What is Gluten?

Gluten is found in wheat based products. It is found in cereals, breads, baked goods, vegetarian products, and used in meat substitutes. It can even be used as a thickener, just like corn starch. When wheat is processed the starch is removed and the protein that remains is called gluten. Many people have intolerance for this protein. As a result food products are now being labeled gluten free.

People that are intolerant or have an allergy to gluten can exhibit various symptoms. Some people may only have a running nose after consuming wheat products. This is only a mild reaction to the protein and should not be a concern other than to reduce the amount of wheat based products eaten. Other people may have a more severe reaction to this protein. Frequent diarrhea, stomach indigestion or bloating, vomiting, and dizzy spells could all be indicators of an allegoric reaction. Some people may develop a running nose, watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, itchy skin and even hives. Severe allergic reactions could result in a swollen tongue or throat.

The easiest way to determine if you have an intolerance or allergy to gluten is to stop eating wheat based products. If the symptoms go away, then you know you have an allergy to this protein. There are foods available that are gluten free. Good substitutes include breads made from rice flour or coconut flour. There are cereals that use rice and corn instead of wheat. Oatmeal is also a cereal substitute.

There are also many organic products available at your local grocery store, whole food store, or health food store that is gluten free. The best thing you can do if you have an allergy to this protein is read the ingredients on the package. If it contains wheat, barley, rye, whole grain, whole wheat or flour, then it probably contains gluten. You can also find products that will say gluten free right on the package.

When dining out it is important to be aware that many Asian foods use gluten as a thickening agent. You should not be afraid to ask what is in the food and if you cannot get an answer, dine somewhere else.