Gluten:
Gluten in Latin means “glue”. It is a main protein in grains like wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and triticale. It holds flour together to make baked goods and makes them chewy, soft, and fluffy by letting bread rise when mixed with yeast.
Gluten is a mixture of several hundred proteins, mainly two groups called glutenins and gliadins. People can be sensitive to either of these proteins or any of the smaller units that make up gliadins and this can lead to intestinal sensitivity and inflammation. An extreme allergic reaction to gluten is known as “gluten sensitivity” and can cause damage to the small intestine, manifesting as Celiac disease. Celiac disease and gluten intolerance are the two main conditions mostly associated with gluten. The symptoms of intestinal distress can be abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation that silently attack the nervous system and cause issues with brain function.
How have we managed to survive so long eating gluten, if it is so bad?
The answer to that is we have NOT been eating the same kind of gluten that our ancestors did about ten thousand years ago. With the evolution of technology and extensive hybridization techniques, modern wheat (Triticum aestivum) is distinctive in domestication. It was bred to resist drought, disease, reduce harvest time, and increase yields. The quality of wheat was based on three main traits like the hardness of grain, gluten quality, and starch.Semi-dwarf wheat is the most dominant modern-day variety, comparatively shorter and higher-yielding thanthe original wild wheat. Semi-dwarf wheat is found to have 14 new gluten proteins, has higher starches (amylopectin and amylose), thus making it faster to digest but also rapidly raises blood sugar, insulin, and brings on blood sugar crashes which in turn stimulates cravings.
Gluten sensitivity is probably harming most of us to some extent without even knowing it and is far more prevalent than we realize. It is disguised in most of the packaged food in the store. It is found in seasonings, condiments, soups, sweeteners, soy products, ice-creams, even in cosmetics, hand cream, nutritional supplements, and pharmaceuticals.
Gluten-Free-Diet: Gluten-free products are found to be poor in nutrition
The only effective solution for the symptoms of gluten sensitivity, celiac disease, and chronic systemic autoimmune disorder is a gluten-free diet (GFD). Following a GFD requires removing products containing gluten and substituting them with gluten-free alternatives. The nutritional shortcomings of a GFD are:
Referring to the above nutritional data, gluten-free diets are characterized by the inadequate intake of nutrients and a limited number of product options. GFDs are also found to be poor in naturally rich fiber from grains as the GF products are usually made with starches or refined flours poor in the vitamins and minerals mentioned above.The population studies (done in 2019) confirmed, of all the GF products now available, protein is very low, and fat and salt content are very high.
Numerous grains can substitute wheat but most gluten-free products tend to use only some of them and more of rice. There was an attempt to study and develop a score-based method for evaluating the nutrition of 134 packaged Italian GF bakery items against 163 matching gluten-containing (GC) food items. Both the GF and GC items scores were based on nutritional value and the presence/absence of some nutritionally relevant components in the list of ingredients. The results showed an overall low nutritional quality of the GF bakery products. The study concluded as – “the findings did not justify the consumption of GF bakery products by people without any specific medical needs”.
In Calgary, Alberta, Canada another study was conducted to examine the nutritional quality of GF products marketed to children. The food products were purchased from 2 major supermarket chains. The Pan American Health Organization Nutrition Profile Model was used to compare the nutritional quality of GF products against non-GF claims in general and then further compared the child-targeted GF products to their equivalent non-GF alternatives. According to the study overall, GF products and “regular GC” products designed for children can be classified as having poor nutritional quality (88% vs 97%; P < .001). When analyzed in light of their product equivalents without a GF claim, both had similarly high levels of sugar (79% vs 81%; P < .001). So, it was concluded that GF foods are not nutritionally superior to regular foods and may even be of greater potential concern because of their higher sugar content.
Optimal gluten-free substitutes:
| Amaranth Arrowroot Quinoa Rice Sorghum Tapioca | Buckwheat Corn Millet Potato Teff Soy |
Pseudocereal grains are edible seeds that belong to the dicotyledonous plant species. Pseudocereals are a rich source of fiber, proteins, starch, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals (like polyphenols, phytosterols, saponins, phytosteroids, and betalains). The three main pseudocereal grains: quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat are becoming a current trend in gluten-free diets with excellent nutritional value.
A study at the Ashtown Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin, Ireland, conducted in 2009, is still important for showing the rise of pseudocereals as gluten-free alternatives. In the study, pseudocereal seeds, amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat were seen as potential healthy substitutes for gluten-free flour for improving the nutritional quality of gluten-free bread. These seeds and pseudocereals-containing bread showed higher levels of protein, fat, fiber, and minerals than the regular gluten-free control bread. The result suggests that the pseudocereals like amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat are some healthy alternatives to the ingredients for gluten-free products.
In another study, Tiger nut (TN) flour was blended at varying concentrations (up to 70%) with soluble fiber and rice flour, to develop gluten-free snacks. The observation showed the surface of the extruded snacks modified as the ratio of TN was increased in substitution of rice in the formulations. The study demonstrated that adding 10% TN flour into a rice-based formulation enhanced the protein content of the snacks and increased the total antioxidant value.
In conclusion, the findings of the GFD research can still be controversial but deserves further study. I will leave you with this advice: please consult with your doctor and certified nutritionist who can help you determine if you need to follow a GFD. Following a GFD must include eliminating gluten as an ingredient, as well as a hidden component, and cross-contamination in foods. The diet must be not only free of gluten but also healthy to avoid nutrient, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies to excess. A balanced GFD should be based on a combination of naturally gluten-free foods and certified processed gluten-free products. Some of the trending gluten substitutes in the current market are pseudocereal grains, quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat along with tiger nut flour and breadfruit flour.
Reference:
Books:
Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar–Your Brain’s Silent Killers by David Perlmutter 2018; ISBN 978-0-316-48513-5
June 29, 2023
June 29, 2023
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