Gluten Free Foods Are Essential For The Health Of The Gluten Intolerant

Gluten free foods are becoming more popular as the demand increases. You have probably already noticed more gluten free breads made from gluten free grains popping up at your favorite grocery stores.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is found in wheat, rye, and barley.

Gluten contains a very complex protein which is hard to digest by our bodies. The size of the gluten protein molecule makes it very difficult for your digestive system to handle.

Problems will occur in your small intestine once gluten arrives.

Leaky gut syndrome and more serious allergic reactions can occur because gluten has the ability to rip holes in your intestinal lining.

This intestinal damage will weaken your ability to absorb essential nutrients from your food which will then lead to malnutrition and later to more serious health problems like a full blown disease.

Some of your favorite grains do not contain gluten such as corn, rice, and pure oats. Some of the more exotic gluten free grains are quinoa, buckwheat, millet, teff, and amaranth.

Since wheat, rye, and barley are grains that naturally contain gluten, eating oats that have been processed in the same plants as these grains will be cross contaminated with gluten.

Wheat gluten grains include spelt, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat berry, triticale, couscous, durham, bulgar, farina, semolina, einkorn, farro, graham, udon, seitan, wheat grass and matza.

What are Gluten Intolerance Symptoms to Watch Out For?

If you are gluten intolerant you will likely experience skin rashes, itchy skin, headaches, irritability, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, cramps, tingling and numbness. The longer term problems will likely be weight issues, depression, nutritional deficiencies, casein intolerance, irregular menstrual cycles, and slower child development.

A more serious gluten intolerance is called Celiac disease and when gluten is consumed this actually triggers your body’s immune system. Celiac disease is caused by the inflammatory interaction of gliadin which is a gluten protein.

The inflammation created by this protein will interfere with your small intestine’s ability to function and absorb nutrients. The lining of your small intestine will be flattened from your immune system’s response to this protein.

If you have Celiac disease, the odds are that someone in your family has it as well. This is a fairly common issue and without knowing about it you could become Diabetic.

The only way to effectively deal with this disease is a strict gluten free diet.

A Very Promising Gluten Free Grain is Quinoa

You’ll find lysine in quinoa which is a amino acid and quinoa is also higher in protein than most grains.

Most grains are deficient in this essential amino acid.

Your muscles need an adequate supply of lysine and lysine helps with the absorption of minerals like calcium.

Your body uses lysine to produce its hormones and enzymes.

Quinoa is considered a complete protein because it contains all eight essential amino acids.

Gluten Free Food Advice

Gluten free desserts can be created thanks to gluten free flours. You can make all the pies, cakes, and cookies you want, but I’d get educated about the gluten free flours first. You usually have to mix a few of them together to create the right texture.

Gluten free foods that come to you from nature are fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, eggs, whole dairy products, animal meats, fish and seafood.

Gluten is only found in grains and additives made from gluten. Make sure you to check all labels if you are trying to avoid gluten in your diet.

For additional information from this writer about this topic, go to Gluten Free Foods. For useful Healthy Eating Guidelines, visit Destination Healthy Foods.