Gluten

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Gluten is a protein found in most cereals - wheat, rye, barley, oats and others. It contains the proteins gliadin and glutenin, which make up 80% of the protein in cereals. Gluten ("gluten") is not a characteristic ingredient in all cereals. This protein mixture is the substance that gives the dough elasticity.

The gluten thread is strengthened during kneading, so usually when you mix a mixture with flour, the culinary command is to stir in only one direction so as not to disturb its integrity. Gluten is the substance that preserves and gives shape in the process of rising the dough.

Hidden in almost every pizza, pasta, bread and pasta, gluten is a component of wheat flour and is defined as the main indicator of the quality of flour for bread production. The gluten content of the dough is measured in percentages, and the normal content for making bread is 21 to 30%.

The higher the gluten levels in the bread, the better the quality. Grains with a gluten content of less than 18% belong to the category of feed.

The history of gluten began in the 19th century, when the protein was isolated by an Italian chemist through the operation "washing away gluten". The quality indicators that are valid for gluten are: spillage, color and shortness.

Today, gluten is an integral part of our diet, but it is the cause of a serious disease that is widespread. Proteins in gluten are the main reason for the development of gluten enteropathy. This gluten intolerance is an autoimmune disease resulting from the consumption of gluten-containing foods. In children, the disease is called celiac disease, and in adults - gluten enteropathy.

Foods with gluten

In order to prevent the aforementioned disease and avoid allergic shock, it is advisable to always follow the labels of the foods you buy and especially cereal pasta. In fact, the main sources of gluten protein are part of a huge number of foods, many of which are ancillary and rarely part of the contents of the packaging of various articles.

A few examples - in the culinary industry flour is used for various purposes: to facilitate the passage of a product through processing machines, as an anti-stick agent in trays and even as an ingredient to increase the volume of spices such as baking powder, cinnamon, cocoa and other aromatic mixtures. Gluten-containing foods are:

white flour (type 500, 1150, 1050, etc.), wholemeal flour, graham, wheat, bulgur, durum (a type of wheat with hard yellow grains, often used to make pasta), oats, barley, rye, spelled, couscous, semolina, all pastes made from wheat, etc. In various spices, such as paprika, baking powder, bouillon cubes, which often contain flour as a supplement to monosodium glutamate.

Gluten It is also found in many of the soy sauce sold, soy sauce is usually obtained by fermenting soybeans with wheat flour.

If you have an intolerance to gluten, avoid corn sticks, cereals with the addition of barley, as well as all products that contain wheat germ, any kind of starch. Gluten is also found in vegetable proteins: marzipan, puddings, cereals, pastries, malt extracts, boza, etc., as well as in ketchup, mustard, various sauces. Even instant coffee, sausages and beer can detect the presence of a harmless protein.

In fact, barley and rye and oats contain gluten-like protein, and this must be taken into account. The protein in them may not always cause a reaction in people with established intolerance.

Harm from gluten

C gluten There are many diseases such as hypertension, eczema, psoriasis, depression, which are associated with the consumption of foods rich in protein.

As for gluten enteropathy, this autoimmune disease develops as a result of atrophy of the lining of the small intestine because there is reduced activity of enzymes in the intestinal tract. As a result, their ability to absorb nutrients is impaired. According to statistics, 1 in 300 people between the ages of 30 and 45 develop gluten intolerance.

Most often intolerance to gluten is inherited, and its late discovery can lead to really serious consequences - osteoporosis, cancer of the throat and gastrointestinal tract. Diagnosis of the disease requires blood tests to detect antibodies that are present in the blood of people with gluten intolerance.

A positive sample is followed by a monoscopic examination to obtain biomaterial, which is then identified using a microscope to determine the damage to the cells of the small intestine.

Symptoms of celiac disease in children:

- Irritability and metabolic disorders;

- Slower weight gain;

- Enlarged abdomen and swelling;

- Eating complications and diarrhea.

Symptoms of gluten enteropathy in adults:

- More frequent occurrence of herpes and cold sores;

- Very severe stomach upset;

- Sudden weight loss;

- Quick and easy fatigue;

- changeable mood;

- inability to concentrate;

- metabolic disorders;

- breakdown of the immune system;

- sterility;

- dental problems.

Studies by Harvard Medical Institute have shown that more and more people are avoiding gluten, and although they do not suffer from gluten enteropathy, they fail to process gluten properly. Such cases are usually not amenable to testing for gluten enteropathy and at the same time feel good when not consuming gluten food. In conclusion, experts say that the fashion in nutrition is a reason for many people to avoid gluten, but for others it is mandatory.

Gluten-free diet

In the presence of celiac disease and gluten enteropathy, a gluten-free diet is practically the only effective solution. When there is no gluten, the work of the intestinal tract is normalized, and carbohydrates are obtained from products such as yogurt and milk, eggs, corn, soy, rice, buckwheat, cheese, cottage cheese and more.

It is important that the whole amount of food is saturated or enriched with vitamins and minerals, because impaired absorption does not allow their absorption. In such conditions there is a deficiency of B vitamins and zinc, which can compensate for the gifts of nature. The permissible amount of fat per day should not exceed 40 g.

This diet is also used by people who do not have a problem with gluten intolerance. Gluten should not be given to infants up to six or seven months, because it can not be absorbed by their digestive system, and the end result may be the development of severe allergies. Alternative medicine strongly recommends a gluten-free diet for people with allergies and asthma.

The main thing in this healing diet is not to consume wheat, rye, barley and oatmeal, as well as any pasta, pastries, cereals, starch creams, malt extracts, canned food that contains starch. The final stage of the disease is the gluten-resistant diet. In this case, the diet does not help the patient and requires medication, corticosteroids and immunosuppressants.