{"id":4201,"date":"2014-09-11T12:27:10","date_gmt":"2014-09-11T16:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.usedtobeabastard.com\/?p=1941"},"modified":"2014-09-11T12:27:10","modified_gmt":"2014-09-11T16:27:10","slug":"everything-wanted-know-gluten-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dontpokthebear.com\/everything-wanted-know-gluten-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Wanted To Know About Gluten"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everything You Wanted To Know About Gluten But Were Afraid To\u00a0Ask<\/h1>\n

For those who are afraid to look even more dumb in Whole Foods.<\/b><\/p>\n

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Q:<\/h2>\n
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\"Q:\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Flickr: klallier<\/a> \/ Creative Commons<\/div>\n

A: Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye<\/b><\/a>. It\u2019s that thing that helps dough rise, making your bagels chewy and your sandwich bread soft.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A:<\/p>\n

Gluten can set off a range of negative responses in some people\u2019s immune systems. An extreme example is celiac disease. Normally we have tiny, hair-like projections (villi) that line the small intestine like a plush carpet, absorbing vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from food. But according to the Mayo Clinic\u2019s website, celiac disease makes the inner surface of the small intestine appear more like a tile floor<\/b>.<\/p>\n

\u201cCeliac disease sufferers have a full fledged natural auto-immunity to the protein gluten. The gluten does not react to them directly,\u201d said Eric Sieden, director of nutrition and food services at Plainview Hospital<\/a>. \u201cWhat ends up happening to people with celiac disease is that the body will react to the gluten by having the white blood cells attack the intestinal wall causing inflammation and loss of nutrient absorption<\/b>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMost symptoms are GI (gastrointestinal) in nature, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain\/bloating, diarrhea or constipation, lactose intolerance, weight loss from malabsorption or above symptoms,<\/b>\u201d explained Kelly O\u2019Connor, a dietician and certified diabetes educator with Mercy Medical Center<\/a>. \u201cAlso, other non-GI symptoms may occur, such as migraines, bone\/joint pain, mouth ulcers, chronic fatigue, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A: It\u2019s hard to define<\/a>, exactly.<\/p>\n

\u201cA gluten intolerance\/allergy\/sensitivity works differently with the immune system where the gluten protein itself causes the body to attack itself through inflammation in the small intestine,\u201d explained Sieden. The body starts to beat itself up, even though it\u2019s aiming for the gluten<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Although it differs from celiac disease<\/a>, experts can\u2019t exactly nail down sensitivity\/intolerance as a definable problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome researchers have labeled the intolerance\/sensitivity as NCGS (non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). Though this is a label that researchers have put on it, physicians have not been so quick to define it as a medical condition,\u201d said Sieden. \u201cThe reason for this is that there is no defined medical test for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For celiac disease, patients undergo a biopsy in order to determine a diagnosis. There\u2019s not much doctors can do in order to test for gluten sensitivity.<\/p>\n

Additionally, these \u201cgluten sensitivities\u201d might belong to a broader family of wheat-related problems. More specific tests are being developed<\/a> in hopes of cutting out the \u201cconstituents of grains that make them ill.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Thinkstock \/ thinkstockphotos.com<\/a>|tetmc<\/div>\n

Different people will display different side effects of celiac disease, but the most common symptoms are digestive issues like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss<\/a>. Not everyone will show those symptoms, however; additionally, children could also show<\/a> different signs of the disease. You could also suffer from fatigue, headaches, constipation, acid reflux, and other problems<\/a>. The Mayo Clinic suggests to schedule a visit with your doctor<\/a> \u201cif you have diarrhea or digestive discomfort that lasts for more than two weeks<\/b>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A: Stay away from beer, breads, cakes\u2026<\/h2>\n
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Beer is made from malted barley or wheat; breads and cakes are made from wheat-based flours or other whole grains.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2026pie, candies, cereals\u2026<\/h2>\n
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Pie crust and cereals are made from wheat-based flours; some candies contain wafers or other wheat-based ingredients.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2026cookies, crackers, croutons\u2026<\/h2>\n
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Cookies, crackers, and croutons are made from wheat-based flours and could contain other whole grains.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2026gravies, imitation meats\/fish, matzah\u2026<\/h2>\n
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Flour is used to thicken gravy; imitation crab meat is made from ground white fish and a binding agent (normally the enzyme transglut<\/b>aminase, but occasionally egg whites are used); matzah is an unleavened bread made from any of the five grains mentioned in the Torah: wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2026pastas, lunch meats, salad dressings\u2026<\/h2>\n
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Pasta noodles are made from wheat-based flours or other grains; processed deli meats could contain seasonings that contain gluten or were combined with breadcrumbs as a filler; some salad dressings could contain gluten which acts as a thickening agent, while others could be made with soy sauce or other flavors that are derived from wheat sources.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2026(soy) sauces, seasoned rice mixes, seasoned chips\u2026<\/h2>\n
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Soy sauce is normally made from fermented soy beans and wheat; seasoned rice mixes (like Zatarain\u2019s<\/a>, among others) could contain wheat or barley flour; seasoned potato or tortilla chips could contain wheat or barley flour or were processed on the same equipment as other wheat-based snacks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2026 or self-basting poultry, soups, vegetables cooked in some sauces.<\/h2>\n
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Self-basting poultry could contain flavor enhancers or other \u201cnatural solutions\u201d that have wheat- or gluten-based ingredients; wheat-based flours are used in some soups to thicken them; some vegetables on restaurant menus are cooked in soy-based sauces which could contain wheat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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foodembrace.com<\/a><\/div>\n

The key is to check ingredient labels very thoroughly for any wheat-, barley-, and rye- derived ingredients. Some ingredient labels now contain allergen information, so there\u2019s less guesswork involved.<\/p>\n

These flours should also be avoided: bulgur, durum flour, farina, farro, graham flour, kamut, semolina, or spelt.<\/p>\n

Hints<\/b>:
\n– Some ingredients that are \u201cmalted\u201d (like some vinegars!) could be dangerous.
\n– Watch out for seitan, as that is just wheat gluten.
\n– Look for words like \u201cbreading\u201d or \u201cnatural flavors,\u201d as these could be hidden gluten.<\/small><\/p>\n

<\/small>If you\u2019re unsure if you can trust a brand, or if you\u2019d like to doublecheck a product\u2019s ingredients, more and more websites have an FAQ that will most likely contain information about any gluten or wheat used.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A:<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re allergic\/intolerant, yes. If you\u2019re fine with gluten, not necessarily.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been proposed that simply the act of making their diet healthier (i.e., adding more fruits and veggies, (eating) less processed foods) may be what causes them to \u2018feel better\u2019 and lose weight, rather than the lack of gluten<\/b>,\u201d said O\u2019Connor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile it is a current trend to ditch gluten from your diet, there are no benefits from withholding it if you do not have an intolerance<\/b>,\u201d said Sieden.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think a gluten-free diet is a healthier option for the general public<\/b>,\u201d said Laura Manning, an RD in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Mount Sinai Hospital<\/a>. \u201cOverall what we need to do is eat less processed white flour products, eat more fruits and vegetables, and increase exercise<\/b>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Some provide a necessary service to the community, others are potentially capitalizing on the popularity of the diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, I see manufacturers are printing \u2018gluten-free\u2019 on food products unnecessarily just to get in on the trend,\u201d said Sieden. \u201cI compare it to when trans fats were being banned. I remember seeing \u2018trans fat-free\u2019 on a box of raisins. Come on!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Not at all.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Celiac) is a serious disease and not some flavor-of-the-month diet trend<\/b>,\u201d Sieden said.<\/p>\n

According to an article<\/a> by Scientific American:
\n\u201cDespite the recent evidence that wheat sensitivities are more numerous and varied than previously realized, research has also revealed that many people who think they have such reactions do not. In a 2010 study, only 12 of 32 individuals who said they felt better on a diet that excluded gluten or other wheat proteins actually had an adverse reaction to those molecules.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So, now you know:<\/h2>\n
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