You open your Instagram and get bombarded with celebrities sharing gluten-free recipes with their loyal followers. Your favorite celebrity has also fallen for this food trend and is now sharing their creation.
Though you don’t follow trends as quickly as others, you are still intrigued about the whole commotion about gluten-free products. Why are so many people suffering from gluten all of a sudden?
Is it just a marketing scam?
Lately, you’ve started to doubt your own body. It seems your gut hasn’t been quite cooperative whenever you consume your favorite food. Does this mean your favorite food might contain gluten?
It’s easy to theorize and assume stuff. But don’t jump to conclusions too quickly. Instead, check out these pointers about gluten and its potential hidden sources of food.
Gluten is the protein that’s present in wheat, barley, and rye and their products. And people who have a severe reaction to gluten eventually develop celiac disease. This condition presents itself as painful stomach cramps, nausea, weight loss, bloating, and excessive flatulence. While flatulence and slight bloating might not be severe, cramps and other symptoms, like weight loss, can indicate something far severe in your gut.
Your gut might be losing its crucial lining where the majority of nutrient absorption takes place. Gluten can irritate your gut lining and cause its eventual deterioration. When it comes to foods that are obvious sources of gluten, bread and pasta take the prize for the most hazardous foods. Beer, cookies, breaded meat, and pizza crusts are other sources of gluten that one should avoid if they are gluten-sensitive.
Rice, potatoes, and quinoa are 100% safe and should be consumed instead of completely removing carbohydrates from the diet out of fear.
Ultimately, check your signs and symptoms before totally eliminating bread and wheat products and consult with a health professional if you see your symptoms are not going away.
The last place you would immediately look for gluten, right?
Coatings of certain medications and supplements can contain gluten, so be sure to read the ingredients before buying over-the-counter medications. Ask your pharmacist for gluten-free substitutes instead. It’s also important to know that those with celiac disease tend to develop deficiencies in specific vitamins and minerals, like vitamin D and iron.
2. Chips and Fries
Although potatoes in their natural form don’t contain gluten, they are transformed into gluten-containing products through processing. Chips can be seasoned with vinegar and wheat starch, while French fries can get contaminated with gluten oils left from fried foods prior.
3. Oats
While oats don’t contain gluten, they are naturally grown close to wheat in the fields. Hence, the risk of close contamination is high. When shopping for oats, it’s better to opt for products labeled “certified gluten-free” instead of buying in bulk.
4. Soy sauce
This popular dressing/condiment used to flavor chicken and salads contains wheat. So make sure you inquire about the presence of soy sauce in your food when you dine out at an Asian restaurant or sushi place.
5. Baked Goods and Processed Sweets
Candies and chocolate can fall into gluten-containing food if the following ingredients are mentioned on their labels: vegetable protein, hydrolyzed starch, glucose syrup, malt flavoring, and modified starch.
Although eating a bar of chocolate won’t do you any harm, it depends on the amount of the ingredients mentioned above in them.
Some products might contain added sugar, like milk chocolate. So it’s always better to choose pure dark chocolate varieties since they tend to contain fewer additives.
Also, if you’re into smoking weed and consuming edibles, not to worry! The gluten-free craze has also spread to the weed community, and you can find various gluten-free edibles crafted for your taste!