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25-12-2021, 09:19 AM
25 Dec 2021 06:38AM
(Updated: 25 Dec 2021 06:38AM)
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Are they a more nutritious choice?
As is often the case with nutrition questions, the answer will depend on your individual circumstance
......
But for most people, choosing a gluten-free bread instead of a wheat-based bread is not an inherently more nutritious option, she added.
And, gluten-free breads can be harder on your wallet ...... and have a shorter shelf life.
......
Gluten is a protein found in the grains of wheat, barley and rye.
......
But gluten or other components of wheat can cause health problems in some. For the estimated 1 per cent of people worldwide who have celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition triggered by eating gluten, the protein causes intestinal damage that can impair nutrient absorption and lead to symptoms like diarrhoea, weight loss, fatigue, anaemia and a blistery, itchy rash. The only effective way to manage celiac disease is strict and lifelong gluten avoidance.
For others with milder wheat-related sensitivities, eating the grain doesn’t cause the intestinal damage found in celiac disease, but can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and symptoms like fatigue and headache that usually go away when wheat is avoided.
It’s not clear how many people have this condition, called non-celiac wheat sensitivity, but it may be more common than celiac disease.
A third, much less common wheat-related condition is a wheat allergy, which can cause allergic reactions like diarrhoea, vomiting, facial swelling or difficulty breathing within minutes to hours after eating wheat.
......
in a 2017 survey of 1,000 people in the United States and Canada ...... 46 per cent said they bought those products for reasons other than a medical condition.
Among their top motivations: Wanting to reduce inflammation or consume fewer artificial ingredients, believing that gluten-free products were healthier or more natural, and thinking that such products would help with weight loss.
However, none of these beliefs are true
......
Making bread without gluten is a technological challenge, and manufacturers tend to rely on ingredients like refined rice, potato or tapioca flours, which contain much less protein and fibre than wheat flours, Dr Lee said.
Most of the refined wheat flours used in the United States are enriched with iron and the B vitamins folic acid, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin, while the flours used in gluten-free products generally don’t contain these added nutrients.
Gluten-free bread manufacturers also often add sugar, fat and salt to their products to make them taste better, Dr Lee said. And in part, because gluten-free breads tend to contain more water, fat and refined starch than wheat-based breads, they spoil and become stale more quickly.
......
Many manufacturers have started to include more gluten-free whole grains in their products, which can boost fibre, protein and some vitamins and minerals. Just as wheat-based breads can range widely in nutritional quality, from highly processed white bread to whole grain loaves, the same is now true of gluten-free options
......
To identify better gluten-free breads, Dr Lee recommended comparing their nutrition labels with those from whole wheat breads.
Check for similar levels of fibre and protein and minimal added sugar, and look for a bread with whole grains among the first few ingredients, which are listed in descending order by weight, so that the first ingredient is always present in the largest amount.
“If your first ingredients are water and tapioca starch, put the bread back on the shelf,” Dr Lee said.
https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com...ead-293386
(Updated: 25 Dec 2021 06:38AM)
......
Are they a more nutritious choice?
As is often the case with nutrition questions, the answer will depend on your individual circumstance
......
But for most people, choosing a gluten-free bread instead of a wheat-based bread is not an inherently more nutritious option, she added.
And, gluten-free breads can be harder on your wallet ...... and have a shorter shelf life.
......
Gluten is a protein found in the grains of wheat, barley and rye.
......
But gluten or other components of wheat can cause health problems in some. For the estimated 1 per cent of people worldwide who have celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition triggered by eating gluten, the protein causes intestinal damage that can impair nutrient absorption and lead to symptoms like diarrhoea, weight loss, fatigue, anaemia and a blistery, itchy rash. The only effective way to manage celiac disease is strict and lifelong gluten avoidance.
For others with milder wheat-related sensitivities, eating the grain doesn’t cause the intestinal damage found in celiac disease, but can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and symptoms like fatigue and headache that usually go away when wheat is avoided.
It’s not clear how many people have this condition, called non-celiac wheat sensitivity, but it may be more common than celiac disease.
A third, much less common wheat-related condition is a wheat allergy, which can cause allergic reactions like diarrhoea, vomiting, facial swelling or difficulty breathing within minutes to hours after eating wheat.
......
in a 2017 survey of 1,000 people in the United States and Canada ...... 46 per cent said they bought those products for reasons other than a medical condition.
Among their top motivations: Wanting to reduce inflammation or consume fewer artificial ingredients, believing that gluten-free products were healthier or more natural, and thinking that such products would help with weight loss.
However, none of these beliefs are true
......
Making bread without gluten is a technological challenge, and manufacturers tend to rely on ingredients like refined rice, potato or tapioca flours, which contain much less protein and fibre than wheat flours, Dr Lee said.
Most of the refined wheat flours used in the United States are enriched with iron and the B vitamins folic acid, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin, while the flours used in gluten-free products generally don’t contain these added nutrients.
Gluten-free bread manufacturers also often add sugar, fat and salt to their products to make them taste better, Dr Lee said. And in part, because gluten-free breads tend to contain more water, fat and refined starch than wheat-based breads, they spoil and become stale more quickly.
......
Many manufacturers have started to include more gluten-free whole grains in their products, which can boost fibre, protein and some vitamins and minerals. Just as wheat-based breads can range widely in nutritional quality, from highly processed white bread to whole grain loaves, the same is now true of gluten-free options
......
To identify better gluten-free breads, Dr Lee recommended comparing their nutrition labels with those from whole wheat breads.
Check for similar levels of fibre and protein and minimal added sugar, and look for a bread with whole grains among the first few ingredients, which are listed in descending order by weight, so that the first ingredient is always present in the largest amount.
“If your first ingredients are water and tapioca starch, put the bread back on the shelf,” Dr Lee said.
https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com...ead-293386
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