Gluten is an umbrella term for certain
protein group found in cereal grains, like wheat. These proteins are what
allows the dough to stick together, to be elastic and capable of being formed
in many shapes.
Recently, gluten-free products have taken
over the world and have become usual in many households. Usually, gluten-free
alternatives are more expensive, but... Gluten is bad for you and your health
is more valuable than saving money, right? Well, things are a little bit more
complicated.
Do All People Have to Avoid Gluten?
The short answer is no. Gluten-free
products can only cause problems for certain people with existing medical
conditions. The research right now is just not significant enough to draw such
drastic conclusions as "gluten is bad for everyone". Nonetheless, it
is advisable to experiment with your diet. Maybe you have one of those
conditions which we will mention soon, or maybe your body just functions better
without gluten in your diet.
Wheat Allergy
If you have a wheat allergy, your immune
system is destined to react abnormally to wheat products and certain proteins
in wheat. It means that you should avoid all products with wheat, as symptoms
can range from mild inconveniences to life-threatening. To people who suffer from
a wheat allergy, it is uncommon to experience anaphylaxis shock after ingesting
a wheat product. That being said, most of us have wheat daily, so chances that
you have wheat allergy with life-threatening risk is low, as you should have
already experienced it.
In spite of that, you might have a wheat
allergy and ingesting wheat might cause slight problems breathing, a headache
or nausea. You might get those symptoms but attribute them to any problems, so
it is important to get tested for wheat allergy and know for sure if you can
eat wheat.
Celiac Disease
This is the disease which is most commonly
associated with gluten. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease. If you suffer
from celiac disease, ingesting gluten causes inflammation throughout your body,
mainly in the small intestine. It, in turn, causes damage to the lining of your
small intestine, which might result in diarrhea and stomach ache. In addition,
full-body inflammation can cause brain-fog, depression and weaken your immune
system.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS)
In case you are sure that you have neither
wheat allergy nor celiac disease, but still suffer adverse effects from eating
gluten, you might have NCGS. It is a condition when a person is sensitive to
gluten despite obvious causes. Reasons for non-celiac gluten sensitivity is not
known and for that reason cannot be easily treated. If you experience brain
fog, drop in energy, abnormal bowel movement or other unpleasant symptoms after
eating gluten, you might have NCGS and it is advisable that you go on a
gluten-free diet.
Final Words
So, is gluten-free a craze or is gluten bad
for you? In brief, if you have a wheat allergy or a celiac disease, gluten-free
is the way to go. Otherwise, if you are happy after your tea and toast breakfast
and do not feel any worse, avoiding gluten will not make you any healthier.
Remember, Mayfair we care.