Gluten is hidden in many everyday foods. It is found primarily in cereal products such as bread, muesli and pasta, but is also used as an additive in many industrially processed products and ready meals.
If you suffer from gluten sensitivity or even coeliac disease, i.e. you experience stomach ache or worse symptoms after eating products containing gluten, you should change your diet as soon as possible in order to quickly feel well again. Do you suspect that you are gluten intolerant or have you recently been diagnosed? In our blog post you will find out everything you need to know to get started.
Gluten-free breakfast selection from Verival – try it now
What exactly is gluten?
Gluten is a type of protein found mainly in the seeds of various grains such as wheat, spelt, rye, barley, einkorn and emmer. The term ‘ gluten protein ’ is a little misleading, because gluten consists not only of protein but also of carbohydrates and fats. The proteins it contains are called glutenin and gliadin and are insoluble in water. This insolubility in water ensures that the two proteins combine to form gluten when they come into contact with water and absorb many times their own mass in water.
The higher the proportion of gluten proteins in a flour, the more water it can bind, and the larger and more elastic the dough will ultimately be.
While the gliadins play an important role in the ductility of the dough, the glutenins provide the desired elasticity of the mass during baking. If the dough is kneaded sufficiently, the glutenins form a dense network of protein strands. This network indirectly ensures that the dough can rise properly during baking.
It is because of these properties that gluten-containing flours are so popular in the food industry. Wheat is the most popular of these, because it is particularly rich in gluten proteins. While this is desirable for making tasty products, it can cause problems for sensitive people.
Why is it that so many people are intolerant to gluten?
But why are many people intolerant to gluten while others are not? The reason usually lies in a genetic predisposition. If you have this, the immune system mistakenly recognises gluten as a foreign body and produces defence cells accordingly. However, these defence cells also attack the body's own tissue, causing chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. This overreaction of the immune system is called coeliac disease.
In the case of wheat allergy, certain antibodies are formed that are directed against certain allergens in wheat. However, as the name suggests, this is an allergy and not an autoimmune disease as in the case of coeliac disease.
Gluten sensitivity, coeliac disease or wheat allergy? This is how you can tell the difference
With all the terms that are now used to describe the condition when people have a poor tolerance to gluten, or cannot tolerate it at all, it is easy to get confused. This is especially true because they are often used incorrectly as synonyms. If you take a closer look at the supposed synonyms, three terms primarily emerge gluten sensitivity, coeliac disease and wheat allergy.
Coeliac disease – what it is
The most serious form, coeliac disease, is an autoimmune disease that can trigger chronic inflammation and thus destroy the body's own structures. The immune defence is directed against the proteins contained in gluten. This excessive immune response causes inflammation of the small intestinal mucosa, which can be damaged in the long term. This in turn leads to a reduced absorption capacity for nutrients. As a result, some macro- and micronutrients can no longer be absorbed sufficiently, which is why some people subsequently have to deal with deficiency symptoms of various vitamins, minerals and co.
However, this disease is rare, which is why the likelihood of actually suffering from coeliac disease is rather low. For example, in most countries where gluten-containing foods are part of the daily diet, it affects only one per cent of the population. It is therefore more likely that it is one of the following two issues.
Worth knowing about wheat allergies
In the case of wheat allergy, the immune system mounts a defence against certain components of wheat, usually proteins contained in wheat. Here, too, an overreaction of the immune system to actually harmless components is the cause of the problems. In most cases, a genetic predisposition is also responsible for this, but the effects are less severe than in the case of coeliac disease.
While wheat allergy is still relatively common in childhood, it is not common in adulthood.
Worth knowing about gluten sensitivity
People who suffer from a gluten sensitivity but neither from a wheat allergy nor from coeliac disease are mostly affected by a so-called gluten sensitivity. Whether this is actually an illness is controversially discussed in scientific and medical circles. The causes of this sensitivity are also not yet clear, but more and more people are reporting problems after consuming gluten-containing foods.
The question now is how the different problems manifest themselves. That is why we will now take a closer look at the symptoms.
Symptoms of coeliac disease
Coeliac disease usually manifests itself through gastrointestinal complaints. However, the symptoms can vary greatly, which is why this autoimmune disease is also referred to as the ‘chameleon of gastrointestinal diseases’.
However, the most common complaints include the following issues:
- Growth retardation (in children)
- Abdominal pain, bloating, distended abdomen
- flatulence, diarrhoea
- weight loss
- depression, fatigue and insomnia
However, the symptoms can also manifest themselves at other levels. This is because the destroyed mucous membrane and the resulting limited absorption capacity of nutrients can lead to nutrient deficiencies. These can in turn manifest themselves in a variety of ways. You can find out more about this here.
Symptoms of wheat allergy
Wheat allergy generally manifests itself in very similar ways to coeliac disease. The focus here is also on gastrointestinal problems, but the signs are also very diverse.
The most common symptoms are as follows:
- stomach ache
- bloating
- nausea and/or diarrhoea
- tiredness
- heartburn
- Skin rashes (especially in children)
Symptoms of gluten sensitivity
The symptoms of gluten sensitivity are very unspecific and can manifest themselves in a wide variety of ways. However, the most common symptoms here also include gastrointestinal complaints. Abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea, fatigue and headaches are just a few of the possible signs. However, muscle complaints or bone and joint pain are also occasionally reported.
If you have noticed any of the symptoms mentioned, it is recommended that you consult a doctor. This is the only way to clarify what is actually going on. For wheat allergies and coeliac disease, there are certain test procedures for diagnosis. However, the diagnosis of gluten sensitivity is much more complicated because there are no direct test procedures for it.
Gluten-free diet – how it works
If you are gluten intolerant, you should avoid gluten as much as possible. People with coeliac disease should be especially careful, as even small amounts can have serious consequences.
But how do you eat a gluten-free diet? Which products should you avoid and what are the alternatives? We will now take a closer look at these questions.
If you are planning to eat a gluten-free diet, you should avoid the following types of grain and the products made from them:
- Wheat and spelt
- Rye, barley and unripe spelt grain
- Ancient grains (e.g. einkorn wheat, emmer wheat, red wheat)
- Oats (unless declared gluten-free)
Is muesli gluten-free? Find out more
This means that all products made from these types of grain or that contain them in any form are not gluten-free. Baked goods and pasta can be affected, as can heavily processed products such as meat, ready meals and breaded foods. The tricky thing about the latter products is that you wouldn't necessarily expect gluten in many of them. That is why it is always a good idea to take a close look at the ingredients or list of ingredients.
How do I recognise gluten-free products?
You can recognise ingredients that contain gluten by various clues. For one thing, some manufacturers indicate the ‘gluten-free’ on their packaging. This is usually supplemented by the symbol of the crossed-out ear of wheat to emphasise the product's characteristic.
If a product is not obviously labelled as gluten-free, it is worth taking a look at the list of ingredients. This will help you to see if it contains any allergenic substances. These can be recognised by the fact that they are printed in bold – usually with an asterisk next to them to indicate which allergen they are.
Gluten-free breakfast world from Verival – take a look now
What gluten-free products are available?
The list of products containing gluten can seem overwhelming at first glance, but due to the increasing demand, there is now a wide range of gluten-free alternative products.
You can see a selection of gluten-free foods in the following list:
- Buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa
- Rice and wild rice
- Natural dairy products
- Pulses
- oats (provided they are declared gluten-free)
- fruit and vegetables
As you can see, there are many natural substitutes that can be used in the same way. It's best to let your creativity run free, because giving something up can also mean discovering new things. You can find some gluten-free recipe ideas to inspire your creativity here.
Is oats gluten-free or not?
As you may have noticed, oats are on both the list of gluten-free foods and the list of gluten-free foods. This is because oats often come into contact with gluten-containing grains during the manufacturing process and thus contain gluten, even if only in small quantities. However, if you suffer from coeliac disease and must avoid any contact with gluten, you should make sure that the oats are declared gluten-free. Only then can you be sure that they have not come into contact with gluten during the manufacturing process.
A gluten-free breakfast
Since everything here revolves around breakfast, we would like to give you a few tips for your gluten-free breakfast. Some of our muesli and porridge are basically gluten-free – you can recognise them by the crossed-out ear of wheat on the packaging. So you can enjoy these products without hesitation.
However, if you have a little more time to prepare your breakfast, it might be worth taking a look at our recipes. Gluten-free overnight oats, for example, are a delicious way to start the day feeling full of energy.
There are also many ways to keep your breakfast habits, simply by replacing gluten-containing ingredients with gluten-free alternatives. For example, if you love fluffy pancakes, you can replace gluten-containing flour with rice flour or ground gluten-free oats.
For cornflakes lovers, there are now gluten-free cornflakes based on maize; for bread fans, there are gluten-free flour mixes; and for muesli junkies, there are also nutritious muesli options.
So, we wish you a pleasant start to the day and bon appétit!
