gluten free Breadmaker Mixes

What Is Gluten And Why Should I Care?

Gluten sensitivity is quite a popular topic of discussion today. With its relationship to acne, osteoporosis, allergies, and other conditions, it's no wonder there's so much interest in gluten. But what is gluten? In what ways can it have effects on your health? And why should you care? Let's explore these questions now.

To begin, we'll define what gluten is and is not. Gluten is a substance (technically a protein) that is found in certain grains. Gluten isn't a virus or bacteria, nor is it artificial. It is a natural part of the grains in which it is found, and we call these grains "gluten grains".

Gluten occurs naturally in only three grains: wheat, barley, and rye. Whenever you eat even a small serving of any of those grains, you'll be ingesting gluten. This includes flours made from these grains, as well as anything made from these grains, such as beer, bread, and pretzels.

Gluten can cause health problems because in certain individuals, it damages the lining of the intestine and causes the immune system to become imbalanced. This then causes of whole host of other health conditions, including nutrient deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, anemia and more.

There's now some growing confusion over whether oats should be considered gluten grains. The short answer is: maybe. While it's true that oats do contain a substance that is similar to gluten, it is different than the gluten found in wheat, barley, and rye. This substance in oats doesn't cause problems for most people. However, the issue lies in cross-contamination. You see, oats are often grown near gluten grains, and are transported and processed on the same machines as gluten grains. This often means that traces of wheat, barley, or rye gluten can be found in oats. Look for labels stating "gluten-free" when purchasing oats to be sure they truly are gluten free.

Gluten can also be found in places you wouldn't expect. Fried foods often contain gluten because the foods are dipped in a batter that contains gluten-containing flour before frying. Another surprise is soy sauce; it actually contains gluten. Look for tamari to put on your favorite Chinese food instead, it is usually gluten-free. Lastly, gluten can be used as a food additive in foods such as candies, to provide texture and consistency.

Grains containing gluten became a staple of our diet around 10,000 years ago, as the first agricultural societies began farming with cereal grains. Our dependence on cereal grains, including gluten-containing grains, has become a global phenomenon.

One interesting factoid is that the geographical areas that have had the longest exposure to gluten in their diets, also tend to have the lowest incidence of gluten allergy (celiac disease). This means that it likely takes many generations for our bodies to adapt to eating this gluten as a food. The fact that many of our genomes aren't fully adapted to eating gluten is likely responsible for such a large number of people being sensitive to gluten.

If you now or in the past have suffered from arthritis, autoimmune diseases, anemia, frequent stomach or bowel problems, or skin conditions, you should consider that perhaps you too have a sensitivity to gluten.

To find out if gluten may be causing your health condition, visit your Portland Chiropractor for an evaluation. You should look for a Portland Chiropractor knowledgeable about gluten-related conditions and begin your road to recovery.
gluten free bread Recipe -- The BEST you'll ever taste!!!

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to visit our website
and hope that we were able to assist you in your search for the information that you are looking for.
We do understand that with so many articles written, it is possible
and even likely that you will discover mistakes along the way.
We would appreciate you using the "contact us" page to let us know if you come across any mistakes
in our articles or if you simply have any ideas for articles that you would like to see in the future.
Thanks again for taking the time to visit,
we hope you have enjoyed you stay and hope that you will visit our web site again someday very soon.