Victoria Beckham, Jessica Alba and Gwyneth Paltrow refused to gluten, the number of marks #glutenfree on instagram here-here will reach 20 million, and in 2018 only the US population buys gluten-free food for 6 billion dollars.
But 20 years ago, this word did not know. What is the new enemy of health? Or the world captured another marketing myth? Let’s deal.
What is gluten?
Is a protein contained in cereals and products made from them: bread, pasta, baked goods, beer, cereals etc. It can also be found in seasonings, ready sauces, yogurts, and even lipstick. Gluten is like glue, so it is added to foods to improve their texture and appearance. For this property it was called gluten.
Gluten free many products strongly reduced the shelf life, the buns would not be so airy and delicate, and the whole baking much crumbled. However, for all its advantages, the gluten can “glue” and the contents of the stomach, to hinder him from working and cause severe food allergies.
So, is it still harmful?
Formal research has not yet confirmed that it is safe for people without allergies. Gluten is dangerous only to those who suffer from celiac disease –intolerance to gluten.
Some doctors claim that the human body is not well adapted to digest grains, but the wheat that we eat too much different from what it was before. Because of the selection of gluten concentration was too big and now causes damage. But then again, yet this position is not evidence.
And how to understand that I have an intolerance?
Celiac disease is found in about 1% of adults. It is believed that this genetic disorder is the same as lactose intolerance. If your parents have celiac disease, she may have passed on to you. In this case you can get chronic bloating, constant diarrhea, pale stool with a pungent odor and other digestive disorders. If you are allergic to gluten you may have headaches, hair loss and reduced immunity.
The symptoms are rather vague, so the patient may not even guess about intolerance. But there is a simple way to test yourself: give up gluten for a few days and then return it to the diet.
If gljuteinovye products will cause problems with digestion, contact your doctor to get a medical test for celiac.
If your doctor says to avoid gluten, what would I eat?
First and foremost, you have to carefully read the product composition in the supermarket. The substance indicated on the package, like textured or hydrolyzed vegetable protein is gluten. The market for gluten-free products has grown strongly in recent years, so special restrictions you will not experience: you can find even cereal and pasta without gluten.
Meat, eggs, rice, beans, nuts, fruits, vegetables, products consisting of natural milk – all this and much more will also remain in your menu.