What is Gluten?
Gluten is part of the tough, elastic protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats, and many other grains. It binds the dough in baking and prevents crumbling. Gluten is formed when the proteins glutenin and gliadin, present in flour, combine with water. In baking, the gluten in dough is stretched by the carbon dioxide produced by the action of yeast or baking powder, giving the dough a spongy and elastic texture.
Gluten can be found in breads, cakes, pastries, cookies, biscuits, crackers, battered foods, cereals, snack foods, pastas and pizza.
Because gluten is also used as a thickener and filler, it is found in soups, gravies, sauces, processed meats, pickles, sweets, instant pudding and even in chocolate!
Repeated exposure to gluten can damage the villi (the absorptive surface) of the small intestine resulting in poor nutrient absorption. It is estimated that 12% of the population is affected by gluten sensitivity. Unfortunately, for many of us gluten sensitivity is asymptomatic, or manifests in such a way that makes tracing symptoms back to gluten difficult. Gluten sensitivity is characterized by antigliadin antibodies. These antibodies indicate that the intestinal wall has been damaged and is permitting leakage of undigested food proteins into the bloodstream. The immune system produces antibodies to attack these foreign proteins as if they were invading microbes. This is called leaky guy syndrome - a major factor in the underlying cause of most autoimmune diseases including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. Sadly, gluten sensitivity and leaky but syndrome remain poorly recognized; in fact, many physicians and health practitioners often suggest that patients ignore symptoms altogether.
The hallmark symptom of gluten intolerance is bloating after eating a starch or grain. For many of us, starch is a regular part of the day, beginning with toast or cereal for breakfast. Should you notice that your belly is flat upon awakening but becomes bloated immediately after eating a starchy food suspect gluten. An indicator of more advanced gluten intolerance is a developing sensitivity to everyday chemicals such as perfumes and paint fumes.
Gluten intolerance may lead to a chronic inflammatory condition called Celiac Disease (or celiac sprue). In Celiac Disease, nutrients pass through the damaged small intestine, unabsorbed, often creating a host of sometimes devastating health and digestive problems. Untreated, Celiac Disease carries an added risk for a wide variety of additional autoimmune diseases.
Article from the Healthy Shopper team at Naturally Savvy (www.naturallysavvy.com)
