Gluten: Is Gluten really bad for you?
Gluten-free foods are the Trend. Not only people who suffer from an intolerance, but also many healthy people use it. However, the glue protein is really unhealthy? An expert explains, for whom such foods are sensible and who can ignore the gluten-free wave.
Life-long gluten-containing foods to avoid
According to health experts, about one percent of the German population suffers from a gluten intolerance (celiac disease). A therapy is not yet available. Can only help a strict Gluten withdrawal. In super markets, in the meantime, find a great range of products, which contain no glue protein. Even healthy people often resort to it. But gluten-free foods are not for all people healthy.
More sugar and fat and less fiber
Gluten, the adhesive protein that is found in the grain of some cereals such as wheat, rye, barley and spelt, is in the criticism.
Thus, it is sometimes claimed that Gluten is a fattening foods and is partly responsible for modern diseases such as Diabetes.
Many people turn to gluten-containing foods because they think that this is healthy.
“Such sweeping statements and not vote,” said gastroenterologist Professor Stephan Vavricka in a unit, the Knowledge in the framework of the event series-sheep(f)t Knowledge of the center for Integrative human physiology at the University of Zurich (UZH).
This is because a gluten-free diet, you run the risk of to take more sugar and fat and less dietary fiber, such as in a communication from the University of Zurich.
Gluten-free diet can damage the health
In addition, gluten-free food to a faster uptake of glucose, because they have less fiber and are typically rich.
Some health experts even warn against the health effects of free diet is gluten.
So researchers from the US found for example that by such a diet the risk of Diabetes is significantly increased.
And other scientists have found that gluten-free food can damage the heart sustained damage.
People today eat very hygienic
Gluten-free products are not only healthier but often more expensive.
“We must be clearly aware that behind the gluten-free wave is a huge industry that wants to sell us their expensive gluten-free specialty products,” said Vavrika, a specialist in Internal medicine and gastroenterology, and consultant physician at the University hospital Zurich.
Nevertheless, it must not be overlooked that Gluten actually causes more and more people in a more or less strong complaints.
According to the University of Zurich, there are several explanations. So has changed in the last 50 years, the cultivation of grain by protein more varieties. However, changes in lifestyle habits can play a role. For example, we feed ourselves today is very hygienic.
“We wash dishes and hands very thoroughly before we eat something. As a result, we take every day, residues of Soap to us that dissolve the protective mucous layer on the intestinal wall,“ said Vavricka.
The intestinal wall is the boundary surface between the environment and the human body. It is used in addition to the absorption of nutrients, the immune system.
If the contactor is to be dissolved at the end of the layer, however, bacteria can hike up to the intestinal wall and reactions by the immune system to trigger.
Dangerous Celiac Disease
The most severe Form of a reaction to Gluten is called celiac disease, is an autoimmune disease that affects about one percent of the population.
The consumption of Gluten provokes the formation of antibodies, which are specific to the body’s own structures in the intestine called villi, destroy.
Villi are protrusions of the cells in the intestinal wall, which are for the food intake responsible. Without these villi, nutrients are not absorbed properly, then it comes to digestive disorders and deficiency symptoms.
People need to strictly pay attention to your diet. If you eat gluten-containing food, you experience the typical symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating and fatty stool.
To diagnose celiac disease, a blood test, the antibodies can be detected, which destroy the villi. However, the diagnosis is only possible as long as you take Gluten.
Because as soon as you start to eat gluten-free, the number of anti-body, and after a few months they are no longer detectable.
“If you suspect a Gluten disease, go you, therefore, please to the doctor before you start a diet,” said Vavricka.
The good news is that the intestinal cells recover with time. The Affected can live a complaint-free, as long as you eat a strictly gluten-free.
To distinguish it from celiac disease, wheat Allergy is. In this the immune system reacts against different components of the wheat, and gives, in addition to digestive complaints, allergic symptoms such as Asthma or itching.
There is a gluten sensitivity?
Another Form of reaction to Gluten sensitivity is, the so-called Gluten. As the communication explains, this is neither an autoimmune disease nor an Allergy.
May be the composition of the intestinal flora and non-specific play in immune responses have a role. The experts are baffled, however, about whether or not there is the disease really is and how it arises.
According to Vavricka, the symptoms are real. Affected reports accordingly in addition to digestive problems, often over multiple non-specific complaints such as headaches, fatigue or depressed mood.
It is estimated that up to six percent of the population could be affected.
If more serious diseases were excluded, such as celiac disease or tumors, it may be useful to try a gluten-free diet. However, this does not help often.
Because of a supposed gluten sensitivity is the so-called FODMAPs may be partially stuck an intolerance to certain fermentable sugars. This includes, for example, fructose, or oligosaccharides, are also found in certain gluten-containing foods.
These are not digested in certain people, but by intestinal bacteria in the large intestine are fermented, which leads to the formation of gas and discomfort.
“We also suspect that the fermentation toxic poisons arise, and the systemic symptoms such as headache or concentration problems can cause,” said Vavricka.
A FODMAP-poor diet can improve the symptoms often. However, in such cases, a professional nutritional advice is extremely important, since FODMAPs are present in very many foods, especially in fruits and vegetables. Therefore, it is important that it omits only so much as is necessary.
All, which are not affected by a confirmed incompatibility, could be forgotten, Vavricka omissions diets safely. Rather, you should make sure to eat as versatile as possible. (ad)