What Is Gluten?
Gluten is a family of proteins found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley, and others. It functions mainly as a bonding agent that makes foods sustain their shape. Gluten assists the leavening process in bread products, making them softer and more elastic. An adult averagely consumes 5-20 grams of gluten per day.
Gluten is used by so many manufacturers because of its ability to retain the appearance and freshness of foods. It is normally not harmful to the health because many people cannot break down large amounts (it has high resistance to gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal digestive processes).
Gluten can be seen in many foods such as;
- Processed grain foods: cookies, pasta, wheat-based noodles, bread, and pastries
- Grains: like semolina, bulgur, couscous, rye, barley, and wheat
- Several food and drinks: soy sauce, bouillon, flavored chips, beer, some wines, and spices.
It used to be almost impossible to have a gluten-free diet because it was found or put in almost every food. However, companies have started producing gluten-free products, so it is easier now.