I am sure you have all heard it before, how come we can be eating bread for years and now all of the sudden all these people are intolerant or allergic?
Lets start with gluten, gluten is a protein that includes gliadin, it is gliadin that irritates the gut. Gluten is a sticky protein, think of it almost as a filler. Most people will feel some sort of discomfort after eating large amount of gluten, just because of this stick consistency that can sit in your digestive system.
What is coeliac? Coeliac disease is where the villi, which are tiny fibres that line the stomach wall get completely worn away. People with Coeliac disease can suffer a number of symptoms because of this such as digestive issues, stomach pain, weight loss, malabsorption of nutrients leading to vitamin deficiencies and even infertility. People who have Coeliac must completely avoid gluten containing foods. If you think you suffer from any symptoms or have a direct family member with Coeliac disease there are some ways to find out, the DNA test we offer is one, or a blood test from your doctor is another place to start. If the blood test is inconclusive you will be sent for a Gastroentendoscopy, where the doctor sends a tiny camera down your esophagus and takes a look at your stomach.
What about sensitivities? Just like most foods, people often have sensitivities to gluten or wheat, food diaries can help here, note down when you eat foods and then see if you have any symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating, nausea, migraines, skin issues, fatigue or pain.
So whats the difference in bread these days? Bread many years ago was made with less processing, these days, the gluten is added to help make baked products look bigger and more appetising, they do this by combining with the yeast and creating air bubbles. It is expected that this increase in gluten is why we have a lot more trouble these days.
So where to from here:
- Try to alternate gluten and wheat grains with non-gluten grains such as quinoa, rice and buckwheat.
- Choose well made, heavy breads like rye and sourdough, not that $1 white stuff at the supermarket. Is that even bread?
- If you have issues, speak to us or to your medical practitioner.