Today nutritionists all over the world are discussing the topic of rejection of the "mysterious" gluten in the products that the population eats, and even a decade ago people did not even know about its existence. So what exactly is gluten, where is it found, and why are healthy eating haters so skeptical about it?
Gluten (translated from the Latin alphabet - "glue"), together with plant fibrin and gluten, constitutes a group of protein proteins that are part of all cereals. When wetted with water, this element becomes practically tasteless, elastic, homogeneous and very sticky gray mass. In modern food production, this substance is used almost everywhere. This is due to the low cost and easy process of extracting gluten itself from the grain, which is a plus for industrialists.
As a dietary supplement, gluten has many functions. It is used as a natural preservative, enhancing the elasticity of bakery products, and also as an excellent thickener, which at the same time gives the product a uniform and delicate texture.
Here is a basic list of foods that may contain this "cereal glue":
- Various bakery products and all kinds of pastries (pizza belongs to the same group).
- A group of pasta.
- Cakes and and various confectionery products.
- Dishes from the category of fast food.
- Quick breakfasts (cereals, cereal muesli, sticks and more).
- Sausages (including ham).
- Retail crab sticks.
- A favorite unhealthy snack - chips.
- Products for quick use (noodles, soups).
- Soy products.
- Seasoning mixes and bouillon cubes.
- Consumer products (mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard).
- Semi-finished factory products.
- Dairy products (for example, yogurt).
- Frozen vegetables and berries.
- Beer.
- Nutritious infant formula.
- Supplements and some vitamins.
To recognize the presence of this adhesive in a purchased product, it is necessary to study its composition. Very often this component is hidden under such names as textured proteins, modified starch, protein mass, potato food starch and some other similar names.
Contrary to popular belief, gluten is absolutely harmless for a healthy person. It can cause significant damage to health only to those people who have a severe congenital pathology - gluten intolerance. According to statistics, such a violation is present in 1% of the population of the entire planet.
Gluten is a natural product that nature has laid down in all cereals. You should not be afraid of consuming it if there is no justified reason for that.
