Is Gluten Free the Way to Be?

What is Gluten?

Gluten is the main structure protein in flour.  Gluten is formed through the interaction between gliadins and glutenins and can be developed by kneading, mixing or fermentation. 

Gluten is responsible for the elastic characteristic of dough and contributes to the appearance of crumb structure of many baked goods.

Gluten-Free seems to be one of Hollywood’s newest “detox” diets.  This diet change really has nothing to do with becoming healthier, unless of course you suffer from Celiac disease.

The market for gluten free foods has dramatically increased over the past few years due to its growing popularity and the fact that many more people are being tested for gluten intolerances.  Sales of gluten-free products increased 16 percent in 2010, according to the Nielsen Company.  While celiac disease affects about 1 percent of the U.S. population, experts estimate that as many as 10 percent have a related and poorly understood condition known as non-celiac gluten intolerance (NCGI), or gluten sensitivity.

Gluten free foods are now more readily available in most supermarkets.  It is important to be wary to some of these products because like all processed foods, some can be healthy and some can be junk!  Manufacturers add extra sugar and fat to mimic the texture and fluffiness that gluten imparts.

Another downfall to gluten-free products is that they are less routinely fortified with iron and vitamins B and D.  Regular bread products most often contain these important nutrients. 

So if you decide to live a gluten-free life (Celiac free of course), choose the prepackaged products less often and aim for fruits, vegetables, lean meats and naturally gluten-free grains such as brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat.

So what is Celiac Disease anyways???

Celiac is an autoimmune disease. Other names for this disease include celiac sprue and gluten intolerance.  The body’s immune system responds to gluten by damaging the lining of the small intestines.  This lining contains villi which normally absorb nutrients from the foods we eat.  When the villi are damaged, the body can’t get these nutrients.  The protein in wheat, oats, barley, rye, and malt causes this inflammation and therefore does not allow for certain vitamins and minerals to be absorbed in the body.  Celiac disease is hereditary.  Some symptoms include gas, diarrhea, stomach pain, fatigue, mood swings, weight loss, rash, and slowed growth.  A blood test is done to determine if one is sensitive to gluten.  The only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten free diet.  This can be very difficult because gluten is not only found in wheat, oats, barley, rye, and malt, it can also be hidden in medicines, dressings, gravies, soy sauce, bouillon cubes, brown rice syrup, chips, candy, cold cuts, hot dogs, salami, sausage, Communion water (I know right?), French fries, imitation fish, matzo, rice mixes, sauces, and soups.

Foods to Avoid with Celiac:

• Wheat – including einkorn, emmer, spelt, kalmut
• Barley
• Rye
• Malt
• Oats
• Triticale (a cross between wheat and rye)

Foods Allowed with Celiac:

n  Rice

n  Corn

n  Amaranth

n  Quinoa

n  Teff

n  Millet

n  Finger Millet (Ragi)

n  Sorghum

n  Indian Rice Grass (Montina)

n  Yucca

n  Nuts

n  Seeds

n  Arrowroot

n  Buckwheat

n  Flax

n  Job’s Tears

n  Sago

n  Potato

n  Soy

n  Legumes

n  Mesquite

n  Tapioca

n  Wild Rice

n  Cassava (Manioc)