What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein complex found in various types of grains such as wheat, rye, barley and oats, but not in for instance rice, quinoa and corn. Gluten is the substance that gives wheat flour its baking properties, as it makes bread rise. Gluten consists of two proteins; gliadin and glutein. Gliadin, in combination with fat, makes gluten coherent and flexible, whereas glutein makes the dough elastic.
Since gluten offers favourable baking qualities, flour with a high content of gluten is popular – however, the problem is that it is often difficult for the body to digest.
What is gluten intolerance?
Coeliac disease is the medical term for gluten intolerance or gluten allergy. Coeliac disease is a long-term intestinal disease caused by gluten sensitivity, as the immune system launches an abnormal response when the protein is broken down in the body. This response results in damage to the intestinal wall and loss of cilia on the mucosa, meaning that the intestinal wall can no longer absorb crucial nutritional components. Therefore, it is important to know whether one suffers from the disease or not, as it requires a special diet. If this diet is not followed, the result could be vitamin and mineral deficiencies, weakened bones and an increased risk of small intestine cancer. The symptoms of coeliac disease include diarrhoea, nausea, weight loss, malnutrition and fatigue. The patient ofteb experiences intestinal gas as well. The disease is genetic and can’t be cured. However, it can be treated by means of a gluten-free diet, where all foods containing wheat, rye and barley have to be left out, including pizza, cakes, bread, pasta, beer and the like.
Weight loss and a gluten-free diet
Many people, who are not gluten intolerant are on a gluten-free diet – in fact, 80 % tolerate gluten but leave it out of their diets. In recent years, it has become popular to eat gluten-free bread – but is it actually healthy?
If you avoid gluten, you could be jeopardising your health according to a number of health experts. The reason is that whole grains rich in gluten are also rich in minerals, vitamins and fibres, whereas gluten-free products are often based on refined grains low in nutrition. Studies have shown that gluten-free diets often lack important nutritional components such as fibres, iron, folic acid, calcium, vitamin B12, phosphate and zinc. It is possible to eat healthily without gluten, but to do so, it is necessary to know about the vitamin and mineral content of many different foods.
A lot of people believe that when they lose weight while on a gluten-free diet, the weight loss is due to the lack of gluten. This is however not the case. The weight loss is more likely due to the lack of cake and junk food. Therefore, there is nothing magical about a gluten-free diet – it is rather a regular change of diet containing fewer calories. If you wish to lose weight, it is thus not necessary to avoid all foods containing gluten. It is more important to consider the calorie value of the food you eat.
Several studies have shown that people who eat whole grains containing gluten, have a decreased risk of overweight, diabetes, heart disease and even several types of cancer. Whole grains keep you full for longer because of the high fibre content and in addition, they contain many beneficial antioxidants. The fibres contribute to a well-functioning intestinal system and the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties help protect the body against heart disease and cancer.
If you still wish to eat a gluten-free diet, or if you are forced to do so, it is important to do it right. Without wheat, it is important to eat grains that are naturally gluten-free, like buckwheat or quinoa. In addition, it is important to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, lean meat and low-fat dairy products, according to dieticians.
