What is Gluten?

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About Gluten:

It is a protein found in the wheat plant and some other grains.
Many cereal grains — but in particular barley, wheat, and rye — contain specific proteins that, when mixed with water and kneaded, create an elastic mass.
Two important types of these proteins are gliadins and glutenins. At the microscopic level, gluten is an elastic mesh of the protein molecules.
It is naturally occurring, but it can be extracted, concentrated and added to food and other products to add protein, texture and flavor.
It also works as a binding agent to hold processed foods together and give them shape.
It allows the dough to rise and gives it its chewy character.
The ability of gliadins and glutenins to create gluten makes them prized ingredients in the food industry.
Issues of Gluten
- An enzyme called protease helps digest proteins but it cannot break down gluten. When such gluten reaches the small intestine, the body can develop gastrointestinal problems.
- Coeliac disease: It’s characterised by a severe allergic reaction in the small intestine, prompting the immune system to produce a large number of antibodies that attack the body’s own proteins. The disease is present in around 2% of the general population.

Q1: What is protein?

It is the workhorse in biological systems facilitating most of biological processes in a cell, including gene expression, cell growth, proliferation, nutrient uptake, intercellular communication and apoptosis.

News: Gluten: animator of the dough