You’ve likely heard of gluten. Maybe you or someone you know avoids eating it for health reasons. The naturally occurring protein is found in a lot of food and drinks, like bread, pasta, beer, and many others. And there are lots of gluten-free foods out there for people with gluten sensitivity. It’s been discussed so much recently as a thing people don’t eat that you may think it’s bad for you, but it’s not really that simple.
What actually is gluten? And why do some people avoid it? We got in touch with Dr. Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, who is an author, nutrition consultant, and adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University. She was kind enough to help us understand all the hype around this protein.
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein that’s found in many grains, particularly wheat, barley, and rye. Durum, emmer, wheat berries, spelt, semolina, farina, and farro are other grains that contain gluten. It provides the chewiness, structure, and body to a lot of foods, especially baked goods.
What Foods Have Gluten?
Since gluten is found in many grains, there are a lot of food products that can have gluten, like breads, pastries, pastas, cereals, and even beer and soy sauce. Gluten can also be used as a thickening agent or stabilizer, which means you should always check the ingredient label for any hidden gluten if you’re trying to avoid it. You can learn more about foods that have gluten from the Celiac Disease Foundation.
What Role Does Gluten Have In Baking?
Gluten can play a big role in baked goods, and it all starts with the flour. Different types of flour have varying levels of protein, which is what forms gluten when it’s mixed with water and kneaded. The higher the protein count, the more gluten can form.
Cake flour has the lowest amount of protein and is ideal for tender baked goods like cakes. All-purpose flour and bread flour have the ability to form a lot of gluten, which is ideal for chewy breads. “Gluten acts like a binder, keeping food together and adding a stretchy quality to the dough,” Dr. Young said.
If you’re gluten-free, you can still bake with the help of gluten-free flours. We have plenty of gluten-free dessert recipes that are so tasty, you might not even miss the gluten.
The Benefits Of Gluten
“[Gluten] is found in some healthy grains like whole wheat which contains fiber, folate, and other healthy nutrients,” said Dr. Young. “Gluten may also act as a prebiotic, which feeds good bacteria in our bodies.”
Gluten Harms
Gluten can have side effects, especially for those with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or a wheat allergy, according to the resource Beyond Celiac. “In some cases, the body considers it a toxin, causing inflammation especially those with celiac,” said Dr. Young. “The side effects can be mild like fatigue and bloating, or severe leading to weight loss, malnutrition, mineral deficiencies and damage to the small intestine like in celiac disease.”
What Does Gluten-Free Mean?
There weren’t always guidelines for labeling food products gluten-free, but in 2013, the FDA issued a food-labeling rule for food labeled “gluten-free,” “no-gluten,” “free of gluten,” and “without gluten.” Following the criteria enacted by other countries, the rules say that gluten-free products are to have less than 20 parts per million of gluten, which is the lowest level of gluten that can be detected in foods.
The FDA also notes that those with celiac disease can typically handle small amounts of gluten. Keep in mind that not all food products that are gluten-free may be labeled as such, as manufacturers voluntarily choose to label their food products, and it’s their responsibility to make sure they’re in compliance with FDA standards. You can find more detailed information on food-labeling guidelines from the FDA.