Gluten Hides in Unexpected Places

Gluten hides in unexpected places, not only in food sources, but in many other items that may surprise you!  First, let’s define gluten and explain why you should care.  Then, we’ll provide examples of its hiding places.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein network made up of gliadin and glutenin. Gliadin and glutenin form an unbreakable web that gives bread structure and makes it light and fluffy. The most common sources are wheat, barley, and rye grains. Wheat comes in many varieties, such as durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, Kamut, and einkorn. Oats are naturally gluten-free but are often cross-contaminated with gluten in the fields or during manufacturing.

Why Should I Care?

Gliadin makes up 70% of gluten’s protein and is the culprit in damaging the gut biome.  

• In Celiac disease, people are sensitive to both gliadin and glutenin, and the gliadin damages the lining of the intestine.
• In gluten sensitivity or allergy, there is no damage to the lining of the intestine, but intestinal permeability is increased, allowing inadequately digested food particles and toxins into the bloodstream.
• Gliadin can also trigger tissue injury by disrupting the immune response.
• In studies using human cells in a lab, gliadins have been shown to reorganize the intestine’s thin, flexible cellular fibers, resulting in excessive permeability. To help you visualize, the gut should look more like a fine wire sieve, not a larger holed colander.

Since gliadin cannot be removed from gluten, a gluten-free diet is the best approach to avoiding damaging the gut biome. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as avoiding bread, pasta, and pizza. Let’s examine the more obvious and sneakier hiding places of gluten.

Where Does Gluten Hide?

The Celiac Disease Foundation has the most detailed list of hiding places of gluten, which you can access here .  Beyond the bread, pasta, and pizza products made with wheat flour, some of the most unexpected hiding places for gluten include:

• Brewers yeast, noodles, cereals (oat, rice, and corn-based), sauces, and gravies.
• Granola bars, French fries, potato chips, processed lunch meats, candy, and candy bars.
• Malt vinegar, soy sauce, flour, or barley enzymes can be used to make soup, salad dressing, marinades, and brown rice syrup.
• Pre-seasoned meats, self-basting poultry.
• Eggs served in restaurants where pancake batter is added to the scrambled eggs or omelets.
• Beers, ales, lagers, malt beverages, and malt vinegar are made from gluten-containing grains.
• Cosmetics such as lip gloss, lipstick, and mascara.
• Oral care and dental products
• Herbal and nutritional supplements
• Over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs
• Playdough!

Look for this new Certified Gluten-Free symbol when shopping. Be cautious when eating in restaurants. A healthy gut biome is one of the best tickets to good health. Please don’t ruin it. Be well.

References:

The Celiac Disease Foundation. https://celiac.org/.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/what-is-gliadin?srsltid=AfmBOoqVgDfXkcy2QR391ikE__4JI9y4e33ngDGu7j6lnnaQHGmnBHf2

by Mila McManus, MD

The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness - Mila McManus MD

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