The Problems Associated with Gluten

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imp

Senior Member
Can we look at Gluten? Asked my wife this evening, what is it? Something to do with wheat, she said.

There are a number of health disorders related to Gluten: celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, gluten ataxia, dermatitis herpetiformis, and wheat allergy. The last is the one I have seen most often referred to.

"More than 250 symptoms of gluten sensitivity have been reported, including bloating, abdominal discomfort or pain, constipation and diarrhea."

"For patients with celiac disease, a lifelong strict gluten-free diet is the only effective treatment to date"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-related_disorders#Symptoms


This is something I would like to learn more about. I know of no symptoms typical which affect me. So, input from members and guests might prove beneficial to all.

Thanks for reading! imp[SUP][/SUP]
 

I bake bread, and have for years and years. Gluten is a protein in wheat and related grains which gives dough elasticity and allows it to rise better. It also gives the bread better texture and causes it to be stretchy when kneading (you couldn't toss a pizza crust which contained no gluten -- it would just fall apart). When I bake very dense whole grain breads, I have to add a little gluten to give the bread a decent texture. Otherwise it can fail to rise or come out all crumbly and coarse.

Gluten is just a component of grains -- in itself neither good nor bad, unless you are sensitive to it, like peanuts. Nowdays everybody and their brother are blaming all the ills of mankind on gluten. I think it is way overdone -- people have been consuming bread with gluten since the dawn of history. If a person is sensitive to it (as in celiac disease), they should stay away from it. Otherwise, it is a "natural" and "organic" part of breads made with grains.
 
Thank you for that excellent explanation! imp
 

I completely agree with 'Butterfly' about gluten, but because of my strict 'diabetic/low carb/low calorie' diet I have become mostly gluten free. I can't say I'm feeling better or worse. Now the weight loss and removing sugar has definitely helped. Hemp hearts, flaxseed and oatmeal are all gluten free but could have gluten residue from milling.
 
I never knew much about gluten, but as a college student, there was a placed that sold "fried gluten" all the students would buy for a quick free lunch. I bought one once and began to feel very sick immediately and threw up.

So there must be something to gluten free diets as a healthier lifestyle option. Since I'm okay with bread and don't eat much at all of it anyway, I have never really explored this alternative lifestyle. But if I was more knowledgable about gluten free cooking and if it didn't take precious time away from me ( cooking fresh healthy foods daily is hard when your working ), I'd definitely give it a go.

Sorry I'm not much help here. Just IMHO :eek:
 
I don't think gluten free is necessarily healthier, unless you are sensitive to it. Maybe it was the "fried" part of the fried gluten that made you sick, as it probably absorbed a lot of fat. Deep fried stuff, particularly anything with batter on it, generally makes me feel quite ill. Perhaps that is a blessing, because I don't eat deep fried stuff at all, thus avoiding the cholesterol and calories.
 
A Bit of Gluten Research

Nosing around a bit, I found this:

"A meat analogue, also called a meat substitute, approximates certain aesthetic qualities (primarily texture, flavor and appearance) and/or chemical characteristics of specific types of meat. Many analogues are soy-based (see: tofu, tempeh) or gluten-based." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_meat_substitutes

"Beyond Meat develops and manufactures a variety of plant protein-based food products. The vegetarian meat substitutes are made from mixtures of soy protein, pea protein isolates, yeast, and other ingredients.[SUP][15][/SUP][SUP][20][/SUP] As of 2014, the company’s product offerings consisted of Beyond Chicken and Beyond Beef.[SUP][2][/SUP][SUP][8][/SUP][SUP][15][/SUP][SUP][21][/SUP] A vegan and soy-free burger patty, called the The Beast, was released in 2015. Beyond Meat products are available for purchase in packaged form as well as in retail-prepared dishes." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_Meat

Not surprisingly, many of the "meat-free" products aiming to provide protein by alternate means, contain gluten, either added or naturally-occurring. From what I've been able to tell, gluten in and of itself, is not necessarily such a "bad thing". I will be part of a "hung jury" on this. imp

"Gluten (from Latin gluten, "glue") is a mixture of proteins found in wheat and related grains, including barley and rye.[SUP][1][/SUP] Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture.
Gluten is the composite of two storage proteins, gliadin and a glutenin, and is conjoined with starch in the endosperm of various grass-related grains. Worldwide, gluten is a source of protein, both in foods prepared directly from sources containing it, and as an additive to foods otherwise low in protein. It is appreciated for its visco-elastic properties." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten
 
Well, gluten is a protein (or mixture of proteins), so it seems perfectly obvious that it would be used in meat substitutes. Still doesn't say that it's bad for you. I just think it is much ado about not very much (unless you are sensitive to it), and an attempt by certain manufacturers to separate consumers from more of their money by hyping the whole "gluten free" craze. If you want to get excited about food ingredients, get excited about all the extra sodium, preservatives, dyes, etc., used in most prepared foods available in the grocery store.
 
Butterfly said:
I don't think gluten free is necessarily healthier, unless you are sensitive to it. Maybe it was the "fried" part of the fried gluten that made you sick, as it probably absorbed a lot of fat. Deep fried stuff, particularly anything with batter on it, generally makes me feel quite ill. Perhaps that is a blessing, because I don't eat deep fried stuff at all, thus avoiding the cholesterol and calories.
Click to expand...

I don't eat deep fried anything anymore either. But back when I did, I could eat it all, fried clams, Kentucky fried chicken, spring rolls, all without trouble. The fried gluten though, made me sick at warp speed. Still, I'm open minded about gluten.
 

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