If you pay attention to the labels of products, you probably noticed the inscription "does not contain gluten." But that's what gluten is and why it is so harmful, that the manufacturer considers his absence as a significant advantage of his product, few think. So it is necessary to understand this question, in order to know whether to search for the cherished inscription or you can not pay attention to it.
What is gluten and what is it harmful for?
Now it has become fashionable to consider packaging, looking for contents of potentially dangerous additives. Many of these include gluten, not guessing what it actually is dangerous. First of all, it is worthwhile to understand that gluten is not any "chemistry", but quite natural protein, which is a part of many cereals. Otherwise, this protein is called gluten, it allows the test to rise and makes it elastic. So gluten can be found in all pastries, pasta, beer and other products made from oats, wheat, rye and barley. It can also be introduced artificially into other products to increase their elasticity or shape, for example, in ketchup, sweets, chips, soy sauces, bouillon cubes, ice cream.
What is the gluten found out, it remains to understand what it is harmful and whether to avoid products with its content. The fact is that this organism considers the organism to be alien, throwing all its forces to fight it. The problem is that, together with gluten, the tissues in which immune cells are caught are also affected. Most of the damage is done to the walls of the small intestine, joints, heart, brain and other organs can also suffer. Such harm gluten provides people with celiac disease, the body of which is not able to process this protein. Inadequately respond to gluten and people without such a disease, however, they manifestations are much less pronounced, so often not even taken into account.
The problem is that it is not always possible to establish laboratory sensitivity to gluten. So often doctors only have to offer to try to switch to a gluten-free diet in order to establish the reaction of the body. Often such an experiment gives positive results, and disturbing symptoms are eliminated. Among the problems in which the exception of products with gluten are used, include stool disorders, frequent abdominal pain, anemia and general weakness, which are not caused by any diseases. But it is worth remembering that this method should be used only for medical purposes. Eliminate gluten, wanting to lose weight, and it's silly. Weight loss will be observed only if the products containing this protein are discarded, but if they are replaced
Recently, you can hear that the damage to gluten is obvious for the body, and it is worth to give it up to everyone. This is explained by the fact that people are not evolutionarily adapted to its processing, wheat was not the main food, and selection processes led to a serious increase in the content of gluten in cereals. This is confirmed by an increase in the number of patients with celiac disease and people sensitive to this protein. But for now doctors can not say what dangerous gluten is for a healthy person, since studies have been conducted insufficiently. Therefore, it remains only to look at the reactions of your body, and do not forget about individuality. If someone excludes gluten helps to feel better, this does not mean that such a diet is shown to everyone, be careful when forming a diet, since excluding completely any products, you risk depriving your body of vital substances, which definitely will not do health.