Gluten-free is the way to be.
You ever wanted to eat glue? Assuming you are not a curious 4 year old reading this, that answer is probably no. Yet, that is what you are eating when you consume food that contains gluten. The word gluten come s from the Latin word for “glue”. Gluten is a sticky substance found in wheat, barley (and malt, which is made from barley), rye, kamut, bulgur, and spelt. Gluten gives bread dough its elasticity and helps the dough rise and keeps its shape. The sticky substance is found in most commercially made breads, cakes, cookies, cereals, pasta, and many other grain-based products.
3 more reasons to avoid gluten
Now that you know that those tasty cookies and cakes you sneak to eat when you were supposed to be on a diet consist of glue, I could stop right there. Instead, I will give you 3 more reasons why you should avoid gluten-rich products.
- Gluten can’t be digested
The problem with gluten is that it is indigestible. While a person who has Celiac disease (a disease where the body is hypersensitive to gluten and cannot digest it) definitely needs to avoid gluten. Everyone else needs to go gluten-free as well. Research illustrates that notion.
- Gluten sets off allergy problems
According to the Center for Celiac Research, approximately 18 million Americans are sensitive to gluten (or gluten sensitivity). That is 6 times the amount of people who suffer from Celiac disease! People who are sensitive to gluten usually have allergic reactions. Here are allergy issues that may occur:
- acne
- dry skin
- chronic diarrhea
- bloating
- runny nose
- sneezing
- flatulence
- nausea
- abdominal pain
- skin rashes
- fatigue
- mental fogginess
So if any those issues occur after you eat a bowl of Frosted Flakes, then you are definitely sensitive to gluten.
- Gluten is associated with several brain diseases
Gluten has been shown to affect the brain; therefore causing brain disease. Several research studies show an association between gluten and several brain diseases. These studies showed that gluten consumption can cause the following brain disorders: Cerebellar ataxia, schizophrenia, autism and epilepsy. Yet, when individuals who suffer from these brain diseases follow a gluten-free diet, there health greatly improves. What a coincidence!
Gluten-free is the way to be
Having health issues with gluten does not mean you can’ ever indulge in bread again. Instead, look for gluten-free bread and the other products that are typically made with gluten. Nonetheless, gluten-free cake and cookies is still cake and cookies. So be easy on the sweets.
