What Does Leaky Gut Have To Do With Gluten
Ok, I know I started out talking about gluten, and it may seem like I have gotten side-tracked with this discussion of our guts. So, lets tie it all together now. What does gluten have to do with our gut health?
Several factors in our modern world can damage the lining of our gut wall, thereby leading to leaky gut. Im guessing that you wont be surprised to learn that one common contributing factor to leaky gut is eating gluten. Heres why
Zonulin is a protein in our bodies that when improperly activated can break apart the tight junctions in the lining of your gut, leading to leaky gut.
Chris Kresser explains that when people who are sensitive to gluten eat gluten, the gluten causes zonulin to be released, which can then contribute to making your gut leaky so that toxins and large, undigested proteins can now enter into your bloodstream .
As I mentioned earlier, I dont want to paint the picture that gluten is the only cause of leaky gut because that is simply not the case. Many other factors can play a role, such as stress, medications and antibiotic exposure, alcohol in excess, a diet high in sugar, and environmental toxins. However, research shows us that gluten does play an active role in this process.
Advice On Feeding Your Baby
Do not introduce gluten into your baby’s diet before they’re 6 months old. Breast milk is naturally gluten-free as are all infant milk formulas.
If you have coeliac disease, Coeliac UK recommends foods containing gluten are introduced gradually when a child is 6 months old. This should be carefully monitored.
The Coeliac UK website provides more information about feeding your baby.
Several Processed Foods And Other Items
Many processed foods and other popular items may also harbor gluten. These include:
- meat substitutes, such as veggie burgers and hot dogs
- prepared lunch meats
- canned soups and soup mixes
- puddings and instant dessert mixes
- certain ice creams
- french fries and other fried foods
- flavored tofu
Summary
Foods that contain gluten include breads, pastas, crackers, baked goods, many grains, and several beverages and processed items.
Though it may seem as if most foods are off-limits when youre intolerant to gluten, many delicious and healthy foods are naturally gluten-free. Plus, quality gluten-free breads, pastas, and crackers are available in most grocery stores.
If youre gluten intolerant, you can enjoy the following foods.
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Is This Really A Myth
To call something a myth, it’s important to define the term. My non-scientific definition of a health myth requires most of the following:
- Many people believe it.
- There is no compelling scientific evidence to support it.
- There is at least some scientific evidence against it.
- There is a pseudo-scientific explanation that may have intuitive appeal .
- The idea defies standard understanding of biology or has no reasonable biologic explanation. An example is a diet that is said to help you lose weight despite increasing your caloric intake and reducing exercise.
Three other features of many popular health myths include:
- The possibility that it can actually harm you
- A profit motive
- Celebrity endorsement
From this definition, the notion that a gluten-free diet will improve health is a certifiable health myth for most people.
Specially Made Gluten Free Products
You can buy commercially prepared gluten-free products, including:
- beer
- condiments, including soy and other sauces, mayonnaise, yeast extract spreads
- corn chips
- muesli bars and other snack bars
- pancake mix
- smallgoods
- stock and gravy.
Always check the labels of foods and drinks carefully, as gluten can sometimes be contained in products you might think are safe.
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Tips For Avoiding Surprising Sources Of Gluten
Know wheat in all its forms. Wheat berries, semonila, spelt, farina, graham, durum, emmer, faro, Khorasan, udon and einkorn all contain gluten.
Look out for tricky ingredients. If a product is NOT labeled gluten-free, but contains one of these in the ingredients list, do not buy it: starch, modified food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, textured vegetable protein, dextrin, maltodextrin, glucose syrup, caramel, malt flavoring, malt extract, malt vinegar , brown rice syrup.
When in doubt, leave it out. If you cant confirm products are gluten-free, substitute fresh, nutrient-rich whole foods like meat, fish, poultry, fruits, and vegetables. Choose naturally gluten-free starches like rice, quinoa, corn, buckwheat, potatoes, sorghum and wild rice.
Prevent kitchen cross-contamination. Crumbs linger in shared toasters, cutting boards, and community peanut butter, jam and cream cheese. Wipe counters regularly, and clean gluten-free dishes with a separate sponge. Line shared flour sifters and backing pans with parchment paper or foil, and wrap gluten-free bakery in foil.
Sauces Spices And Condiments That Are Usually Safe:
- Mustard: Some specialty or flavored mustards may contain gluten, so always check the ingredients.
- Mayonnaise: Typically not made with gluten, but check the ingredients to be sure.
- Dry spices: Most single-ingredient herbs and spices do not contain gluten, though because of cross-contamination concerns it’s best to look for specifically labeled gluten-free spices or check with the manufacturer.
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What Is The Best Way To Start Your Day Gluten
For many, the fight with gluten begins in the morning. Is cereal gluten-free? When you buy your cereal, make sure that it is labelled gluten-free. Then you are definitely on the safe side. Milk and yoghurt are also gluten-free in principle milk substitutes should always be labelled as well. For example, we offer a wide range of gluten-free mueslis, with which you can start the day full of energy and healthy.
Oatmeal, which is becoming increasingly popular as a breakfast, is also ideal for a gluten-free diet. Oats are basically gluten-free. Nevertheless, it is an advantage for people with coeliac condition to buy oats clearly labelled as gluten-free. Oats are often grown and processed together with other gluten-containing products, which can lead to contamination with gluten. You should also make sure that there are no toppings in the porridge that could spoil your plans.
Easy to recognise by the gluten-free seal: our gluten-free Porridges
Maybe a delicious Strawberry-Chia Porridge or our Blueberry-Apple Porridge? A hot breakfast is not only extraordinarily healthy, but also gives you the energy you need to enjoy your day to the full.
What Is Gluten Actually
Gluten is a natural protein that occurs mainly in wheat and other cereals. That is why gluten is found in many foods that contain some form of cereal and there are many of them. Cereals containing gluten include wheat, rye, spelt and barley.
Gluten is found so frequently in a wide variety of foods because it offers many beneficial physiological and technological properties. For example, gluten is responsible for flour and water combining to form a sticky dough. This is why gluten is also called gluten protein.
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Risks And Who Should Avoid A Gluten
Theres no shortage of claims about the gluten-free diet, but sometimes not eating gluten for a nonmedical reason can have unintended consequences. Going on a gluten-free diet when you dont need to can actually cause more harm than good, says Begun.
One unwelcome side effect of a gluten-free diet is an increased risk for nutrient deficiencies, including vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate, according to a review published in December 2016 in Clinical Nutrition. The authors also noted that fiber, iron, magnesium, zinc, and calcium are possible deficiencies that may result from unnecessarily eliminating gluten from your diet.
According to the aforementioned Gastroenterology & Hepatology paper, excess fat in the blood and coronary artery disease are additional risks of the gluten-free diet. And, while not a health risk, gluten-free products can be expensive.
Phipps adds that your body can have trouble readjusting if you swear off gluten and suddenly reintroduce it back into your diet.
If youve gone gluten-free and fit into one of the following categories, you may want to consider welcoming the protein back into your diet.
Who Needs To Follow A Gluten
If you are diagnosed with coeliac disease, the treatment is to avoid eating food that has gluten in it. This includes making sure to avoid hidden sources of gluten and foods that may have been cross-contaminated with gluten.Your doctor may also advise you following a gluten-free diet if you have gluten intolerance or sensitivity. You may find that you can tolerate a small amount of gluten, so may not need to take so much care to avoid hidden sources of gluten or cross-contamination.Removing gluten from your diet without medical advice puts you at risk of missing out on some nutrients, and this can lead to other health issues. Digestive symptoms can be caused by many things, so see your doctor before changing your diet. Getting the right diagnosis is your best chance of improving your symptoms and maintaining good health long term.
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Gluten Free Alcohol List
Last updated on by Adam Bryan. This post may contain affiliate links.
Finding a safe and delicious gluten free alcoholic beverage has become growingly difficult.
From the ongoing debate about distilled alcohol being gluten free or not to the accidental mix ups by the bartender, its a challenge to find a gluten free alcoholic beverage that works for you and your diet.
What Foods Are Gluten Free
When you try to cut gluten, it can seem like its everywhere. Luckily, the core foods of a healthy diet are naturally gluten free.
Youre free to eat:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Polenta
- Wine
Look for these words on gluten-free food labels: amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn, cornmeal, cornstarch, flax, hominy, millet, quinoa, rice , sorghum, soy, tapioca , teff, whey.
Oat alert: Oats are gluten free, too. But they can make contact with other gluten-containing products where theyre grown or processed. For some people, trace amounts of gluten might be all it takes to trigger a bad reaction. If the label says gluten-free, the oats havent shared space with grains that contain gluten.
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Ditch The Gluten Improve Your Health
This just in: A new health myth has been taking the country by storm.
Perhaps I’m exaggerating a bit. After all, health fads especially diet fads have come and gone for decades. Some are more worthy than others. For example, I am impressed by the evidence supporting the Mediterranean diet as a healthy option. As each one of us is different, the “ideal diet” may not be the same for each person. But the interest and enthusiasm surrounding the gluten-free food movement in recent years has been remarkable. Not so long ago, relatively few people had ever heard of gluten. And it certainly wasn’t the “food movement” it has recently become.
If you’re considering limiting your consumption of gluten, you’re certainly not alone. But the question is: Will restricting the gluten you eat improve your health? And will it make you feel better? It’s appealing to think so.
Beware Of Cross Contamination
During product manufacturing, a variety of gluten-free products come into contact with products such as grains containing gluten. This is where cross-contamination may occur. This is common in factories that process both regular and gluten-free products and use the same machines for both. This process can cause major problems for people with gluten intolerance. The other place cross-contamination can occur is in the kitchen. It occurs most commonly when preparing meals and sharing the same kitchen tools and surfaces.
A recent study found that more than 40% of processed foods labeled gluten-free still had enough gluten to cause damage to those with gluten intolerance issues. Use extreme care and have a backup cutting board that is only used for preparing gluten-free items to avoid cross-contamination. On that same note, use extreme caution if eating out. Many restaurants will not have measures in place to prevent the cross-contamination of the food they are serving you.
This post is meant to be a helpful guide on what is gluten-free and on foods that need to be avoided. Dont hesitate to ask us any questions about being gluten-free.
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Distilled Beverages And Vinegars
Most distilled alcoholic beverages and vinegars are gluten-free. These distilled products do not contain any harmful gluten peptides even if they are made from gluten-containing grains. Research indicates that the gluten peptide is too large to carry over in the distillation process, leaving the resulting liquid gluten-free. However, some types of alcoholic beverages do contain an unsafe amount of gluten for people with celiac disease, and include those with added color or flavoring such as dessert wines, and those made from barley malt, such as bottled wine coolers. For these, consumers should check the label, and if in doubt, contact the company. Beers, ales, lagers, malt beverages and malt vinegars that are made from gluten-containing grains are not distilled and therefore are not gluten-free. There are several brands of gluten-free beers available in the United States and abroad.
The Ultimate Gluten Free Alcohol List
In this gluten free alcohol listing, youll find all the beers, hard ciders, vodkas, rums, tequilas, and other hard liquors that are gluten free. Just note that if a product or brand has its because its not truly safe for anyone with Celiac or a gluten sensitivity. Although those alcohols are gluten free or wheat free there is still a very small trace of gluten in them, even after the distillation process. Although this trace of gluten is microscopic, really sensitive Celiacs or gluten allergenic folks may have a negative reaction to those products.
So just be safe and drink what you think is best for your body.Heres what youll find in this gluten free alcohol listing.
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Does Alcohol Have Gluten
Most alcoholic drinks, including wine, gluten-free beer and most spirits do not contain gluten.
Alcoholic beverages are regulated by either the Food and Drug Administration or the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Unfortunately, neither organization makes their policies clear or easy to understand. The FDAs guidelines for including the term gluten-free is available in several articles online and the TTBs information is more ambiguous:
Consistent with the new FDA regulations, TTB will continue to consider gluten-free label claims for alcohol beverages that are made from gluten-containing grains to be misleading to consumers who are seeking to avoid the consumption of gluten for health reasons. However, products made from gluten-containing grains may be labeled with a statement that the product was ‘Processed,’ ‘Treated,’ or ‘Crafted’ to remove gluten, if that claim is made together with a qualifying statement that warns the consumer that the gluten content of the product cannot be determined and that the product may contain gluten.
What does this mean for you when you’re picking out a cocktail?
