What you need to know about gluten

Try to remember the last time you went to the supermarket. How many of the products you saw had a label that said gluten free? So much has been said about this topic that many people are making adjustments to their diets to stop consuming gluten. But is this really necessary? Should everyone avoid gluten consumption? What’s the problem with it? Here’s what you need to know about gluten.line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; data-mce-style=font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;>line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;>Is gluten bad?To begin with, get it out of your head that gluten is something bad. Gluten is not an additive or a component artificially added to food. It is simply a protein found in certain grains, such as wheat, rye, and barley. The trend of consuming gluten-free foods is due to the fact that not everyone can digest and eliminate this protein. However, it has nothing to do with product quality or food issues.Should I stop eating gluten?Not necessarily. In reality, most people can eat gluten-containing foods without any problems. It is only suggested to avoid its intake when individuals present certain symptoms. The most common are inflammation and pain in the stomach area, anemia, and intestinal obstruction. You should never make radical adjustments to your diet, like completely eliminating flours, just because you think you have some condition. If you suspect you might be gluten intolerant, you should undergo some tests to obtain a reliable diagnosis.Am I allergic to gluten?Don't think that just because you feel a bit of bloating after eating a piece of bread, you are celiac. Although generally people intolerant to gluten suffer from diarrhea or abdominal pain, some may not present any reactions at all. Likewise, the disease can be latent, meaning it may not appear until adulthood, even though it has been present since childhood.To determine whether you are allergic to gluten, you should undergo a blood test and biopsies of the small intestine.What can I eat if I am diagnosed with celiac disease?You must avoid all foods made with wheat, barley, or rye. This means that pasta, bread, flour tortillas, pastries, cakes, beers, and certain dressings or sauces are prohibited. A simpler way to choose your foods is by checking the labels. By law, they must include information about their ingredients and the possibility of containing traces of gluten.Here are some easy and delicious recipes that do not contain gluten: Quinoa and Chia BreadAztec Cake with ChickenCorn Bread without FlourCarrot Pancakes without Flour