EGI – Those who have celiac disease and are allergic to wheat, the best choice is to avoid gluten to protect themselves from reactions such as diarrhea, vomiting, swelling of the face or difficulty breathing within minutes or hours after ingesting foods containing wheat flour.
Yet a 2017 survey of 1,000 people in the United States and Canada who bought gluten-free groceries found that 46% said they bought those products for reasons other than a pressing “medical need”., argues the New York Times, which also wonders if loaves, buns and biscuits “are an equally nutritious option”, as well as certainly more expensive. Sometimes even double the usual price of regular bread.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye grains. In traditional wheat-based breads, gluten forms a protein network that makes the dough cohesive and elastic and gives the bread that quintessential chewy, satisfying texture.
However gluten or other components of wheat can cause health problems in some people, resulting in severe allergies. It is estimated that 1% of people in the world suffer from it. But according to the 2017 survey, one of the main reasons given for the consumption of gluten-free products is that of want to reduce inflammation or consume fewer artificial ingredientsi, believe that gluten-free products are healthier or more natural and think that such products would help to lose weight. True or false?
According to Anne R. Lee, dietitian and professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University Medical Center’s Celiac Disease Center, “Typically, gluten-free products are richer in fat, sugar, salt and less rich in fiber, group B vitamins and iron“, so they are less good. In fact, manufacturers of gluten-free bread often also add sugar, fat and salt to their products to make them tastier and because gluten-free bread tends to contain more water, fat and refined starch than gluten-free bread based on wheat, “it spoils and goes stale more quickly”.
For all these reasons, the Times points out, “avoiding gluten is not always the best choice”, because “there is also the quality of life to consider”. In fact, food “is not only fuel for our body, but it also gives pleasure”. So? “If you think you have a gluten intolerance, before eliminating it from your diet, it is better to go to a gastroenterologist and get an appropriate visit to the case,” advises Dr. Lee.
Which also advises to focus less on packaged gluten-free products and more on whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, beans and gluten-free whole grains and seeds such as amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, teff and millet, because “if you follow a gluten-free diet then the diet can be incredibly healthy” by making the right choices and checking nutrition labels where there are sufficient levels of fiber and protein and a minimum of added sugars. And then, look for a bread with whole grains among the first ingredients, which are listed in descending order by weight, so that the first ingredient is always present in the largest quantity…