what is Gluten
Gluten is by and large in all grains, predominantly more in Wheat. It is made of 2 important proteins: Glutenin and Gliadin. It is this Gliadin protein which affects the intestinal mucosa therby adversely affecting the health. Gluten has a sticky property for which it helps to imaprt the glue like consistency in the wheat dough when the flour is mixed with water. This consistency due to gluten makes the dough sticky and elastic thereby helping the bread beoming more soft and helps in baking. The most commn symptom of Gluten intolerance would be indigestion, abdominal cramps and erratic bowels.
Source of Gluten
Gluten is the protein that is mostly found in grains like wheat, barley, rye and is responsible for making the dough elastic and providing a chewy texture to the bread. Patients suffering from Celiac Disease experience issues in their digestion and bowels as Gluten reacts hyperactively with their body and, in turn, damages the villi of the small intestine.
Gluten Free Food
Intake of food to absorption of the same and the change in the villi anatomy with and without patients with Celiac Disease in Diabetic cohort across various age groups have suggested that the existence of both the ailments has long-lasting damage to the overall metabolism of the body and also to the intestines with the emergence of deficiency of vitamins, minerals and other important constituents in the body. The only solution to the recovery of these patients has been the introduction of a Gluten-Free Diet (GFD), and this ensures that the intestinal mucosa returns to normalcy and accordingly decreases the incidence of Hypoglycemia.
GFD label in India
The Govt. of India has issued guidelines on the use of Gluten Free Foods and the proper labelling of the products. It must be noted that only foods with 20mg of gluten/ kg will be considered as Gluten Free Food. Also its mandatory to cross check with the license of the competent authority.