Gluten - Why is it Indispensable in Our Diet?
Felix Weber
2026-03-19
4 min. read
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Is gluten significant in our diet? This is a question that provokes many people to ponder. In these times, when the number of adherents to the gluten-free diet is increasing, the answer to this question seems obvious. However, the matter is not so straightforward. Certainly, there are ailments such as celiac disease, allergy, gluten sensitivity, in which elimination of this component is indispensable. But increasingly, we avoid gluten because we presume that we suffer from these ailments. However, it is important to remember that a definitive diagnosis is necessary.
What precisely is gluten?
It is important to be aware of whether we should consume gluten or not. Gluten is present in wheat in the form of gliadin and glutenin, in rye in the form of secalin, in barley in the form of hordein, and in oats in the form of avenin. It is widely used in the food industry due to its properties such as flexibility and adhesiveness. However, it is important to note that eliminating gluten from the diet is not a clear indicator that we have already switched to a gluten-free diet. It is also important to note that gluten is an essential component of the diet for individuals with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. In these cases, a gluten-free diet is necessary to recover and improve quality of life. However, it is important to note that only about 1% of the population suffers from celiac disease, while many more people choose to follow a gluten-free diet. Why is that? There are several factors that may contribute to this phenomenon. One of them is the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets. A gluten-free diet can help to adhere to such a diet, although it is not always the case. It is also important to note that the symptoms associated with the aforementioned diseases, in which we should not consume gluten, often accompany gastrointestinal complaints such as bloating, pain, and excessive gas. These symptoms are common among a large group of people. However, it is important to note that these symptoms are not always associated with the aforementioned diseases. Increased awareness of what we eat and a more mindful approach to food choices can help to address these issues without necessarily eliminating gluten from the diet. A gluten-free diet is often also adopted by individuals with Hashimoto's disease, autism, or rheumatoid arthritis, as these conditions, like celiac disease, have an autoimmune basis.
The consequences of eliminating gluten in the diet
However, it is important to remember that independently restricting the intake of gluten-rich foods makes it difficult to make a proper diagnosis, because the use of a gluten free diet lowers the levels of antibodies and allows the rebuilding of glutathione cells in these diseases. However, if we also eliminate gluten from our diet, are we causing more harm? The answer to this question is complex, as it is difficult to maintain a healthy diet devoid of glutenous products, and it is hard to use these ingredients in the diet without adding any ingredients.
