Among the people who preach a healthy diet, the issue of gluten is popular today. What it is? What is the harm of gluten? What products is it in? All this will be discussed in the article.
Gluten: What is it and why is it harmful?
Gluten (lat.gluten - glue) is called a protein found in cereals. Its greatest content is determined in wheat: in the composition of grains of 23,788 different proteins, combined under the common name gluten, or gluten. Its suppliers are also rye, oats, barley.
Many avoid products containing gluten.What is it and why is it harmful? Elastic rubber-like protein contains gliadin and glutenin. Gluten is determined in carbohydrate-containing products, in flour products, in some by-products. Detect gluten is possible even in ice cream. It does not dissolve in water, after hydration, forms a fiber when swelling. Gluten is widely used in the production of flour and its products.
Most of the population of protein is not harmful to health. However, some people from birth have an allergic reaction to it. In this case, the harm of gluten is obvious, it becomes dangerous to health.
Gluten intolerance
Gluten-free foods for many people (1out of a thousand) cause allergic intolerance. This phenomenon is an autoimmune disorder associated with malabsorption (insufficient absorption of substances by the body). Gluten-dependent enteropathy is manifested by abdominal pain, diarrhea.
Gluten sensitive celiac disease is referred to as moresevere form of component intolerance. The disease is caused by an increase in the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes in the body with a specific receptor set. Gluten is determined by the cells as a threat. The immune system destroys the villi on the walls of the small intestine. The consequence of the impossibility of complete breakdown of microelements is the formation of toxic substances in the intestine and its trauma.
What is the harm of gluten?In adults with latent (hidden) forms of celiac disease, there is a violation of the chair, flatulence, bloating. Often it is masked by various forms of gastrointestinal diseases, dermatological pathologies. After 30 years atypical form manifests itself. Concomitant symptoms are characterized by joint pain, kidney disease, depression, migraine, changes in the biochemical composition of the blood. According to clinical studies, up to 8 percent of infertile women suffering from celiac disease successfully gave birth, thanks to a gluten-free diet.
So as the main factor glutenintolerance is a genetic predisposition to it. It is possible to diagnose celiac disease since childhood. In a child, gluten intolerance is manifested by frequent mushy, foaming stools (from 5 times a day), foul-smelling. Other signs are a large “rickety” belly, a noticeable weight loss of up to two years, a slow growth of the child.
Sick body losesessential micronutrients, nutrients, vitamins. Hence, the accompanying signs of illness in children can be the presence of fatigue, lethargy, emotional instability (tearfulness, aggression). Often, sick children suffer from dermatitis, poor skin, frequent fractures, poor posture, anemia, and diseases of the teeth and gums.
Boys, growing up, with gluten intolerance are susceptible to sexual dysfunction, and girls - impaired menstrual cycle.
The probability of complications with gluten intolerance
Gluten intolerance without treatment is fraughtserious complications. It can manifest itself in autoimmune hepatitis, autoimmune thyroid, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, up to oncological formations. Diseases of recurrent pericarditis, scleroderma, myasthenia, difficulties in conceiving a child can also be a consequence of advanced celiac disease.
For your information: the critical limit of gluten content for people allergic to the component is 1 mg per 100g of product.
How to diagnose celiac disease?
Often gluten intolerance is difficult.determine: symptoms are similar to signs of many diseases. For the most part, celiac disease is found with complex diagnostics. Targeted detection is carried out in stages.
- At the first stage, an immunological study of the patient's blood is carried out: the blood differs by autoimmune bodies, endomysium, and level of antigliadin antibodies.
- Positive results for the gluten testcauses a biopsy: examine the mucous membrane of the small intestine. The procedure reveals atypical receptors in lymphocytes, the state of the villi, lesions. A biopsy confirms a preliminary diagnosis.
- The third, half-year, stage is the anti-gluten diet. General improvement of the condition, the disappearance of the symptoms of the disease finally determine celiac disease.
The main treatment is lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet.
Gluten: Where is it contained?
Where is gluten contained?Wheat, barley, oats, rye - and all the products of these cereals. Cereals of them, bran also have gluten in their composition. In certain doses, it is found in beer drinks, kvass, wheat vodka, malt extract. Coffee and cocoa also have this protein.
Характерно наличие глютена гастрономическим Products: meatballs, cutlets, sausages, crab sticks, chips, mayonnaise, sauces and dressings. Bouillon cubes, powders, ready-made soups and cereals, soy products contain protein.
You need to know: food additives E150 E160 E411 E637 E636 E953 E965 indicates the presence of gluten in the product. His presence is revealed in products with dyes and flavors.
Where else is gluten contained?It is part of the components of many drugs - valerian in pills, "Complevita", preformed "Metronidozol", "Diclofenac", "Fenistil", "Paracetomol", etc. Special attention should be paid to preparations for children (vitamins, tablets). Gluten-dependent people when choosing medicines must consult a doctor.
What foods are not gluten free?
The absence of gluten is revealed in the following foods.
- Exclude the protein content of rice, buckwheat, corn, millet groats, products from sago, sorghum, amaranth, quinoa.
- Vegetables and fruits are free from protein, it is not found in potatoes and yams, legumes.
- Use in food of meat, fish, eggs is safe for gluten intolerance.
- There is no powdered gluten in milk, natural fermented milk products, cream and vegetable oil.
The use of hard cheeses is harmless. But you should pay attention to the inscriptions on the packages, so as not to be mistaken with the choice of products.
Rice for Celiac Disease
Rice is an excellent product for people withgluten intolerance. Up to 70% of its constituents are complex carbohydrates, contributing to rapid saturation and a long feeling of satiety. It contains up to 8% of vegetable protein, which allows vegetarians to do without meat. The presence of fiber in a small amount is useful for good work of the stomach and intestines, because it envelops the mucous membranes and provides them with protection against irritants.
Vitamin B in the composition of rice contributes to the correctthe functioning of the central nervous system, and lecithin in large quantities has a beneficial effect on intellectual activity. The most important thing is that gluten in rice is absent even in small doses. This makes cereal good for people with celiac disease.
Gluten: production
Analytical data show that productiongluten and its sales are growing (by 2016, up to 4%). Gluten is extracted from wheat flour using an aqueous medium and decanting centrifuges separating gluten from other components. Then the gluten is dried, during which its chains are broken down by disintegrators. Circulation dryer with gentle temperature conditions contributes to the preservation of the structure of the protein.
Gluten is used to make flour inthe quality of the component that determines the characteristics of the test: its elasticity and elasticity depend on the quality of the gluten. Low protein cereals produce a weak flour. Adding gluten to it is economical and beneficial for producers: the cost of such products with good product quality is much lower than the cost of making flour from strong wheat.
The use of "gluten" flour is important forproduction of bakery and confectionery products from it. With the presence of protein, the water absorbing capacity of the test increases, the shelf life of the finished product increases, and the physical properties of the test are strengthened. In addition, the products are less crumbling, and the percentage of the output of finished products grows to 7 units.
In the manufacture of pasta protein needas a plasticizer and a binder, which is important when forming the dough and cooking the finished products. In ready-made breakfasts with wheat and oat bran there is also gluten as an enriching component. The meat processing industry uses it as a functional component to help improve the structure of products, increase the density and elasticity of products.
Due to the viscoelastic properties of gluten, it is used for the production of cheese and meat, crab counterparts, artificial caviar.
Gluten free flour
Industrial production of flour containingGluten does not mean that gluten-dependent people will never have to eat bread, bakery products. Salvation is gluten-free flour. Its variety will make an excellent gluten-free menu. For food without gluten recommended flour from buckwheat, rice, corn, peas. Useful flour dishes from flax, amaranth, almond, potato, bird cherry, tapioca is useful.
Для вязкости теста вместо клейковины используют corn and potato starch. Without causing harm to health, you can bake pies, make pancakes and enjoy cheesecakes. In addition, the stores sell ready-made flour mixes for all types of dough (sand, puff, etc.) for making pancakes, cookies, and bread.
Gluten-free meals
The essence of this power comes down to the fact thateating gluten-free foods cannot harm health, and for people with celiac disease it is a vital necessity. For gluten-free nutrition, the main rule is to exclude wheat, rye, barley, oats from the diet, as well as all products derived from them (cereals, bakery products, confectionery).
It should be remembered: in cheap sausages, sausages, frozen meat and fish semi-finished products, many sauces are more likely to add gluten powder.
Useful buckwheat, millet,corn grits. Such a grain crop as amaranth was used by the ancient Incas and Aztecs; in Russia it was revered by wise old men. Inclusion in the diet of legumes, fresh vegetables and fruits will enrich the diet, make it useful.
Gluten-free diet does not limit consumption.meat, fish, dairy dishes and eggs. Some strong drinks are not prohibited: wine, tequila, rum, some whiskeys. Recently, production of gluten-free beer has been launched.
Gluten harm is obvious to peopleallergic to this protein. However, nutrition without eating does not affect the quality of food and its diversity. In addition, a number of gluten-free product manufacturers today offer a fairly large assortment of products that do not contain harmful protein.
