The gluten-free diet is extremely popular.People follow a gluten-free diet for many reasons. Some are attempting to lose weight, while others hope to improve their health.Those experiencing gluten intolerance need to avoid gluten or else they experience severe discomfort and adverse health effects
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is a family of proteins found in wheat, barley, rye and spelt. Its name comes from the Latin word for “glue,” as it gives the flour a sticky consistency when mixed with water.
This glue-like property helps gluten create a sticky network that gives the bread the ability to rise when baked. It also gives the bread a chewy and satisfying texture.
Unfortunately, many people feel uncomfortable after eating foods that contain gluten.The most severe reaction to gluten is called celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body mistakenly harms itself. Celiac disease affects up to 1% of the population and can damage the intestines.
Why should some people avoid Gluten?
Most people can eat gluten without experiencing side effects.However, people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten. People with other disorders like wheat allergy and non-celiac gluten sensitivity also frequently avoid gluten. Aside from an allergy, there are two main reasons why someone would want to avoid gluten.
- Celiac Disease
Celiac disease affects up to 1% of people worldwide. It is an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakes gluten as a foreign threat. To remove this “threat,” the body overreacts and attacks the gluten proteins.
- Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is believed to affect 0.5–13% of people. People who are classified as having non-celiac gluten sensitivity do not test positive celiac disease or a wheat allergy. However, they still feel uncomfortable after eating gluten. Symptoms of non-celiac gluten sensitivity are similar to those of celiac disease and include stomach pain, bloating, changes in bowel motions, tiredness and eczema or a rash.
Foods to Avoid on a Gluten-Free Diet
Completely avoiding gluten can be challenging. This is because gluten is found in many common ingredients that are added to foods.
Below are the main sources of gluten in the diet:
Wheat-based foods like wheat bran, wheat flour, spelt, durum, kamut and semolina Barley, Rye.
Below are some foods that may have ingredients containing gluten added to them:
- Bread: All wheat-based bread.
- Pasta: All wheat-based pasta.
- Cereals: Unless labelled gluten-free.
- Baked goods: Cakes, cookies, muffins, pizza, bread crumbs and pastries.
- Snack foods: Candy, muesli bars, crackers, pre-packaged convenience foods, roasted nuts, flavoured chips and popcorn, pretzels.
- Sauces: Soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoisin sauce, marinades, salad dressings.
- Beverages: Beer, flavoured alcoholic beverages.
- Other foods: Couscous, broth (unless labelled gluten-free).
The easiest way to avoid gluten is to eat unprocessed, single-ingredient foods. Otherwise, you should read the food labels of most foods you buy, as they may have traces of gluten.For example, oats are naturally gluten-free. However, they are often contaminated with gluten, as they might be processed in the same factory as wheat-based foods