Products marked “gluten free” are all over markets these days. This is a boon to people with a rare condition called “celiac disease” and other unusual health problems that require gluten avoidance, but many gluten-free foods are poor healthy choices.
What is Gluten? Wheat, barley, rye, and hybrids of these grains (like triticale) contain proteins called glutenins and gliadins. When these are exposed to water and a little pressure (from kneading or stirring), they bind together to form a protein complex called gluten. Gluten can stretch and expand like a balloon. Bubbles of carbon dioxide produced by yeast (or the combination of baking soda and an acid) get trapped in the gluten complex, causing the bread or cake to rise while proofing and baking. Gluten creates the air pockets that give bread its characteristic texture. Too much gluten makes cakes and pancakes tough (which is why recipes often warn against over-mixing or recommend lower-protein cake flour).
Gluten Avoidance: For most people, gluten has no impact on health. But for a small segment of the population with certain medical conditions, following a gluten-free diet is essential. For individuals with celiac disease (approximately only 1% of the general population), in which gluten ingestion causes an autoimmune reaction that results in damage to the small intestine. This can lead to nutrient malabsorption and potentially serious health consequences such as weak bones, anemia, infertility, neurological issues, and a higher risk of intestinal cancer. People who report adverse reactions like stomach pain, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, brain fog, and skin conditions when they consume gluten but test negative for celiac disease may have a condition called non-celiac gluten sensitivity. A few people with an allergy to wheat also react to rye and barley, so a gluten-free diet is helpful for them as well.
But there is no reason for people who do not have these specific conditions to avoid gluten in their diets. However, if avoiding gluten means people stop eating products made with refined flour (like cakes, cookies, crackers, and white bread) and replace them with nuts/seeds, beans, lentils, vegetables, and fruits, there will be a nutritional benefit. Unfortunately, that is not usually what happens. The popularity of the gluten-free diet has led to a boom in gluten-free refined products, such as crackers made from white rice flour and gluten-free high-sugar cookies and cakes, and they apt to contain less fiber, B vitamins, iron, and result in increased consumption of processed foods high in fat and sugar. Thus, these products are poor choices and provide incentives to avoid gluten free dieting.
Eating Gluten Free: If you need to follow a gluten-free diet (or are shopping or cooking for someone who does), here is what you need to know:
• A true gluten-free diet requires the complete exclusion of all whole foods, food products, and medications containing even traces of gluten proteins. To avoid cross-contamination, utensils used in gluten-containing dishes should not touch gluten-free foods.
• Vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, unprocessed meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products are naturally gluten free. There are many naturally gluten-free grains, including quinoa, rice, buckwheat, and corn.
• Processed foods labeled as “gluten-free” (like legume-based pastas and gluten-free baked goods) can also be included. Many nutrients are stripped away from grains when they are refined. It is mandatory for manufacturers to add many of these nutrients (including iron, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine) to refined wheat flour, but not all refined gluten-free flours have a similar requirement. Rice and corn flours are often voluntarily enriched, and enrichment of these products is mandatory in some cases, such as in school lunch programs. Additionally, all refined grains lack fiber, which is important to health and under consumed. Instead, one should seek gluten-free processed foods made with whole gluten-free grains or at least enriched refined gluten-free flours (a list of added vitamins will be in parentheses after the grain on the ingredients list).
• Gluten free “one-to-one” flours for baking can now be found in most markets. These can be directly substituted for gluten-containing flours in recipes (although the resulting texture will not be identical). Additional gluten-free options are widely available, along with recipes for gluten-free versions of foods typically made with wheat. Unless one has a condition that requires gluten avoidance, there is no reason to do so. If you must avoid gluten, emphasize the many naturally gluten-free whole foods, paired with gluten-free whole grains and mostly whole-grain packaged products, with the occasional gluten-free baked treat if you like.
CONCLUSION
Unless you are one of the few who have a specific condition caused by gluten sensitivity, there are no health benefits—and even disadvantages—in avoiding gluten. Those who are uncertain about the diagnosis should make certain through appropriate physician directed medical testing. If true sensitivity is found, stick mostly to naturally gluten-free whole foods (veggies, fruits, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, animal proteins, and gluten-free whole grains). When eating “gluten free” processed foods, look for those made with whole grains or enriched flours.
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