What is gluten and what is it harmful for humans?

Gluten intolerance is known to doctors yetsince ancient times, but the breakthrough in deciphering this disease occurred only in the middle of the 20th century.

Earlier it was thought that this pathology is found only in children of the first year. However, it has now been established that approximately one in 100 people have intolerance or an allergy to gluten.

Now there is a lot of talk about the dangers of this substance, in connection with which gluten-free diets have become extremely popular.

Gluten: what it is and why it is harmful ^

Gluten is a gluten found in the seeds of many cereal crops and is a vegetable protein. It is the gluten that makes the baking fluffy and resilient. All flour of higher grades contains a sufficient amount of this substance.

The main products containing gluten include:

• Wheat cereals;
• rye;
• Hercules;
• mango;
• pearl barley and barley groats.

However, gluten can be found not only in cereals - vegetable protein is found in many semi-finished products, ready cutlets, pelmeni, sausages, inexpensive sausages and even in mayonnaise, packaged cottage cheese and yoghurt. In these products, it acts as a gluing base and preservative.

Many people do not think about what is the harm and benefit of gluten, because their body is successfully coping with its splitting. Quite another matter is a sick person suffering from gluten intolerance. If the body is not able to cope with the plant protein, it is necessary to follow the appropriate diet for life. The damage to gluten( gluten) for the body is that it can cause an allergy in modern humans.

Gluten intolerance is difficult to diagnose, especially in latent form. Many chronic patients switch to gluten-free foods and feel relieved. The danger of celiac disease has increased hundreds of times in recent decades. The cereals have been selected for many years, and the varieties with the highest protein content were selected. And this is the very gluten that is being discussed.

Gluten Intolerance in Adults and Children: Symptoms, Causes ^

One of the gluten fractions( gliadins), with a genetic predisposition, stimulates a number of autoimmune reactions. Damage is directed, first of all, against own intestinal cells. Also suffer joints, brain, heart and other organs.

The genetic predisposition to pathology is confirmed by the fact that the frequency of the disease in the next of kin is about 10%.Often the disease manifests itself in a veiled form. Think about your health should be in cases where a person often has flatulence, unstable stool, as well as abdominal pain of an unknown genesis.

Gluten allergy and gluten intolerance in adults: symptoms

The sensitivity to gluten is manifested by a number of symptoms:

• nausea;
• flatulence and rumbling in the abdomen;
• instability of stool;
• vomiting;
• presence of droplets of fat in stool;
• weight reduction;
• nail brittleness;
• dry skin;
• headaches.

As a result of insufficient absorption of vitamins and microelements, the immune system suffers, which is manifested by frequent colds and infectious diseases.

Allergic to gluten shows similar symptoms, often itching pruritus, impaired peripheral nervous system( numbness of hands or feet, tingling), severe abdominal pain, burning sensation in the throat after eating gluten.

What is celiac disease: what is its danger for children

If the sensitivity to gluten is not so acute in adults, then the kids are much more serious. Celiac disease is a genetically mediated disease characterized by persistent intolerance to cereal crops. At the same time, the atrophy of the intestinal mucosa develops, as well as the syndrome of impaired intestinal absorption.

This is a chronic disease that develops quite acutely after the introduction of complementary foods from cereals. The mechanism is this: the thickness of the mucous membrane decreases, it flattenes, and among the cells of the mucosa predominate young undifferentiated cells.

Gluten Intolerance: Symptoms in Children

• In typical cases, celiac disease results in the appearance of a copious, loose foam chair that has an unpleasant odor. These symptoms are caused by decay of unsplit protein.
• The abdomen of the baby increases in size, is swollen, there is a lack of vitamins and trace elements, a progressive weight loss.
• The depletion, anemia, lag of the child in development is gradually developing.
• In advanced cases, there are fractures, a violation of posture, thinning of bones.

The classic picture does not cause difficulties in diagnosis, but often there are erased forms. They for many years remain unrecognized, leading to a delay in sexual and mental development, increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases.

It's no accident that children suffering from autism, nervous system pathology or cerebral palsy, many experts recommend switching to a gluten-free diet. Undivided protein acts on the brain like opiates. And after eliminating gluten from the diet, behavioral deviations often disappear.

Prevention of celiac disease: how to eat with gluten intolerance ^

It is recommended that parents closely monitor the condition of the child after the introduction of the menu in the cereal. Especially should be pricked up after the appearance of a plentiful foamy stool with a fetid odor for no apparent reason.

In order not to risk the health of the child, it is better to use grits without gluten for the first meal - rice, buckwheat, millet. At the slightest suspicion of celiac disease, it is better to exclude wheat gluten and consult a pediatrician and undergo a survey.

Gluten-free diet is indicated to all people suffering from gluten allergy and hypersensitivity to vegetable protein. It should be said that it will not be possible to lose weight on such a menu, because many dishes have a sufficiently high calorie content. Without a risk to health, you can use natural products:

• meat and fish;
• potatoes;
• crumbly curd;
• all vegetables and fruits;
• potato starch;
• vegetable oil.

Currently leading gluten-free bread is developed by leading technologists, which will help to replace the habitual bakery products with patients. You can prepare gluten-free bread at home in the bread maker, for this, flour without gluten is needed - corn, potato, soy or rice.