Understanding Gluten

It’s almost been ~trendy~ to cut gluten out of your diet lately. Maybe that’s necessary for some but it’s unlikely SO MANY need to be avoiding it. If you’re one of the many that decided to avoid it, do you know why?

What is gluten?

Straightforward: gluten is a protein. It is mainly made up of gliadin and glutenin. It is found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats. It gives breads and baked goods their ‘stretchy’ quality, their taste, and their ability to stay moist.

Celiac Disease, Epilepsy, and Gluten Sensitivity

Think of celiac disease (CD) as being extremely allergic to gluten. It is an autoimmune disorder where each individual’s experience can be different. When food is being digested the small intestine will not recognize gluten properly so the body begins to ‘attack’. The advice for those diagnosed is to strictly avoid all gluten and possible gluten-contaminated products. This is where the gluten-free diet originated. Another reasoning for a gluten-free diet is to assist with children experiencing epilepsy. It was seen that children with epilepsy who avoided gluten did slightly better than those children who continued to consume gluten regularly. This could also be a coincidence because it is known that as a child develops, their condition improves. There are also those who are just more sensitive to the protein. Someone who is sensitive to gluten tends to just experience painful or uncomfortable digestion. This is a manageable side effect compared to it being life-threatening for someone with CD.

Consuming gluten

You wouldn’t be afraid of any other protein, so why are you afraid of gluten. If you truly feel you are more sensitive you should make an appointment with your healthcare provider for gluten sensitivity test. There is no reason to be depriving yourself of a perfectly good pizza or bagel because you have heard it may be bad for you. For most of the population gluten is actually beneficial. Cutting out this protein may lead you to be deficient in the necessary macronutrient. A person lacking adequate protein in their diet will experience weakness, loss of muscle, and possible anemia. Don’t put yourself at risk for jumping on the newest food fad.