There’s no doubt that there has been an increase in the availability of gluten-free product, which is extremely helpful for those people with celiac disease. However, there is a massive amount of miss information about the “negative effects” of gluten on the general population. So we’re going to help you understand a little bit more about gluten. You don’t want to end up like these people: Gluten Is…[1]
A protein! It’s as simple as that, and not the end of the world or your diet. The structure of gluten is composed of two proteins, gliadins and glutenins, which are high in glutamine and proline. Up close it looks like this: These proteins are found in: [2]
What’s the purpose? Gluten is crucial to creating structure in the products it is used to make. Think of bread, how you can see the air pockets, or a cake with a nice spongy texture. This is all thanks to gluten! When gluten comes in contact with heat, water and/or agitation (like mixing or kneading) it begins to form a web-like structure. This structure then traps air during the baking process, which eventually escapes leaving the porous texture. This creates a huge barrier to creating gluten-free products like breads, cakes and pastas. [3] Who Can’t Eat Gluten? There are some who cannot eat gluten due to a medical condition called celiac disease. This is a genetic linked autoimmune disease that causes the body to initiate an immune response in the small intestine when gluten is present.[4] There are persons with gluten intolerance who benefit from a reduction or elimination of gluten from their diet, but there is yet to be a method of testing developed for diagnosing this intolerance.[5] Should You Go Gluten-Free? Probably not. There is only a fraction of the population that needs to be gluten free. If you have not been diagnosed with celiac disease gluten is your friend that gives your foods the textures you love! While gluten intolerance does exist, the symptoms of gluten intolerance can be the same symptoms of an unbalanced diet. Let’s check out some of the common symptoms:
But Don’t People Lose Weight On Gluten Free Diets? Maybe they do, but let’s take a second to think about the root reason why these people are losing weight. Their weight loss is often misattributed to the removal of gluten from their diet, rather than their change in habits. First and foremost, going gluten-free cuts out a majority of the grain food group. If someone is replacing these grains with lower calorie foods, or not at all their over all caloric intake is going to go down.[6] Going off of this, making a conscious effort to make a change to one’s diet indicates a raise of awareness in the nutritional quality of food they’re eating. If this awareness influences them to change their eating pattern to include more fruits and vegetables, less fats and lean proteins, then they can lose weight on their diet, however, it is not due to gluten. Final Thoughts In closing, I urge you to think of a gluten-free diet for what it is: Medical Nutrition Therapy. If you do not have a medical diagnosis indicating otherwise, you do not need to be gluten free and more than you need to be on a renal diet.
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ABOUTTerps With Taste is run by the Student Nutritionist Team with University of Maryland Dining Services. We write content for students, by students. Enjoy! Categories
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