Gluten is the general name for the proteins found in grains including all kinds of wheat (e.g. bulgur, durum, semolina, spelt, farro), barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).
Gluten functions in foods as a glue that holds foods together to keep up their shape. The term gluten is derived from the glue-like property of wet dough.
Gliadin and glutenin are the two main proteins in gluten. During the bread making process, they form strands that strengthen the dough and build pockets that trap air (like a balloon) and permit bread to rise and have its appealing texture.
Gluten itself doesn’t have a particular function within the body; rather its specific function plays out in foods. Gluten’s primary function in foods is to supply a structural mechanism to facilitate the bread making process and enable foods to carry their shape and supply texture.
A diet is suggested for people with celiac disease, gluten-sensitivity or the skin problem dermatitis herpetiformis. A diet could also be helpful for a few people with irritable bowel syndrome, the nervous disorder gluten ataxia, type 1 diabetes and HIV-associated enteropathy.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune and digestive disease during which an individual cannot digest gluten. Celiac disease affects 0.7 to a quarter of the population and other people with disorder must strictly avoid gluten.
If a person with Celiac disease eats gluten, their immune system will respond by destroying the lining (villi) of the small intestine. The most common symptoms include bloating, constipation, headache, tiredness, skin rashes, depression, weight loss and foul-smelling feces.
The damage to the villi in the small intestine will lead to problems with absorption and nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition can occur, no matter how much food is consumed.
Other than this, there’s little evidence that a gluten-free diet offers any particular health benefits. However, a gluten-free diet can still be a healthy way to eat depending on which gluten-free foods you select , how often you eat them and whether your other food choices are healthy ones.
Good gluten-free choices include naturally gluten-free foods, like lean meats, low-fat dairy, vegetables, fruit, whole gluten-free grains and healthy fats.
It’s important not to replace gluten-containing foods with more red meat, full-fat dairy, starchy vegetables, sweets and fats, which can lead to a higher intake of cholesterol, saturated fat, sodium and unwanted calories.
It’s also prudent to limit commercially prepared gluten-free snacks and bakery products, which are typically high in refined carbohydrate, fat, sugar and salt — a bit like their gluten-containing counterparts.
Studies show that the nutritional quality of commercially prepared gluten-free products varies from similar gluten-containing products. In several countries, for example, commercially prepared gluten-free foods are lower in protein than their conventional counterparts.
In the U.S., gluten-free foods tend to be lower in folate, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. This may be because during this country most wheat products are enriched with vitamin Bc , thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and iron, while gluten-free flours, cereals and bread products typically aren’t .
However, gluten-free whole grains, such as amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, teff, millet, corn and rice, are good natural sources of folate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and iron — as well as protein and fiber.
Charlie has trouble with his stomach especially after eating certain foods including Cheese. I have always wondered if he might be Gluten- Free. With no insurance I haven’t been able to have Charlie tested.
As soon as I found out there was Gluten Free Bread I looked online and found 10 Gluten-Free Bread Recipes which Charlie and I will check into. I am thinking we might make a loaf of the bread during our Homeschool Cooking Class.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
