What Is Gluten & Do I Need To Avoid It?

by Shereen Jegtvig

First, the short answers to that question.  Gluten is a protein found in most grains and no, you probably don’t need to avoid it.  However, many people who do need to stay away from gluten don’t know it yet.

Now for the longer explanations.  Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, tricale, spelt and rye so you’ll find large amounts of gluten in breads, cereals, pastas, pastries, cookies, cakes and anything made with wheat and the other gluten-containing grains.  Gluten gives allows bread to rise and keep its shape and texture. 

So who needs to avoid gluten?  Some people have a disorder called celiac disease and they cannot tolerate the gluten protein.  When the gluten comes in contact with the small intestine, it triggers inflammation and actually damages the intestinal lining.  The damage results in a variety of symptoms ranging from being almost undetectable to severe digestive problems and malnutrition.  Damage to the intestine from celiac disease also restricts the absorption of fats, fat-soluble vitamins and some minerals.

Diagnosis of celiac disease is done with blood tests and/or a biopsy of the intestinal tissues.  Because the symptoms range in severity, it may not be properly diagnosed for many years.  Currently, about 100,000 Americans have been diagnosed with celiac, however, some experts estimate as many as 3 million Americans may have celiac.

Currently, there isn’t any treatment for celiac other than to avoid gluten.  Which sounds easy (don’t eat bread, most cereal, pasta, pastries, pretzels, etc.) but it is actually a bit more difficult than that.  Wheat is often used as an ingredient in other foods so you may find gluten lurking in the processed foods you buy too.  And it isn’t always evident on the ingredients label.  You may be exposed to gluten whenever you eat the following foods:
•    Crackers
•    Croutons
•    Pasta
•    Cookies
•    Cakes
•    Pretzels
•    Soup
•    Gravies
•    Sauces
•    Pie
•    Tortillas
•    Salad dressings
•    Soy sauce
•    Beer
•    Imitation meat or seafood
•    Processed luncheon meats
•    Self-basting poultry

And that list is by no means conclusive.  As you can see, it can be quite a daunting task to buy prepackaged and processed foods that are gluten-free.  You can find a number of gluten-free foods available in the grocery store (look in the natural and organic foods sections).  They’ll usually have a nice big “gluten-free” label on the front of the package.  But you can make it easier by using our FoodEssentials tool to hunt for gluten.

Anyone who has celiac needs to avoid gluten, however, that doesn’t mean gluten is bad for people who are not sensitive to it.  Grains (especially whole grains) are good for us.  Many people without celiac believe they feel better when they avoid gluten, and that may be true just because eliminating gluten removes most junk and processed foods from your diet.  And some people may be allergic to one grain, but not have to avoid all of them.  For example, a person who is allergic to wheat may still be able to eat spelt or barley.  That’s definitely not the case with celiac.

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