The goo ds on gluten

Over the past decade, gluten has received a great deal of attention as the medical community and other healthcare practitioners have become more aware of the potentially harmful effects of it on some people. We have seen a rapid increase globally in the incidence of coeliac disease (CD) and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) as well as a current trend of people choosing to avoid gluten without being diagnosed.

Gluten is a protein complex found in wheat, rye and barley. It’s one of the most widely consumed proteins in the world. Gluten is made up of two different proteins, glutenin and gliadin, which are responsible for giving dough its elasticity and ability to rise. It’s like glue holding food together, giving it shape and texture.

Wheat, rye and barley are ancient grains that have been dietary staples for many cultures around the globe for tens of thousands of years. Wheat, in particular, makes up around 20 per cent of the world’s calorie intake and is the key ingredient in many commonly eaten foods in our daily diets, including bread, pasta, cereals and baked goods.

Wheat has also become a hidden ingredient in thousands of products, even many you wouldn’t expect. Nearly onethird of the products in our supermarkets contain wheat and so contain gluten. Why, then, have these gluten-containing grains that have nourished people from cultures around the world become so harmful to our health?

Gluten & the modern Western diet

The modern Western diet is dominated by wheat and other gluten-containing foods. The human body was not designed to deal with a diet made up of heavily processed foods high in sugars and refined grains. Unfortunately, most of the wheat we eat today is in the form of white flour.

In the late 19th century, industrial mills were introduced. Whole wheat could now be easily stripped of its nutritious germ and fibre-rich bran, leaving a starchy nutrient-depleted white flour. White bread suddenly became popular with bakers and their customers.

Wholewheat dough is lower in gluten because the germ and bran reduce the formation of gluten during the kneading process. Most commercial bakers add vital wheat gluten, a concentrated powdered form, to their dough to give it more strength and elasticity so it can withstand commercial mixing machines. Vital wheat gluten gives bread a longer shelf life and helps the bread loaf rise.

This is a far cry from how our ancestors baked bread. They used only whole grains, yeast, salt and water, and the gluten was formed naturally from the kneading process to make the bread lighter. Artisan bakers still use this traditional method of baking.

Food companies also add vital wheat gluten to snack foods, pasta, breakfast cereals and crackers and as a thickener in a