The Low Down On Gluten


GLUTEN – WHAT, WHERE AND WHY NOT


Gluten is the tough, elastic protein that gives pasta, bread, cakes and other baked goods their chewy texture. It is found not only in barley, rye, wheat and related grains, but also in foods you may not realise contain it, such as oats, food colourings, sauces, gravies, soy sauce and beer.

Many people adopt a gluten-free diet as it is the only treatment for the serious auto-immune condition known as celiac disease. There are also people who don’t have celiac disease but may suffer and react adversely when they eat gluten, due to food allergies and/or non-celiac gluten insensitivity. 

Some people voluntarily remove gluten from their diets to help relief joint inflammation due to other gut issues and autoimmune system conditions. However, there is no concrete proof that giving up gluten helps these conditions.

 

IN LIEU OF GLUTEN

Gluten-free alternatives to common foods are now widely available. Many of them use alternative flours and grains. Unfortunately, gluten-free foods are not necessarily healthy. Check product labels and avoid those items that are rich in sugar, salts or fat. Hence, instead of focusing on finding a gluten-free alternative to a traditional food, it is better to seek out fruits and vegetables, unseasoned meat, fish and poultry, dairy and non-dairy alternatives, beans, legumes and nuts.

According to Christine Rubi-Cruz, Wellness & Lifestyle Manager of Cold Storage Singapore, sales of gluten-free items are steadily increasing.

“Superfoods like Bob’s Red Mill Chia Seeds and Quinoa are among our best-selling gluten-free products. The latest oatmeal cups from the same brand are also getting more popular. Other popular gluten-free alternatives are Almond Dream Milk, Bragg’s Organic condiments and Kallo Rice Cakes. Even if you’re not on a gluten-free diet, these products are good for you as they are packed with beneficial nutrients,” said Christine. “You can easily find gluten-free products, for almost every food you can think of, in the Wellness4Life section of selected Cold Storage stores.”

If you do not suffer from celiac disease or non-celiac gluten insensitivity, removing gluten from your diet has no direct effect on your health at all – unless, of course, you opt for gluten-free foods that also happen to have great nutritional value.

Gluten-free or gluten-filled, above all, a healthy diet is of paramount importance. A healthy diet for one is a seriously debilitating diet for another. The best advice is to simply know your body, and treat it well.

 

With thanks to our contributor:

 

Christine Rubi-Cruz

Wellness & Lifestyle Manager

Cold Storage Singapore

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