Realizing the Advantages and Disadvantages of Gluten
Due to recent advances in medical screening, more people than ever are learning that they are gluten intolerant or have some kind of gluten allergy symptoms. With more people becoming diagnosed with gluten allergies, a market has sprung up for gluten free foods. Additionally, people have a new desire to learn as much as possible about this thing called gluten. The questions people want asked are simply: Where does Gluten come from? Is Gluten “bad” for you? What exactly is gluten? This article will cover some of those bases and provide an overview of several gluten basics.
The most elemental question is what is gluten? Gluten is, simply, a special form of protein often found in many food products. This protein is generally associated with the food group considered carbohydrates and is a key building block in barley, wheat and rye. There is, what can only be labeled, a misconception that gluten by nature is difficult to digest or bad for the general public. This is simply not the case. However, for certain individuals, individuals with a gluten intolerance, gluten is not recommended, it is by nature a common and safe compound.
Let’s take a moment and look at a common misconception about gluten. A commonly held belief is that gluten is synonymous with grain. This idea is hardly accurate. Though gluten can be found in many staples of the family of grains, including breads and cereals, it is not synonymous with grain. Gluten is a protein often found within grains. The two terms are not interchangeable. There are in fact, several varieties of grains inlcuding oats, wild rice, millet, soybeans, and sunflower seeds, that do not harbor gluten. These foods are gluten free.
So the next question becomes what does gluten do exactly within carbohydrates? There are several qualities that make gluten unique. For example gluten does not have water solubility, Gluten will not dissolve in water, however a thorough rinse of a wheat dough, coupled with a hearty knead, can remove gluten from wheat flour. In most cases this can be a difficult undertaking, and individuals with a gluten allergy are probably best served by sticking to a gluten free diet.
Gluten also contains many other traits that define its qualities. In bread, gluten defines several of the properties that make bread, well, bread. It is gluten that gives bread its elasticity and chewy texture. Gluten, in fact, when removed from bread exhibits almost puddy-ish features.Gluten, when removed from dough, has a puddy-like make up. Gluten also is known for its toughness. Many bread products, such as bagels, get their characteristic toughness and hardness from gluten. Additionally, Gluten holds gases which are released during the process of fermentation that bread is placed under when it is constituted as dough. Due to this, bread rises before baking infusing itself with a light, airy texture.
In a nutshell, those comprise the elements of gluten. Be advised that while gluten is generally safe, for people with a gluten allergy it is best to avoid the protein. Therefore, if you believe that you are gluten intolerant see your doctor for a screening.
