Is Gluten Actually Unhealthy? Or is this all a ruse?
Gluten is a protein type naturally found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. It gives bread or anything made of the aforementioned grains, elasticity and holds everything together. Gluten is the holy grail in baking and in many other types of food. Also, other grains such as durum, semolina, farro, and graham contain gluten. In more subtle ways, gluten comes in monosodium glutamate (MSG), soy sauce, lecithin, modified food starch and sometimes in medicine and vitamins from either cross-contamination or as fillers or coatings.
Is gluten really a problem in everyday life?
In the world there are four major types of gluten allergies or reactions that spring from ingestion of gluten. These are celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, wheat allergy, gluten ataxia and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). Out of these, celiac disease is the most documented and serious health condition. Let’s look a little bit into what exactly each of these conditions are.
CELIAC DISEASE: Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease and if anyone who has this condition ingests gluten, the gut lining gets damaged overtime and will cause problems in nutrient absorption. The symptoms can be quite dire, ranging from pain, osteoporosis, diarrhoea to anoemia. NON-CELIAC GLUTEN SENSITIVITY: This also gives out symptoms similar to celiac disease such as bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, memory problems, rashes and headaches. But this condition does not cause any harm to the gut lining.
GLUTEN ATAXIA: This is also an autoimmune disorder which causes issues with muscle control and voluntary muscle movement by affecting particular nerve tissue when gluten is ingested.
WHEAT ALLERGY: Similar to other food allergies, the immune system misinterprets gluten or another protein in wheat as a harmful disease-causing agent, like virus or bacteria and generates antibodies as a response to the protein that might result in congestion, breathing problems and other indications. DERMATITIS HERPETIFORMIS (DH): A skin rash that results from eating gluten. It is an autoimmune response that exhibits itself as a persistent red itchy skin rash that may produce blisters and bumps. Although people with celiac disease may have DH, the reverse is not always true. Those with DH often do not have any digestive symptoms.
But the people who suffer from all of the aforementioned conditions sum up to only 1% of the population. The rest of the 99% of the population has nothing to worry about! Wheat flour is a great source of vitamins, fiber and minerals and there is absolutely nothing wrong with gluten!
Gluten Free Diets
You should follow a gluten-free diet ONLY if you have any of the abovementioned disorders and otherwise if you have accustomed yourself to a glutenfree diet you would be at a disadvantage rather than benefitting from it.
Rather than opting for gluten-free options which are high in calories and carbohydrates and depleted of many nutrients, incorporate more plant based food items to the diet such as beans, seeds, nuts in their natural form, fruits and vegetables and eggs, lean, unprocessed meats, fish and poultry and low-fat dairy products. Some grains/starches/flours that are free of gluten are buckwheat, corn, flax, soy, rice, tapioca and sorghum and you can incorporate these to the diet instead of flours with gluten.
If you don’t have any of the aforementioned conditions, there is no reason to stay off of gluten. Grains containing gluten have many positive health benefits. It’s the high amount of fat and carbohydrates in your diet that’s irritating your diet. Just because someone said it’s a good way to live your life, don’t succumb to a fad without consulting your doctor and confirming if you have any type of gluten sensitivity. Even if so, refer a dietician with regard to a suitable diet instead of following what pops on social media. Please do the mindful thing and follow the correct path. Live your life as how its meant to be, not as some media personality dictates it should be. (This article is for your information only. Please check with your doctor.)