Healthy eating is a hot topic of our time. Many nutritionists recommend gluten-free foods. Next, consider what this substance is, in what products it is contained and how it affects the human body.
What is gluten free?
Gluten is an organic bio-compound (complex protein, proteid), which is part of many cereal plants:
- wheat;
- triticale;
- rye;
- barley;
- oats.
The content of this substance in wheat can reach 80% by weight of the grain. The concentration of gluten (gluten) in flour determines its quality. Thanks to this compound, the elasticity and resilience of the dough increases, since it delays the CO 2 formed by the yeast, and thereby allows the dough to rise. It is known that these criteria largely determine the properties of bakery products. Nowadays, gluten is often used as a filler in the production process of various food products. The presented protein enhances the taste, aroma of the product, makes its structure more tender, exhibits a preservative effect.
Biochemical Characterization of Gluten
From a chemical point of view, gluten is a tasteless plastic gray mass. Due to this property, flour is easily converted into dough and bakery products. Gluten is a compound that contains amino acids and prosthetic (non-protein) groups.
Scope of cereal gluten
Gluten is often used in the manufacture of the following foods:
- meat products (sausages, sausages, as well as other cheap sausages);
- bakery products (cookies, pasta, cereal, biscuits, breakfast cereals, gingerbread cookies);
- candies;
- marshmallows, Turkish delight, halva, jams;
- semi-finished products (dumplings, cheesecakes, dumplings, cabbage rolls, meatballs, meatballs);
- dairy products (cheese, yogurt, condensed milk, packaged cottage cheese, ice cream, infant formula);
- canned meat and fish;
- soy products;
- crab sticks;
- cheeses with mold;
- mustard;
- sweet pastries (muffins, pastries, cakes, pancakes, pies, cookies, pizza);
- production of ketchups and sauces;
- mayonnaise;
- churchkhela;
- certain medications;
- french fries, bouillon cubes;
- vitamin and mineral supplements.
Gluten-Free Drinks
Oddly enough, gluten is part of a number of drinks:
- vodka;
- gin;
- beer;
- bourbon;
- whiskey;
- carbonated drinks;
- "Coca Cola";
- instant coffee;
- cocoa;
- granular tea;
- Pepsi Cola.
Gluten Nutrition Supplements
- E150c.
- E150.
- E150b.
- E150d.
- E160.
- E411.
- E636.
- E471.
- E953
- E637.
- E965.
Despite the widespread use of the above protein, gluten-free foods are very popular these days. On product packaging, it is often referred to as “hydrolyzed protein” or “modified starch”. There are gluten-free foods in health food stores (list below). Recently, such products can be seen in some supermarkets. In prestigious gluten-free restaurants, food is a must.
The harm of cereal gluten
Some people are not able to absorb the gluten of cereal plants. This pathology is called celiac disease. Symptoms of the disease are recorded in both adults and children. With inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, the absorption of milk sugar (lactose) is impaired, lactase activity decreases.
Disease complications
Even minimal doses of gluten can trigger the development of diarrhea or constipation. Celiac disease itself can cause a number of complications:
- chronic ulcerative enteritis;
- secondary osteoporosis;
- headache;
- damage to tooth enamel;
- joint pain
- problems with the functioning of the liver;
- malabsorption of vitamins;
- nausea;
- hyposplenism (spleen dysfunction);
- fibromyalgia;
- skin rash;
- lymphoma, intestinal adenocarcinoma;
- infertility;
- fatigue;
- convulsive syndrome;
- hypovitaminosis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- pathology of the pancreas, gall bladder.
Given the entire list of diseases, it is not surprising that many are looking for information on which products are gluten free.
Gluten entropy in children
Analysis of statistical data indicates that 75% of children diagnosed with celiac disease are overweight or obese. The main signs of pathology are associated with impaired functioning of the digestive system. The symptomatology of the disease changes with age. For babies, the following symptoms are characteristic:
- flatulence of the intestine;
- chronic diarrhea;
- severe aching pain in the abdomen;
- weight loss.
In older children, the following symptoms are observed:
- constipation;
- diarrhea;
- delayed puberty;
- short stature;
- migraine;
- lack of muscle coordination.
How to get rid of celiac disease
If you or your child is sick with celiac disease, you should not panic, because you can solve this problem even without the use of medicines. Gluten-free foods are the right solution. There are companies specializing in the production of gluten-free products: Dr. Shar (Italy), Finax (Sweden), Glutano (Germany), Moilas (Finland).
Nowadays, gluten-free products can be purchased without much difficulty . Moscow occupies a leading position in this regard. Such products can be bought on the Internet or in specialized stores. Gluten and lactose-free foods are priced slightly higher than “regular” foods, but people with celiac disease have no alternative, unless they cook everything at home. Please note that all such products are marked accordingly. The gluten-free grocery store offers a wide range of high-quality food. The choice is yours, watch your health. Before buying gluten-free products, carefully study their composition. The lists offered by retail chains can be called into question, since the technology of production is constantly changing.
Gluten free diet
Many people ask which foods are best for gluten-free foods. The list of such products is quite wide, so each person can independently choose a list of products that are most suitable for him. When choosing a gluten-free diet, remember that your diet should be varied, do not limit yourself to 2-3 products (for example, beets, rice and potatoes). Gluten-free foods are the foundation of your diet. Make sure that the diet always includes fruits, fish, eggs, meat, vegetables, oil.
Gluten-free diet for children: tips for parents
To achieve the desired result, you must adhere to the following rules:
- select a separate dish for the child, be sure to mark it;
- highlight a separate cabinet for storing gluten-free products;
- in the process of cooking do not forget to wash your hands;
- taking samples from dishes, first try dishes for the child, and then the rest;
- keep all prohibited products out of the reach of the child;
- Do not bake gluten-containing and gluten-free pastries at the same time in the same oven;
- products that cause you even the slightest doubt, it is better not to give the child.
Gluten Free Products: List
All of the following products in their pure form do not contain gluten, so people with a diagnosis of celiac disease (gluten entropy) can safely include them in their diet . Below are the most popular gluten-free foods. Their list is as follows:
- fruits vegetables;
- butter and vegetable oil;
- corn (organic);
- vanilla and vanilla extract (in pure form);
- eggs
- natural fish, dairy and meat food products;
- buckwheat (organic);
- rice
- potatoes;
- maize;
- spices and spices (in its pure form);
- millet;
- arrowroot;
- legumes (chickpeas, beans, beans, peas, soybeans, lentils);
- nuts
- amaranth;
- turkish peas;
- tapioca;
- quinoa;
- quinoa;
- yucca;
- sweet potato;
- cassava;
- wild rice;
- teff.
How to identify gluten-free foods
In order to determine if there is gluten in products, one simple qualitative reaction can be carried out on the presence of this substance. Experimental studies have shown that gluten in the process of interaction with a solution of iodine changes its color to black or purple. However, the exception in this case is potatoes and rice. Gluten is absent in these plants, but when interacting with iodine, their color also changes, due to the high starch content in their tissues.
Diagnostics
To diagnose celiac disease, the patient will have to undergo the following procedures:
- enzyme immunoassay; detection of specific antibodies in the blood;
- endoscopy (biopsy);
- capsular endoscopy.
How to diagnose pathology yourself
If you exclude gluten-free foods from the diet for a couple of days, you can determine whether you have problems with its conversion in the body. Subsequent return to the diet of wheat products will be indicative. Intestinal microflora will require at least two weeks for partial recovery. If a return to a normal gluten-free diet causes discomfort and digestive problems, you most likely cannot tolerate gluten.
Pathogenesis
Gluten binds to specific cell receptors, interacts with interepithelial lymphocytes and lymphocytes of the own plate of the mucosa of the small intestine. The resulting antibodies and lymphokines damage enterocytes. As a result of the destructive effect of gliadin on the mucous membrane, it atrophies and is infiltrated by immunocompetent cells. Further, against the background of atrophy, crypt hyperplasia develops, which provokes the development of malabsorption.
Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance
The main signs of pathology are associated with dysfunction of the digestive system - flatulence of the intestine, diarrhea, constipation, etc. In chronic forms of the disease, the stool becomes pale and foamy. Secondary symptoms include a decrease in immunoresistance, a general deterioration in the metabolism of substances, and a decrease in working capacity. Given the weak severity of characteristic signs, the diagnosis of pathology is difficult, so most patients do not even suspect that they have problems with hydrolysis of gluten.
Forecast
Gluten hypersensitivity persists throughout life. The prognosis in patients with celiac disease, amenable to diet therapy, is favorable. With the development of resistance to therapy, it worsens significantly. Subject to a gluten-free diet, life expectancy increases. If it is not observed, the mortality rate is approximately 30%.
Treatment
The methods of therapy are aimed at restoring bowel function and normalizing body weight. A key place in the treatment of gluten entropy is the gluten-free diet. If necessary, the patient is prescribed medications: iron preparations, vitamins, hormones, folic acid, calcium, saline solutions.
The absence of positive dynamics with the exclusion of gluten from the diet for 3 months indicates that the diet is not fully observed, with violations, or there are concomitant pathologies (lymphoma of the small intestine, giardiasis, Addison’s disease, disaccharidase deficiency, ulcerative eunitis, mineral deficiency elements in the diet: Ca, Fe, Mg). In such cases, additional diagnostic measures are carried out to identify these conditions.
Prevention
There are no specific measures for the primary prevention of the disease. Secondary prevention of the progression of celiac disease and the development of complications is impeccable adherence to the gluten-free diet. Women with celiac disease who are planning a pregnancy should be aware of the high probability of miscarriages and the risk of having a baby with congenital malformations.