Is eating gluten-free good for your health?
It’s impossible to miss the new trend of “gluten-free” in supermarkets. Pasta, breads, flours, many foods containing gluten are blamed for being unhealthy and causing several diseases. What is the reality? Is eating gluten-free good or bad for your health?
What is gluten?
The term “gluten” is derived from the Latin “glutinum” which means sticky matter. Wheat gluten refers to a family of several nutrients composed mainly of two proteins: prolamins and glutelains. These proteins are formed during the hydration and kneading of wheat flour. Their function is to give elasticity and volume to the dough, giving it a soft texture.
But in reality, the constitution of gluten is not visible at the cereal stage. This is formed at the time of making a hydrated paste. It is therefore by abuse of language that it is attributed to several cereals that do not actually have the capacity to produce it. For example, from cereals such as rye, barley or oats, it is impossible to obtain gluten per se, because these cereals are called “impanifiable”.
Gluten in the human body
The “viscoelasticity” of gluten allows it to perfectly bind foods together: a rather interesting property for the food industry, which uses it to optimize the texture of certain foods. This is how traces of glutenic proteins are found in several food products.
But if gluten is mainly made up of proteins, it also contains other compounds such assugar, starch and minerals. This combination of nutrients is known for its resistance tohuman digestion. Indeed, prolamins and glutenins are not normally transformed by our digestion. They land as such in the intestine and cause a digestive heaviness that many would gladly do without.
Why are some people gluten intolerant?
The insolubility of glutenic proteins and their poor absorption by the body cause glutenintolerance in some people. The body is unable to absorb these proteins well, so it sees them as an enemy. As a result, by self-defense reaction, it produces excess antibodies. The multiplication of these triggers a series of inflammations in the small intestine.
This intolerance can appear at any age, between 20 and 60 years. Sometimes it manifests itself in early childhood, around 6 months to 2 years. Symptoms vary depending on the individual: bloating, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, joint pain, anemia, etc. The allergic form occurs in the form ofskin disorders.
Gastrointestinal disorders are often sources of damage to intestinal epithelial cells. This weakening of the natural barrier of the intestines would cause the malabsorption of certain minerals and vitamins. This would then explain the wide variety of symptoms and the risks of cardiovascular pathologies. In the long term, gluten intolerance can lead to stunted growth in children, osteoporosis, neurological disorders and autoimmune diseases.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.