Gluten is a protein and is found in certain types of grain. When the grain is ground into flour and mixed with water, it acquires its typical chewy texture thanks to the two gluten components, gliadin and glutenin. Due to their structure, both components also ensure that bread and pastry dough become fluffy and rise. Gluten is often even added to pasta and bread, which it leads to increased elasticity of the bread.
Gluten is not completely digested in the stomach and upper small intestine. The mucosa of the small intestine absorbs the undigested gluten fragments (called gluten peptides).
What foods contain Gluten?
- Wheat
- Spelt
- Green spelt (spelt harvested unripe and kilned)
- Barley
- Oats (Oats are inherently gluten-free, but it is not uncommon for them to become contaminated with gluten during normal harvesting and processing. Therefore, celiacs should only use oats that are declared gluten-free due to the manufacturing processes).
- Rye
- Bulgur
- Couscous (durum wheat semolina)