What is gluten?
Lately, the word gluten is on everyone's lips. But what is gluten, exactly?
Gluten is nothing more than a plant protein that is found naturally in certain grains like wheat, oats, barley and rye.
Gluten is a sticky, elastic, mouldable substance. And, in terms of nutrition, it contains proteins.
These characteristics make gluten valuable in the food industry, as it can be used to thicken sauces and other products, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry, where it can be used to encapsulate medications. Additionally, wheat is one of the grains at the core of a Mediterranean diet, which means the list of foods that contain gluten is extensive and at times unexpected. Some foods that contain gluten include: bread, pastries, pastas, ham, chorizo, mortadella, melted cheese, ice cream, alcoholic beverages like beer and whiskey, etc.
In recent years, gluten consumption has developed two extremes: on the one hand, gluten-free diets have become fashionable and, on the other, gluten is a perfect substitute for meat and fish in vegetarian diets. So, part of the food industry is focused on removing gluten from foods where is found naturally to create new foods containing this protein. A bit contradictory, don't you think?
However, we can't forget that there are some diseases and conditions for which removing this protein from patients' diet is a key part of treatment. These diseases and conditions include: coeliac disease (gluten intolerance), dermatitis herpetiformis and autism. In these cases, it is necessary to eat gluten-free foods.
However for individuals who don't suffer from a medical condition that prohibits them from eating gluten, there is no scientific evidence that shows a gluten-free diet is healthier. It is important to understand that industrial processes are necessary to get "gluten-free" derivatives of whole grains, resulting in grains with less dietary fibre and fewer vitamins and minerals than the original. Not to mention that these foods are much more expensive. For these reasons, experts do not recommend a gluten-free diet unless you have one of the aforementioned conditions.
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