Gluten: 10 facts worth to know

Gluten-free diets are becoming increasingly popular. Supporters of such food believe that by eliminating gluten from your diet, you can easily get rid of the unwished extra weight, normalize your sleep, get rid of chronic fatigue and finally begin living a happy life.

For those who don’t know, gluten is a composite of two storage proteins, gliadin and a glutenin, that are found in most cereals. For example, wheat, rye, oats and barley. Today gluten is included not only in all baked goods, but sometimes it is also found in meat products (breaded meat) and dairy products.

While many people give up foods containing gluten, you might still prefer to keep your head cool and not exclude them from your diet, unless you have medical reasons for this – like coeliac (celiac) disease, caused by a reaction to gliadin, found in products, containing gluten. Here are 10 reasons why you should not abandon the gluten and exclude the foods containing it from your diet.

1. Gluten is good for your health

Products, containing gluten, are not just harmless to humans, but also provide the body with all necessary for our normal functioning vitamins and nutrients. Gluten-free products on the other hand can hardly be called an useful alternative. Quite often they contain too little nutrients and fiber, which are so necessary to a person. The key to a slim, good looking figure and good health is in moderation. Your meals should be balanced. And this doesn’t mean giving up gluten.

2. Gluten is not a reason for weight gain

The main argument, which appeals to the opponents of gluten – is that it provokes the gain of excess weight. However, this is quite not true. The fact that gluten is contained in cakes, pastries, yogurt, ice cream, sauces and syrup, sausages is not the actual reason for few extra centimeters on your waist. The excessive consumption of such products may actually be the reason for excess weight. However, no one nutritionist has confirmed, that gluten is the cause of excess weight. The enemy, responsible for those extra kilos, is rather the excessive appetite.

3. Foods containing gluten are rich in vitamins

Perhaps the gluten-free diet helps lose weight, but at the same time, it can cause that a person begins experiencing shortage of vitamins and minerals. Full exemption from your diet of products containing gluten, sharply reduces the flow of nutrients into the body. When we talk about a gluten-free diet – this is not only rejection of cereals, as many mistakenly believe, but als of an impressive list of other products. Such, containing vitamins A, E, C, almost all the B vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium.

4. Gluten contributes to weight loss

The argument, which is usually used against gluten may have an entirely different meaning. If you are following a diet, this is not a reason to exclude gluten from your menu. Pasta of durum wheat, couscous, cereals, whole wheat bread in moderate amounts can help you on the way, getting rid of the extra kilos. They provide the body with the necessary energy and take longer to digest.

5. Gluten helps control appetite

Gluten is found in many cereals, pasta, which are known as complex carbohydrates. They are digested longer, thereby maintaining the feeling of satiety for longer period of time. As a result you will eat less. They provide you also with an additional charge of vivacity, energy and good mood.

6. Gluten is a source of protein

Gluten is a type of protein, found in cereal crops. For example, in wheat. And respectively it is contained in bakery products, cereals, as well as in many other products. They include pasta, whole wheat bread, yogurt. Refusing such a natural source of protein would not be quite reasonable. Furthermore, without these products for the body will be extremely difficult to obtain its required daily amount of protein. The only logical reason for exclusion of gluten from your diet can be a celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

7. Celiac disease and sensitivity to gluten are not the same

Celiac disease, or as it is called gluten disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin, upon which exposure the immune system cross-reacts with the small-bowel tissue, causing an inflammatory reaction. Which leads to deformation of the intestinal villi (villous atrophy). This results in poor absorption of food and nutrients by the body. The fate that gluten is very, very bad comes, because for the last 200 years the number of people with celiac disease has increased by several hundred percent. However, doctors still reassure, that celiac disease is a disease transmitted mainly by inheritance, which affects only 1% of the population.

However, there are other diseases with similar symptoms (loss of appetite, lack of body weight and growth, intestinal disturbances, pallor, swelling, fatigue, irritability) in such cases we talk about sensitivity to gluten. It, in turn is much more common, but does not affect the absorption of nutrients by the body. A sensitivity to gluten can only be identified by eliminating for a period of time, products containing gluten. In such case, it makes sense to go on a gluten-free diet.

8. Not all cereals contain gluten

Some people have wrong opinion about being on a gluten-free diet. The rejection of cereals and wheat – is a small part of a gluten-free diet. In order to completely eliminate gluten from your diet, you need also to stop consuming a variety of other products. However, not everyone knows that. And with the cereals situation is very ambiguous. For example, corn, rice, buckwheat, millet, soybeans, sorghum, amaranth do not contain gluten in their composition.

9. Gluten-free is not a synonym of beneficial

Many gluten-free products, which today can be found on the supermarket shelves not only don’t help you lose weight, but may cause weight gain. Often, they contain more saturated fat and calories than their containing gluten equivalents. This is due to the fact, that the exclusion of gluten requires its replacement with other substances, which are not always beneficial and healthy.

10. Gluten is irreplaceable for baking

Gluten has wonderful properties, helping the dough rise and keep its shape, making it flexible. As a result, the obtained baked foods are lush and delicious. No wonder the bread producers see no reason for abandoning gluten in the manufacture of their products. We do not see such reasons as well. Scientists have proved that baked foods containing gluten are much healthier and contain less fat and calories.

Useful Links: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeliac_disease
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliadin
http://www.bakeinfo.co.nz/Facts/Gluten/What-role-does-gluten-play-in-bread-making-