A protein found in rye, barley, and wheat, Gluten is a protein that provides elasticity to the dough, maintains grain structure, and keeps the structure intact during baking. In the absence of gluten, your breads and pastries will crumble. Gluten-free diet plans have been gaining a lot of popularity nowadays but what’s interesting is that a lot of people don’t know what gluten really is and what impact gluten foods have on our bodies.
So, the real question is if gluten is really harmful or is this just a marketing gimmick? Let’s find out!
Possible Harmful Effects of Gluten Foods
A lot of negative talk revolves around foods that contain gluten, leading the people to believe that it is quite harmful. But the truth is that this protein is found in a lot of food items naturally and does more good than harm for specific health conditions. One of the best roles it plays in our body is that it promotes good bacteria in the gut. This is due to the presence of prebiotic carbohydrate that triggers the good bacteria to act, improving digestion as a result.
But in some cases, gluten can cause harm to your body. Here are some of the harmful effects gluten foods can cause:
- In certain individuals, the body may not react the right way when gluten is consumed. Their immune cells function against gluten and start attacking it. This leads to bloating and inflammation in the stomach for some people.
- There’s a condition called Celiac disease or gluten disease – in this condition, the body is not able to take gluten consumption well. Around 1% of the total population around the globe seems to suffer from this condition.The medical experts suggest prohibition of gluten foods for those who suffer from Celiac disease. The best solution for celiac disease is taking a gluten-free diet.
- Non-Celiac gluten sensitivity also occurs in some people. In this condition, most of the symptoms are similar to celiac disease but the inflammation and the intense attack by the immune cells do not happen. This is a type of allergy an individual develops against gluten and their body does not react well to its consumption.
- People who have wheat allergies also have trouble when they consume gluten. They show symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea, cramps, itching in the throat, etc. on the consumption of wheat.
- Dermatitis herpetiformis is a skin rash disease. It develops because of the consumption of gluten and is an autoimmune response. Usually, people who suffer from celiac disease have DH but it is not necessary.
What are Gluten-Free Diets?
Gluten-free diets are prescribed for people who have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. This condition causes the immune system to attack the gluten in the small intestine and hence cause damage to the intestine.
The industry of gluten-free food has grown immensely in the past few years. This is mainly because of the influence of social media. Although there are no major gluten-free benefits, in certain cases, gluten-free diets can help individuals.
Gluten-Free Foods
A gluten-free diet benefits many people who are suffering from gluten allergies or any other disease that might make the body react negatively to gluten consumption. In such cases, you must know which foods contain gluten and which gluten-free foods are suitable for your consumption.
Gluten-free foods that you can try are:
- Fruits and vegetables are completely gluten-free and if you choose organic fruits and vegetables there will be no gluten contamination. If you choose to get processed fruits or vegetables, make sure that they have a Gluten-free label on them.
- Fresh proteins are usually Gluten-free; these include nuts and seeds, legumes, and meats like beef, pork, and chicken.
- Unflavoured dairy products are also free from gluten. But if you are buying flavoured yoghurts or milk, you must check a label that has Gluten-free written on it to be sure.
Gluten foods to avoid are as follows:
- Grains like whole wheat, barley, rye, wheat bran, wheat germ, semolina, and bulgur contain Gluten.
- Processed food that contains grains such as bread, pasta, noodles, cookies, and burgers consists of a lot of gluten and has almost zero nutritional value.
- Certain beverages such as barley malt, chips, beer, sauce that is thickened with flour, and processed meat are very high in gluten as well.
It is important to note that a lot of people go for oats when they’re starting a gluten-free diet. But the main issue with oats is that during their packaging and processing, it is often contaminated with gluten.
However, you can sometimes find certified oats that are labelled as completely Gluten-free. One of the important things to notice is that oats contain a protein called avenin which is very similar to gluten. Therefore, people with celiac disease or severe gluten allergy might react to oats in the same way as they would react to gluten.
Conclusion
There is a lot of hype on the internet about Gluten-free food items and how they claim to be beneficial for your health. A lot of people are trying gluten-free diets and claiming that it works wonders for them. However, not a lot of people know what gluten is and how it affects your body.
Gluten has no side effects on your body as long as you are not suffering from any particular condition that makes you allergic to gluten. Gluten improves the good bacteria in your gut and helps in digestion. Most grains such as wheat, Barley, Rye, wheat bran, and a lot of processed food and baked goods contain gluten. It is not necessary to eliminate gluten from your diet as long as you are not severely allergic to it but you can try Gluten-free diets if your body is not reacting well to gluten consumption.
