Is wheat gluten always bad?

The gluten in wheat and other cereals can cause intolerance reactions in some people, but it is not a poison.

What is gluten?

Gluten is not a single substance, but a mixture of proteins (prolamines and glutelins) formed by different peptides (chains of amino acids).

In the case of wheat, gluten is from 75 to 80% of its proteins, and is found in the endosperm of the grain together with the starch.

Is gluten harmful?

When gluten is digested it is broken down into peptides that can cause intolerance reactions (in this case we speak of celiac disease) or sensitivity in some people.

The exact cause of the reaction in these people is unknown. May exist genetic and environmental factors. It is estimated that 2 out of every 100 Spaniards suffer from celiac disease and it affects twice as many women as men.

In people with intolerance, a autoimmune type reaction it damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing some nutrients.

He gut damage it often causes diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating, and anemia, and can lead to serious complications. A totally gluten-free diet usually solves the problems completely.

On the other hand, some people with autoimmune diseases, they can improve their symptoms if they eliminate it from their diet.

Does gluten have beneficial properties?

That’s how it is. For most people, gluten is not only not a problem, but it is can produce benefits.

One study involved 20 adults with hyperlipidemia (increased levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoproteins in the blood) who were divided into two groups.

The participants in the first group barely consumed gluten, while those in the second group ingested a very high amount, 78 g, which is well above the consumption in the average of the population (between 5 and 20 g).

After a month it was discovered that the concentration of triglycerides (cardiovascular risk factor) had decreased nearly 20 percent in the gluten-consuming group. The researchers had to conclude that gluten reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Where is gluten found?

In addition to wheat, gluten is found in barley, rye, and other cereals in the grass family.

The following is a list of different cereals and their gluten content per 100 g of flour:

White spelled flour: 10.3 g White wheat flour: 8.7 g Barley (whole grain, husked): 5.6 gd Whole rye: 3.2 g

Does modern wheat contain more gluten?

The question often arises as to why our grandparents’ generation was practically unaware of gluten intolerance when today it is a frequent problem.

It is common to attribute the increase in incidence to the dominance of crops by high-yielding wheat varieties selected by farmers for their productivity and resistance.

However, researchers from the Technical University of Munich have analyzed the protein of 60 varieties of wheat grains grown between 1891 and 2010, and have discovered that modern varieties they contain even a little less gluten than the old ones. Specifically, the prolamine content (one of the fractions of gluten) has been reduced by 18%.

In general terms, gluten content has remained constant for the past 120 years, according to German scientists.

On the other hand, the researchers observed that the annual rains have a greater influence on the gluten content than the chosen variety: in rainy years the gluten content of wheat increases.

However, it cannot be ruled out that the key to the increase in gluten intolerance was found in some accompanying substance. For example, researcher Stephanie Seneff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suspects that the ingestion of the pesticide glyphosate favors the appearance of symptoms of intolerance to gluten.

Gluten-free cereals as an alternative

People who are gluten intolerant often have to avoid or reduce foods that contain gluten, such as wheat. there is a variety of delicious cereals and pseudocereals without gluten:

Millet Corn Rice Wild rice Amaranth Buckwheat Quinoa Teff Buckwheat Oats certified gluten-free

Scientific references:

Katharina Anne Scherf et al. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Breeding from 1891 to 2010 Contributed to Increasing Yield and Glutenin Contents but Decreasing Protein and Gliadin Contents. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.