Is Gluten Bad for You?

Gluten is one of the most hotly debated topics recently and the emergence of hundreds of gluten free products only confirms this. In fact, the global market for gluten-free products has now reached over $2.5 billion in sales (1). Is gluten bad for you? Should you and your family be avoiding it? Not so fast, let's look at exactly what gluten is and the facts surrounding it.

What is Gluten Exactly?

Gluten is the name used for a family of proteins that are found in certain grains:

• Wheat
• Rye
• Barley
• Spelt
• Semolina
• Bulgur wheat

Gluten is responsible for dough rising and giving dough that familiar glue-like-elasticity. It is also the reason bread and other baked products have that chewy mouth feel that we all love so much. If you have ever eaten gluten free products before you will notice that there is a distinct difference in terms of their texture in comparison to products containing gluten. If we break down gluten further, gluten is actually made from two main proteins, glutenin, and gliadin. It is the gliadin that happens to be the trouble causer among some individuals causing a variety of health issues (2,3).

Is Gluten Bad?

The truth is, that for most people gluten is not bad and they can live their lives eating gluten and not have an issue. Think about the sheer amount of bakery's, cafes, pizza joints and restaurants in your city that serve mostly gluten containing products. On the other hand for a small percentage of people, gluten can and does make their life a misery if they are not very careful. There are 3 different types of reactions to gluten which fall on a broad spectrum in terms of severity:

• Celiac disease (Autoimmune response)
• Wheat allergy
• Immune-mediated gluten sensitivity (Intolerance)

Celiac Disease

Celiac or coeliac disease is the most severe and debilitating on the spectrum of reactions to gluten. While it might seem topical and almost fashionable to 'be celiac', only a very small percentage of the population is a true celiac sufferer. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. Essentially the body of someone who has celiac disease responds to gluten ingestion as if a foreign pathogen has invaded it. The problem with this is that when the body's immune system goes into overdrive to attack the gluten, the lining of the gut gets caught in the crossfire (4). Celiac disease is a true case of mistaken identity. Over time the damage to the gut wall can result in many health issues like anaemia, digestive problems, nutrient deficiencies and an increased risk of certain diseases (5). A true celiac diagnosis can only be made properly through the biopsy of an individuals intestine where the effect of the disease can be clearly viewed.

Wheat Allergy

Next up on the spectrum is a wheat allergy. The allergy to the proteins in the wheat specifically is completely different to the celiac disease, which is, as stated, an autoimmune disorder. In the case of the wheat allergy, the response is usually within seconds or minutes of coming into contact with the wheat. The reaction is normally quite specific. The wheat allergy can be further divided into different responses: that which affects the skin (contact urticaria), the gastrointestinal tract and in some cases the respiratory tract (anaphylaxis or rhinitis) (6). The other main difference with an allergy is that there is no associated damage to the gut lining over time (7) A wheat allergy is diagnosed through a blood test or alternatively a skin prick test (8).

Gluten Sensitivity (Intolerance)

The last on the spectrum is a sensitivity or intolerance to the gluten protein. For many years many individuals claimed a reaction to gluten and different grains containing gluten. However, they didn't fit the mould of a wheat allergy or a celiac sufferer. Newer research is pointing to the existence of this third reaction, a gluten intolerance (9). Symptoms of gluten intolerance include abdominal pain, eczema, diarrhea and headache among many others. In the case of gluten intolerance, the reaction is neither an autoimmune response nor an allergic response. Instead, individuals can be diagnosed by the exclusion of gluten from their diet and a subsequent drastic improvement in previous symptoms. Is Gluten Bad and Should You Go Gluten Free? The answer is a highly individualised one, and many factors should be taken into account before cutting out the beneficial grains that contain gluten. Many experts disagree when it comes to gluten and whether it is a necessity in our diets. The facts are, however, that many of the whole grains containing gluten also hold certain health benefits. These health benefits including nutrient dense B-Vitamins as well as dietary fiber. Even though there are three known types of reactions to gluten, the amount of people who have these reactions is a very small percentage of the world's population. If you suspect that you suffer from any of the gluten reactions mentioned above it is best to speak to your doctor who can then refer you to a specialist the make the appropriate diagnosis.

A Word on Gluten Free Products

While it may be tempting to jump onto the gluten-free trend it is important to realise that just because a product is free from gluten it does not automatically qualify it in terms of being healthy. In fact if you look at the ingredients in many of these products you will find that they are full of processed gluten free grains along with sugar and other undesirable additives (10). Take care to read labels and do not assume gluten free products are superior just because they are free from gluten. If you are tempted to cut out gluten for a while there are other grains that can still be eaten whole and unprocessed without the gluten. Try these grains out before seeking processed commercial gluten free products. Gluten is not found in other grains:

• Rice
• Quinoa
• Corn
• Millet
• Amaranth
• Buckwheat
• Oats