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Protein: What is Gluten and is it actually healthy? (Part 1)
Gluten is a protein found in cereal grains, most notably wheat, rye and barley. With the popularization of the vegetarian and vegan diets, gluten is added into some health foods under the new, impressive label 'vital wheat gluten'. But is gluten really a vital protein in our diet?
More and more research coming out is linking the ingestion of gluten to immunological disorders. I will revisit this statement in the second blog post in greater detail.
First, gluten in small amounts can be digested by a healthy human body, but in large amounts it starts to ferment in the digestive tract. Animals like cows have no problem with it, because well, they have two stomachs to break that sort of thing down, but we do not.
If we just ingested gluten in the form of wheat flour in our sandwiches and bagels and the occasional desert, we might not ever notice the uncomfortable bloating and gas that starts to be associated with a gluten intolerance or a high gluten diet. The problem is that gluten is hidden in common every day foods as a thickener, so in addition to eating gluten in things made from flour, it may be in your ketchup, your margarine, your Crisco, your ice cream, your BBQ, your sauces, and on and on. Not only that, vegetarian and vegan foods are adding even MORE because the body needs protein, right?
And have you ever wondered what that mysterious 'natural flavors' label at the end of the ingredients list refers to? Well, a lot of times it means gluten has been added! And even though gluten comes from wheat, companies are not required to put wheat in the allergy warning for products containing just gluten.
A lot of people feel 'less bloated' when the lower or completely cut carbs out of their diet. What you may not realize, is that it may not be the carbs making you feel that way, but the gluten itself. Carbs are not unhealthy for you in the right context!
In the second part of this blog post, I will write about the effect gluten could be having on your immune system if you are not completely healthy.
**Note: I have spent the last year researching gluten, allergies, and immune system disorders due to my own immunological issues, in addition to meeting with immunologists and physicians on the subject. However, I recommend you do your own research as well, and anything I write should not be taken as medical advice. If you suffer from symptoms mentioned in the blog posts, you should definitely meet with your physician as these symptoms can be caused by other more severe ailments that may need diagnosis.**
More and more research coming out is linking the ingestion of gluten to immunological disorders. I will revisit this statement in the second blog post in greater detail.
First, gluten in small amounts can be digested by a healthy human body, but in large amounts it starts to ferment in the digestive tract. Animals like cows have no problem with it, because well, they have two stomachs to break that sort of thing down, but we do not.
If we just ingested gluten in the form of wheat flour in our sandwiches and bagels and the occasional desert, we might not ever notice the uncomfortable bloating and gas that starts to be associated with a gluten intolerance or a high gluten diet. The problem is that gluten is hidden in common every day foods as a thickener, so in addition to eating gluten in things made from flour, it may be in your ketchup, your margarine, your Crisco, your ice cream, your BBQ, your sauces, and on and on. Not only that, vegetarian and vegan foods are adding even MORE because the body needs protein, right?
And have you ever wondered what that mysterious 'natural flavors' label at the end of the ingredients list refers to? Well, a lot of times it means gluten has been added! And even though gluten comes from wheat, companies are not required to put wheat in the allergy warning for products containing just gluten.
A lot of people feel 'less bloated' when the lower or completely cut carbs out of their diet. What you may not realize, is that it may not be the carbs making you feel that way, but the gluten itself. Carbs are not unhealthy for you in the right context!
In the second part of this blog post, I will write about the effect gluten could be having on your immune system if you are not completely healthy.
**Note: I have spent the last year researching gluten, allergies, and immune system disorders due to my own immunological issues, in addition to meeting with immunologists and physicians on the subject. However, I recommend you do your own research as well, and anything I write should not be taken as medical advice. If you suffer from symptoms mentioned in the blog posts, you should definitely meet with your physician as these symptoms can be caused by other more severe ailments that may need diagnosis.**
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