by Kathryn Barry
Gluten free foods are making their way to mainstream. Soon you will be seeing more and more gluten free breads, desserts, etc. which will be made from gluten free grains.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a natural protein that is found in wheat, barley, and rye.
Gluten contains a very complex protein which is hard to digest by our bodies. The size of the gluten protein molecule makes it very difficult for your digestive system to handle.
Problems will occur in your small intestine once gluten arrives.
If you are very sensitive or gluten intolerant, gluten can actually tear holes in the lining of your gut. This produces problems like leaky gut syndrome and allergic responses by your immune system.
Absorbing important nutrients from your food will be halted when you suffer from intestinal damage and this could lead to malnutrition. Malnutrition could then lead to contracting a disease.
The following grains can all be used when avoiding gluten. The more common grains are rice, corn, and pure oats. The more uncommon are tapioca, buckwheat, millet, teff, amaranth, sorghum, and quinoa.
Since wheat, rye, and barley are grains that naturally contain gluten, eating oats that have been processed in the same plants as these grains will be cross contaminated with gluten.
Wheat gluten grains include spelt, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat berry, triticale, couscous, durham, bulgar, farina, semolina, einkorn, farro, graham, udon, seitan, wheat grass and matza.
What are Common Gluten Intolerance Symptoms You can Spot?
If you are gluten intolerant you will likely experience skin rashes, itchy skin, headaches, irritability, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, cramps, tingling and numbness. The longer term problems will likely be weight issues, depression, nutritional deficiencies, casein intolerance, irregular menstrual cycles, and slower child development.
Gliadin which is a protein found in gluten can trigger a full on immune system response in people with Celiac disease whenever gluten is consumed. People with Celiac disease are very gluten intolerant.
The inflammation created by this protein will interfere with your small intestine's ability to function and absorb nutrients. The lining of your small intestine will be flattened from your immune system's response to this protein.
This is a fairly common disease and will usually be found with other family members. Continuing with the consumption of gluten while having this disease could create even more diseases.
A strict gluten free diet is the only way you can fix this disease.
A Remarkable and Ancient Gluten Free Grain is Quinoa
Quinoa is high in protein and has a high content of the valuable amino acid lysine.
This is one of the amino acids that most grains are known for not having.
Lysine aids in the building of muscle tissue and the absorption of calcium.
Important amino acids like lysine are needed to produce your body's enzymes and hormones.
Quinoa is considered a complete protein because it contains all eight essential amino acids.
Gluten Free Food Tips
Gluten free desserts can be made by replacing gluten containing flours with gluten free flours. There are a lot of beautiful cookbooks being produced to show people how to make wonderful gluten free treats.
Gluten free foods are some of the most healthy foods like whole dairy products, seafood, nuts, beans, fruits, vegetables, meats and poultry.
As you can see, gluten is primarily a problem when you consume grains and unfortunately the additives added to most processed foods contain some form of gluten.
About the Author:
For more information from this writer about this subject , check out Gluten Free Foods. For useful Healthy Eating Guidelines, visit Destination Healthy Foods.
Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article182931.html
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