Hasta hace unos años era prácticamente un desconocido. El gluten tiene propiedades viscolásticas y aporta elasticidad y esponjosidad a alimentos como el gluten free muffins o la bollería. La calidad de las proteínas del gluten es baja porque carece de todos los aminoácidos esenciales.

Esto no quiere decir, sin embargo, que deban eliminarse de la dieta los productos que lo contengan a no ser que haya una intolerancia o sensibilidad al gluten. El gluten se encuentra en alimentos como el pan, la bollería, la masa para pizzas, galletas, etc. Debido a que se puede aislar con facilidad y que mejora la textura y las propiedades sensoriales de los alimentos, también se pueden encontrar en yogures, embutidos, salsas, patatas congeladas, chocolate a la taza, golosinas, bombones e incluso en medicamentos y suplementos. Cuál es el problema del gluten? Algunas personas tienen dificultad para digerir el gluten y este acaba en el intestino delgado produciendo una reacción adversa y daño o sensibilidad. La celiaquía es una enfermedad genética autoinmune caracterizada por una intolerancia permanente al gluten. Produce una atrofia de las vellosidades del intestino que conlleva una mala absorción de los nutrientes.

Las personas que lo sufren suelen presentar síntomas como diarreas, dolor y distensión abdominal, pérdida de peso, deficiencias nutricionales e irritabilidad. Si se sospecha que se sufre celiaquía o intolerancia al gluten se realizará un análisis de sangre para detectar anticuerpos o marcadores serológicos. El diagnóstico se completa con una biopsia de la mucosa del intestino delgado para detectar la atrofia en las vellosidades. Una vez se ha diagnosticada la enfermedad celiaca, el tratamiento consiste en retirar todos los alimentos que contengan gluten de la dieta. Hay personas con sensibilidad al gluten y, sin embargo, no son celiacas.

A estos pacientes el gluten les sienta mal y mejoran cuando siguen una dieta sin gluten. Los síntomas que presentan son más difusos: fatiga, dolores articulares, calambres o pérdida de peso y el diagnóstico es más difícil. Para comprobar si sufren sensibilidad al gluten se prueba a retirarlo de la dieta para ver si los síntomas desaparecen. Los síntomas son variados: dolor abdominal, diarrea, vómitos, urticaria, anafilaxia, etc. Es bueno comer el pollo con piel? Do You Know the Benefits of Walking? Have at-Home Tests for the Flu?

Gluten is the name for proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten is also added to foods as a thickening agent or to provide texture and flavor. Gluten has a stretchy quality to it and is the ingredient that gives bread and baked goods their chewy texture. Eating whole grains like wheat, barley, and rye is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. However, gluten can cause health concerns for some. Some people experience adverse reactions and health risks when eating foods containing gluten. The peptides found in gluten are resistant to stomach acids, which can make it hard for some people to digest.

These peptides can cause various symptoms from mild indigestion to more serious health conditions. Gastrointestinal discomfort or allergy symptoms can develop as a result of eating gluten. Many people have developed celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system seeks gluten as a toxic invader and attacks it, resulting in intestinal damage. People with celiac disease are at risk for developing more severe disorders due to malabsorption of vitamins and minerals. Why You Should Avoid Gluten If you have any symptoms of gluten-sensitivity, you may want to consider removing gluten from your diet.

Americans have celiac disease, however, most cases go undiagnosed. People with celiac disease experience gastrointestinal symptoms like excessive gas, diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, and nutrient deficiencies. Prolonged ingestion of gluten in people with celiac disease results in damage to the intestinal lining. This damage affects the digestive system’s ability to absorb vitamins and minerals. People with celiac disease have a high risk of developing osteoporosis, arthritis, infertility, and neurological problems. Some people diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome may have gluten sensitivity. It’s possible to have difficulty digesting gluten without having celiac disease.

If you experience gastrointestinal symptoms after eating wheat, barley, or rye, but have tested negative for celiac, you may have NCGS and could see improvement on a gluten-free diet. Wheat and other cereal grains can cause allergic reactions in some people. Keeping a food diary can help you determine if your allergy symptoms occur after eating wheat, barley, rye, or oats. Dermatitis herpetiformis is a relatively rare skin reaction due to gluten sensitivity.

Lesions or blisters form on the skin, most commonly on the forearms, knees, and buttocks. People experiencing dermatitis herpetiformis typically also have celiac disease as they are caused by the same antibodies. Foods With Gluten Foods made from wheat have the highest amounts of gluten. However, wheat flour is also commonly added to foods, so it’s important to read nutrition labels if you are avoiding gluten. All wheat pasta contains gluten, including spaghetti, fettuccine, macaroni, lasagne, and ravioli.