Damage to gluten. Gluten-Free Food

Among people who preach healthy eating, the question of gluten is popular today. What it is? What is the harm of gluten? In what products is it found? 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 grains 23788 different proteins, united under the common name of gluten, or gluten. Suppliers of it are also rye, oats, barley.

Many avoid products containing gluten. What is it and why is it harmful? The elastic rubber-like protein has gliadin and glutenin in the composition. Gluten is determined in hydrocarbon-containing products, in flour products, in some by-products. It is possible to detect gluten 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 products from it.

Most of the population protein is not harmful to health. However, some people from birth have an allergic reaction to it. In this case, the damage to gluten is obvious, it becomes dangerous for health.

Intolerance to gluten

Products with gluten content in many people (1 in 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 pain in the abdominal region, diarrhea.
Gluten-sensitive celiac disease is referred to as a more severe form of intolerance to the component. The disease is caused by an increase in the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes in the body that have a specific receptor set. Gluten is defined by cells as a threat. Immune system destroys villi on the walls of the small intestine. The consequence of the impossibility of complete splitting of microelements is the formation of toxic substances in the intestine and its trauma.

What is the harm of gluten? In adults with latent (latent) forms of celiac disease, there are disorders of stool, flatulence, bloating. Often, it is masked by various forms of diseases of the digestive tract, dermatological pathologies. After 30 years, an atypical form appears. 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 were safely bred, thanks to a gluten-free diet.

Since the main factor of gluten intolerance is a genetic predisposition to it. It is possible to diagnose celiac disease from childhood. In a child, gluten intolerance manifests itself as a frequent mushy, foaming stool (5 times a day), foul-smelling. Other signs - a large "rickety" belly, a noticeable shortage of weight to two years, a slow growth of the child.

The organism that has become ill with the organism lacks the necessary microelements, nutrients, vitamins. Hence the attendant signs of the disease in children may be the presence of rapid fatigue, lethargy, emotional instability (tearfulness, aggression). Often, sick children suffer from dermatitis, poor skin, frequent fractures, violation of posture, anemia, dental and gum disease.
Boys, growing up, with gluten intolerance are prone to sexual dysfunction, and girls - a violation of the menstrual cycle.

Probability of complications of gluten intolerance

Gluten intolerance without treatment is fraught with serious complications. It can manifest itself in autoimmune hepatitis, autoimmune thyreotide, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, gastrointestinal diseases, up to oncological formations. Diseases of recurrent pericarditis, scleroderma, myasthenia gravis, difficulty in conceiving a child can also be a consequence of neglected celiac disease.

For information: the critical limit of gluten content for people with allergies per component is 1 mg per 100 g of product.

How to diagnose celiac disease?

Often, gluten intolerance is difficult to determine: the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of many diseases. For the most part, celiac disease is detected with complex diagnosis. Targeted identification is carried out in stages.

1. At the first stage, the immunological examination of the patient's blood is obligatory: the blood differs by autoimmune bodies, endomisis, and level of antigliodin antibodies.
2. Positive results on the gluten test cause a biopsy: examine the mucosa of the small intestine. The procedure reveals atypical receptors in lymphocytes, the state of villi, lesions. A preliminary diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy.
3. The third, semi-annual, stage is the anti-gluten diet. General improvement in the condition, the disappearance of the symptoms of the disease finally determine celiac disease.

The main treatment is a lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet.

Gluten: where is it contained?

Where is the gluten? Wheat, barley, oats, rye - and all the products from these cereals. Cereals from them, bran also have a composition of gluten. In certain doses, it is found in beer beverages, kvass, wheat vodka, malt extract. In coffee and cocoa there is also this protein.

Characteristic of the presence of gluten in gastronomic products: meatballs, cutlets, sausages, crab sticks, chips, mayonnaise, sauces and dressings. Bouillon cubes, powders, ready-made soups and cereals, soy products contain protein.

Need to know: food additives E150 E160 E411 E637 E636 E953 E965 indicates the presence of gluten in the product. Its presence is found in products with dyes and flavors.

Where else is gluten? It is a component of many medications - valerian in dragee, "Complex", tableted "Metronidozole", "Diclofenac", "Fenistila", "Paracetamol", etc. Particular attention should be paid to preparations for children (vitamins, tablets). Gluten-dependent people when choosing medicines are required to consult a doctor.

What foods do not contain gluten?

The absence of gluten is found in the following foods.

1. Exclude the protein content of rice, buckwheat, corn, millet, groats, sago, sorghum, amaranth, kinoa.
2. Vegetables and fruits are free from protein, it is not found in potatoes and sweet potatoes, legumes.
3. The use of meat, fish, eggs in food is safe with gluten intolerance.
4. In milk, natural fermented milk products, cream and vegetable oil, powdery gluten is absent.

Harmless use of hard cheeses. But you should pay attention to the labels on the packaging, so as not to be mistaken with the choice of products.

Rice with celiac disease

Rice is an excellent product for people with gluten intolerance. Up to 70% of its components are complex carbohydrates, which contribute to rapid saturation and a prolonged sense 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. It envelops the mucous membranes and provides them with protection against irritants.

Vitamin B as part of rice contributes to the proper functioning of the central nervous system, and lecithin in large numbers has a beneficial effect on intellectual activity. Most importantly, gluten in rice is absent even in small doses. This makes the cereal useful to people suffering from celiac disease.

Gluten: production

Analytical data show that the production of gluten and its sales are growing (by 2016 to 4%). Gluten is removed from wheat flour using an aqueous medium and decanting centrifuges separating the gluten from the other ingredients. Then, the gluten is dried, during which its chains are broken by disintegrators. Circulating dryer with a gentle temperature regime contributes to the preservation of the structure of the protein.

Gluten is used to produce flour as a component that determines the characteristics of the test: the quality of the gluten depends on its elasticity, elasticity. Cereals with a low protein content give a weak flour. Adding gluten to it is economical and profitable for producers: the cost of such products with good commercial qualities is much lower than the cost of making flour from strong wheat.

The use of "gluten" flour is important for the production of bakery and confectionery products from it. With the presence of protein, the water-absorbing capacity of the dough increases, the shelf life of the finished product increases, and the physical properties of the dough are strengthened. In addition, the products are less crumbly, and the percentage of output of finished products grows to 7 units.
In the production of macaroni production, the protein is needed as a plasticizer and binder, which is important when molding the dough and cooking the finished products. In ready-made breakfasts with wheaten, oat bran is also present gluten as an enriching ingredient. Meat processing industry uses it as a functional component that contributes to improving the structure of products, increasing the density and elasticity of products.

Due to the viscoelastic properties of gluten, it is used for the production of cheese and meat, crab analogs, artificial caviar.

Gluten Free Flour

The industrial production of flour with gluten content does not mean that gluten-free people will never have to eat bread, bakery products. Salvation will be flour without gluten. Her variety will make a beautiful gluten-free menu. For nutrition without gluten, flour from buckwheat, rice, corn, peas is recommended. Useful use of flour dishes from flax, amaranth, almonds, potatoes, bird cherries, tapioca.

For the viscosity of the test, corn and potato starch are used instead of gluten . Without causing harm to health, you can bake pies, make pancakes and enjoy syrniki. In addition, the shops sell ready-mixed flour mixtures for all kinds of dough (sand, puff, etc.) for making pancakes, cookies, bread.

Gluten-Free Food

The essence of this nutrition is that the use of products without gluten can not do harm to health, but for people with celiac disease - this is a vital necessity. For gluten-free food, the main rule is the exclusion of wheat, rye, barley, oats from the ration, as well as the whole derivative of them (cereals, bakery, confectionery).

It should be remembered: in cheap sausages, sausages, frozen meat and fish semi-finished products, many sauces are more likely to add powdered gluten.

It is useful to use buckwheat, millet, corn. Such a grain culture, like amaranth, was used by the ancient Incas and Aztecs, was revered by wise old men in Russia. Inclusion in the diet of legumes, fresh vegetables and fruits will enrich the diet, make it useful.

Nutrition without gluten does not limit the use of meat, fish, dairy and eggs. Some hot drinks are not forbidden: wine, tequila, rum, some types of whiskey. Recently, production of gluten-free beer has been established.

The damage of gluten is obvious for people who are predisposed to an allergy to this protein. However, nutrition without its use does not affect the quality of food and its diversity. In addition, a number of manufacturers of gluten-free products today offers a fairly large range of products that do not contain harmful proteins.