Types of gluten-free foods
Gluten is a group of proteins that consists of glutenin and gliadin molecules. The components form an elastic bond with water. It is the gluten that makes the dough sticky and gives it its shape. In order to digest gluten, the body needs a large amount of enzymes. Therefore, more and more people are choosing to add themselves to a gluten-free diet, and the interest and demand for gluten-free products is growing.
Sources of gluten are cereals: wheat, rye, barley and their products. It is also found in bulgur, couscous, semolina, spelled and malt.
Some grains are gluten-free, including corn, millet, rice, quinoa, amaranth, and oats. Oats can be said to be gluten-free, but due to the peculiarities of processing and transportation technology, they may contain traces of wheat, rye or barley. On the packaging of the products there is sometimes an inscription - "May contain traces of gluten." This is written because the law obliges the manufacturer to indicate on the label all allergens in the composition, even if there are none, but due to the production technology, they can accidentally get into the product.
Gluten sensitivity is expressed in symptomatic intestinal disorders and headaches, bloating, chronic fatigue, eczema, as well as possible depressive mental disorders.
What are the benefits of gluten-free foods?
The main advantage of the gluten-free diet is that it replaces wheat and other gluten-containing foods with vegetables and fruits. To give up gluten, you will need to stop eating so-called "fast food" - industrial baked goods, hot dogs, hamburgers and other snacks. Gluten is also found in many store-bought desserts and cereals. If you carefully read the composition, you can start eating less high-calorie foods. You can increase your calorie intake by replacing gluten foods such as bread, spaghetti and cookies with gluten-free foods such as instant cereals or starchy baked goods.
Gluten-free foods contain less fiber, minerals and vitamins. What's good to know is that manufacturers often add more sugar, fat and harmful chemicals to baked goods to make the dough stickier. Without it, buns and bakery products will simply fall apart, since it is gluten that binds the components together and gives the products elasticity.