Diets to eliminate gluten from food are in fashion, but without suffering from gluten intolerance, did you know that it can be a risk to our health?
In a short time, it has become fashionable to carry out diets in which gluten-free foods are encouraged. These fad diets are called “gluten-free”, and as many nutritionists say, we must be especially careful with this type of diet.
In fact, many doctors and nutritionists have long issued an alert warning of the danger and severity to which we subject our body when, without having gluten intolerance or sensitivity to it, we remove it from our diet.
This alert message is corroborated by studies, which is joined by the study of Spanish scientists who warn us of the nutritional imbalances to which we subject our body when, without reason, we eliminate gluten from our diet, being healthy people and not suffering any type of intolerance that could thus advise you medically.
Eliminating gluten from our diet can predispose us to suffer from heart disease, so it is not healthy to carry out a diet low in gluten.
Gluten, on the other hand, is harmful to the health of people with celiac disease (gluten intolerance), people who are sensitive to gluten or people who are allergic to gluten.
In addition to heart disease, eliminating gluten from the diet increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. By eliminating gluten we will also stop consuming cereals, a diet without cereals makes us consume less fiber, and we will also dispense with some vitamins and minerals.
Before continuing with this post, it is important to describe what gluten is and what gluten intolerance is.
What is gluten and what is gluten intolerance?
Gluten is a glycoprotein, made up of a set of proteins, specifically two proteins, glutenin and gliadin, present in cereals such as wheat, oats, barley, rye, spelled, and is part of the flour of these cereals.
It acts as an emulsifier, gelling agent, it is therefore a binder, to better understand it we can say that it is the element that gives elasticity, fluffiness to foods such as bread, pastries, pasta.
When the flour of the cereals is mixed with the water, when we mix or knead the gluten is formed.
When we eliminate gluten from these foods in order to get a good kneading, we must add more fat, so our cardiovascular health runs the risk of suffering.
Products without glycoprotein, that is, gluten-free, have a higher fat content, more lipids and little protein content in their composition.
Celiac disease is an intestinal disease, specifically an autoimmune disease, and in many cases there is a genetic predisposition, which produces a series of immune-based inflammatory reactions.
We must differentiate celiac disease from gluten intolerance, since celiac disease is what causes that when consuming gluten and coming into contact with the intestinal mucosa, it causes a series of reactions or injuries in the mucosa of the small intestine, preventing proper absorption of the nutrients in the food we eat with the consequent deterioration of health, even becoming serious since it can also damage and destroy the walls of the intestine.
However, gluten intolerance is a reaction caused by a food containing gluten, which does cause gastrointestinal symptoms like celiac disease, but does not affect a person’s immune system or cause tissue damage.
Symptoms of gluten intolerance
The symptoms of gluten intolerance can be both digestive and not. However, below we indicate which are the most common:
- Abdominal distension.
- Abdominal pain.
- Gas and flatulence.
- Chronic diarrhea.
- Chronic constipation.
- Vomiting
- Stools that smell quite bad and pale in color.
- Loss of appetite
- Involuntary weight loss even if we are eating well.
- Stunted growth.
- Iron deficiency anemia.
- Tiredness, weakness
- Ulcers in the mouth
- Alteration of tooth enamel.
- Headache.
- Skin rash.
And what are the risks of eliminating gluten from the diet without being celiac?
As we have seen, the risk of suffering from some of the following diseases increases:
- Heart disease.
- Hypertension.
- Type 2 diabetes.
Therefore, to lose weight we must not eliminate gluten from our diet. It is better not to risk our health and what is advisable to do is change our lifestyle and diet, for another healthier lifestyle in which the diet is healthy and balanced, if perhaps your diet is very caloric.
Doctors and nutritionists are the only ones who can diagnose celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, and they insist on the diagnosis of this disease that if intolerant, we will have no choice but to eliminate gluten, if we do not want to get sick.
Do not hesitate to go to a specialist doctor if you notice some of the symptoms that could make you suspect that you have gluten intolerance or sensitivity to glycoprotein.
