Lot's Wife Edition 1 2016

The skinny on
gluten-free diets
SCIENCE
By Anastasia Goutzoulas
Where cutting out fat was once considered
the silver bullet for perfect health, a
gluten-free diet is now seen as a cure-all.
But what is gluten, really? And is it all
that bad for you?
WHAT IS GLUTEN?
Chemically speaking, gluten is a network of
two protein types, glutenin and gliadin. In dry fl ours,
these exist separately. Adding water makes these
proteins form chemical links (disulphide bonds) with
one another, and kneading or mixing forms even
more bonds. These bonds make the resulting gluten
network strong and elastic.
Gluten can be found in foods containing wheat,
barley and rye. This is a really broad category, and
includes pasta, noodles, condiments, many prepackaged
snacks, and beer.
TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT?
Coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease
that presents as a response to the gliadin protein in
gluten in the small intestine of a sensitive person.
That is, the body of a coeliac sufferer mounts an
immune response to the presence of gliadin in
the small intestine, in the same way that it would
initiate an immune response to fi ght off an infection.
It produces antibodies that attack the gliadin
molecule, an otherwise harmless protein.
As a result, coeliacs suffer infl ammation
and damage to the lining of the small intestine.
Coeliac disease can be diagnosed by a doctor after
a blood test to check for antibodies known as tissue
transglutaminase antibodies (tTG-IgA), as well as a
series of other tests for patients who may be at risk
of returning a false positive on the tTG-IgA test (such
as Type 1 diabetics and people with rheumatoid
arthritis, both also autoimmune diseases). This is
followed up by a biopsy to see if the lining of your
small intestine is damaged.
For coeliacs, gluten really is that bad, at any
level. No cheat meals allowed here – even trace
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