What Is Gluten?

Series Summary

Gluten allergies, also known as celiac disease, is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that typically begins in infancy. Gluten allergy symptoms include chronic diarrhea, fatigue and abdominal pains when the person ingests gluten. The gluten protein is found in wheat and wheat products as well as barley and rye. Unfortunately, the only known treatment for celiac disease is to eat a life-long gluten free diet. A gluten free diet is difficult to maintain for many people as gluten is used as a binder in many processed foods and gluten free food often tastes bad.

In this free video series our expert will teach you how to live gluten free. If you have a gluten allergy or a child with a gluten allergy it is important to learn as much as you can about the disease and how to eat properly. You will learn how to read food labels for gluten, how to identify hidden ingredients with gluten in them, and how to find resources about gluten allergies. You will also learn about the symptoms of gluten allergies and how gluten allergies affect children versus adults. Finally, get tips on caring for children with celiac disease at school, home and on vacation.

Video Transcript

"Well gluten is the protein component that's found in wheat in the wheat family. Although Gluten is singular word it actually refers to two proteins. And those are Gliadin and Glutolin. And what happens is these proteins act as a binding agent. So they bind food together. And the reason that they used so wide spread in processed foods is simply because they act a binding unit to make food taster better. In other words if you picture Gluten to be an egg. Egg is a good source of protein. And you're trying to make a casserole or a souffle or a meatball. And you're trying to bind your meat together with your vegetables. The egg is actually what's helping you bind it together before you cook it. Without the egg you're going to have a dry, crumbly meatball or a dry crumbly casserole. And that's pretty much what happens to bread when it doesn't have Gluten in it. Or any kind of crackers seems difficult because it does not taste as good. So in the food Industry they're putting Gluten. Food hazards are actually purchasing big vats of Gluten and putting them in products that don't even contain wheat. Just as a congealing agent to make your food more moist and I guess, more desirable to the palate."