What is gluten, how much it harms you and how to eat gluten-free

It is well known that people with Celiac Disease they must wear a diet in which gluten is not presentand as low in gluten as possible in the case of those people who manifest a certain degree of discomfort when consuming it, what we call “non-celiac gluten sensitivity”.

In addition, more and more people arewithout having any kind of problem with gluten, too decide to voluntarily remove it from their diet suspecting that its intake may have harmful effects on the body.

In this video you will find a summary of the first symptoms that indicate that you could suffer from gluten intolerance:

Eating a gluten-free diet (or reducing its consumption) can raise many questions. In this we will see the keys to do it and we will solve some of the most common doubts. We will see what gluten is, what foods naturally contain it or may contain hidden gluten, what is the difference between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, in what health problems can suppressing gluten be beneficial and what important things we must take into account when following a diet without gluten.

What is gluten and what foods contain it

He gluten It is a set of proteins that some cereal grains contain. Specifically, the gliadinswhich are part of gluten together with gluteninsare the proteins with the greatest capacity to generate an unwanted immune response in people intolerant or sensitive to glutenand for this reason they are also the most studied.

Wheat is the cereal with the highest gluten content. compared to other cereals that also contain it. In turn, it is the most consumed and most widely used cereal in the preparation of breads, pastas and doughs. This is not by chance, since gluten is responsible for giving the masses, once baked, that characteristic elasticity and sponginess that they like so much.

All varieties of wheat contain gluten (common, durum, spelt or common spelt, triticale, Kamut…). The other two cereals that contain it are barley and the rye. Oats deserve a separate mention, because sometimes it is debated whether it contains gluten or not.

Pure oats are naturally gluten-free. In fact, the European Union admitted it in 2009 on the list of gluten-free foods. So what is the problem? The answer is that it is frequent that, during its cultivation or processing, it is mixed with other cereals that do contain gluten. That is why people with intolerance seek certified gluten-free oats.

The problem of poor quality bread

He bread is a demonized food in recent years, largely due to its high gluten content, the largest among the cereals. However, bread consumption has fallen by 30% over the last 20 years, while the incidence of celiac disease has tripled.

If we look further, we find two events that have occurred during the same period of time: a change in bread making methods and the increased consumption of ultra-processed. That is where we should aim: choose quality bread (integral, without additives or added gluten and slow fermentation) and do not consume ultra-processed.

Avoid foods with hidden gluten

People with intolerance or sensitivity to gluten face the problem that gluten appears in many foods that are not made with these grains. This occurs because it can be easily isolated and is used by the food industry to give your products sponginess and elasticityas well as to give more consistency and texture.

Consequently, gluten can be present in a wide variety of products that a priori should not contain it, such as sausages, yogurts, sauces, ice creams, pâtés… For example, a common ingredient that can reveal the presence of gluten is Hydrolyzed vegetable protein.

Since 2014, European legislation obliges food companies to report the presence of gluten in products, among other allergens. Therefore, if you need or want to avoid gluten for any reason, you will not only have to give up the cereals that contain it and the products made with them (bread, pasta, pastries, etc.), but also read the labels of all foods made before purchasing.

Is it celiac disease or gluten sensitivity?

As for the gluten-related pathologiesthe celiac disease and gluten sensitivity They are the most prevalent and are often confused.

The celiac is a autoimmune disease and whoever suffers it usually has genetic predisposition and present lesions in the digestive tissue as a consequence of gluten consumption.

On the other hand, in the gluten sensitivity there are no specific antibodies against gluten or lesions in the digestive tract, but ingestion can cause them to manifest intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain and swelling, diarrhoea, headache, etc.

Since 2012, gluten sensitivity has been renamed “non-celiac gluten sensitivity» to specify that the diagnosis should be made after other pathologies, such as celiac disease and wheat allergy, have been excluded.

Both celiac disease and allergies benefit from a gluten free dietsince, when removing it, the symptoms are alleviated or disappear.

It should be emphasized that the wheat allergy is a reaction against all wheat proteins, not just gluten. People with this allergy can consume other grains other than wheat and processed, even if they contain gluten.

Is gluten inflammatory?

There are other pathologies that in recent years have been seen to benefit from a gluten free dietas the epilepsyhe Tourette syndrome wave ataxia (incoordination in movements).

This has given rise to thinking that the Gluten itself can contribute to inflammation of different organs and systems of the organism. Scientific studies have been carried out to see if gluten is generally inflammatory, even in healthy people. The results are controversial.

On the one hand, we found research in which the gliadin has shown that it can increase intestinal permeability by altering the expression of junction proteins between epithelial cells. A chronic alteration in the intestinal barrier can end up allowing the passage of harmful substances that interact with the immune system and generate inflammation.

On the other hand, whether these events are triggered depends on many factors (genetics, lifestyle, exposure to toxic substances…), which means that some people will be more susceptible than others to inflammation from gluten intake. In any case, the abuse of products rich in gluten, together with an unhealthy diet, can lead to an inflammatory state.

Eliminate gluten or take care of the microbiota?

One of the fundamental factors that help prevent the inflammation we were talking about from triggering is the state of the intestinal flora or microbiotaformed by living microorganisms that play an important role in the immune system.

As a whole, the microbiota is capable of regulating the production of proteins that control intestinal impermeabilitythat is, the ability of our intestinal barrier to let nutrients and substances that are beneficial to the body pass through while preventing the entry of toxic or harmful compounds.

Well, numerous studies show that a healthy microbiota is able to reduce inflammation that can be caused by gliadin from gluten in the intestinal tract, since it is capable of partially degrading it.

consumption of high fiber foodssuch as legumes, fruits and vegetables, and fermented foods such as yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut or kimchi, will be our allies to enjoy a more balanced intestinal microbiota.

Does a gluten-free diet help you lose weight?

Healthy people, without digestive discomfort or signs of inflammation, who follow a healthy diet, do not particularly benefit from a gluten-free diet. Said in other words, a gluten-free diet is not automatically healthier. In fact, many “gluten-free” ultra-processed products are of the same or worse quality than those with gluten, since to achieve the same flavor and texture they use other unhealthy ingredients, such as refined fats and thickening additives.

fits too deny that the gluten-free diet is adequate to lose weight. The weight loss that can occur when eliminating gluten is due to the withdrawal of low-quality processed products, which are usually rich in sugars and vegetable fats such as cookies, pastries, industrial masses, etc.

We should not condition our diet to fashion, but adapt it to our personal and health needs.

Alternatives to wheat and other gluten-containing grains

If you need or decide to do without wheat and other gluten-containing cereals, you have a multitude of options that allow you all kinds of gluten-free preparations and recipes that also have nutritional advantages.

This is just a small selection:

Legume flours: Chickpea, lentil or soy flour are options for replace wheat flour In the development of dry pasta or dough.buckwheat: despite what its name suggests, It is not wheat and does not contain gluten. Is used in the preparation of breads and is rich in protein.psyllium: the ground plantago husk has the capacity to retain water and gives fluffiness. It is perfect to replace gluten in the mass elaboration.Carob: carob flour has a flavor and color reminiscent of cocoa, making it ideal for mix with other gluten-free flours in pastries.Cornmeal: with it they are elaborated pastries or breads. It stands out for its contribution in antioxidants, such as provitamin A and other carotenoids.

How to eat gluten-free away from home

At home we can control what we buy and what we don’t buy when preparing our recipes, but it is not easy to eat peacefully away from home when you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. We offer you some advice.

there are more and more restaurants and cafes with gluten-free optionsas well as people who are dedicated to listing “gluten free” sites in their area. Searching the internet is the first filtersurely you will discover places that you did not know!Restaurants are required to report the presence of allergens. Don’t be ashamed to ask the staff everything you need. Even if you feel that you can be insistent, your well-being depends on it. If they have adapted the dish you have chosen to avoid risks of cross-contamination, do not share a plate with other peoplesince they may have made it in kitchen containers that are contaminated.Prioritize simple preparations from vegetables, eggs and legumes, that do not have many sauces, and avoid fried foods and highly seasoned stews. Although theoretically sauces and dressings that restaurants offer as an option to season the dishes do not seem to contain gluten in their preparation, if they are commercial it is very…