravity of bread, improve the porosity and softness of the buns, extend the shelf life of the product, and delay hardening. Spices for meat, soups and poultry are also made from gluten. It is even added to some lip balms to improve the consistency of the product and extend its shelf life.

If we talk only about food products, then the record holders for gluten content are:

• wheat (up to 80% of the total mass of the product);
• semolina (50%);
• barley (23%);
• rye (16%);
• pasta (11%);
• bakery products (from 7 to 80%).

Is gluten harmful?

The harm of gluten to an absolutely healthy person has not yet been scientifically proven. However, there is a special category of people with celiac disease - an intolerance to this protein. Celiac disease is a gluten allergy that manifests itself as bloating, abnormal stool (frothy or greasy, with a very pungent odor), and then dystrophy along with a large belly. Such people should not use gluten - it can even lead to death. However, people with celiac disease account for about 1% of the total population of the earth.

If you suspect you have celiac disease, see your doctor. A blood test allows you to unequivocally determine this disease.

Does this mean that a healthy person should not give up gluten? Not. The lack of gluten in your diet will not harm your health in any way. And since it is part of many "harmful" and high-calorie foods (the same buns and pasta), you can follow a gluten-free diet for weight loss.

The harm of gluten to a healthy person is greatly exaggerated

How to replace gluten

Avoiding gluten completely won't harm even a healthy person. Our bodies don't need gluten per se - we need proteins, but not necessarily gluten. Therefore, while on a gluten-free diet, increase your protein intake from other sources.

Most people get the bulk of their protein from meat or fish. You can also opt out of gluten in favor of gluten-free grains - for example, buckwheat, rice, corn. Do not forget about legumes, which are able to supply quite a lot of useful protein into the body.

Rice is a great replacement for gluten grains

A healthy person is not harmed by gluten itself, but by excessive consumption of high-calorie rolls and pasta containing this protein. Therefore, a complete adherence to a gluten-free diet is necessary only for people suffering from celiac disease.