Flash-back about a decade and hardly anyone knew what gluten was, let alone avoided it. Now, gluten free diets are a craze among Americans. Some of the popularity around gluten-free living is from A-list celebrity endorsements, while all large majority is due to a new understanding of Celiac disease. This disease was once thought to only effect every 1 in 1,000 people, but is not believed to effect about 1 in 133 Americans.
Celiac disease is a disorder where the body sees gluten as a foreign invader and mounts an immune response. The immune response can lead to extreme gastrointestinal discomfort, lack of nutrient absorption, and in some cases, cancer. For people with Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, this can be avoided by avoiding gluten, a protein composite found in wheat foods such as barley and rye.
Gluten is used in most the foods we eat. Almost every dough uses it to create that elastic, spongy texture while other products, such as salad dressings and soups, use it as a thickening agent. Gluten can also be used to enhance taste or for some extra protein. Because of this, gluten can be very difficult to completely take out of a diet.
When you break it down, gluten is comprised of two main proteins, gliadin and glutenin. Gliadin is the insoluble portion of the glucose and the portion that effects those with Celiac disease. There are three forms of gliadin ranging from low to high insolubility. This portion on the glucose can also bond with other starches. Glutenin makes up almost half the proteins in wheat.