Gluten: is it harmful to your health?

by Maria Guimarães

There is currently a deep-rooted belief that the presence of gluten in our daily diet can be harmful to our health. But is this true?

Gluten: Concept

Gluten is a set of 2 proteins: gliadin and glutenin, which are found in the endosperm of cereals such as wheat, barley, rye and oats, and can also be found in other foods due to cross-contamination.

To date, only two conditions are known in which the ingestion of foods containing gluten can harm health:

  • Celiac Disease
  • Non-celiac gluten intolerance

Gluten and its Impact on Health

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects approximately 1 to 3% of the general population and develops in individuals with a genetic predisposition after eating foods containing gluten. Direct contact with this protein triggers an immune reaction against the small intestine itself, causing lesions in the mucosa that result in a decrease in the capacity to absorb nutrients and the appearance of gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, nausea, etc.

In non-celiac gluten intolerance The symptoms presented are very similar to those developed in individuals with celiac disease, however, there is no immunological response.

Therefore, it is only in the cases presented that gluten is actually harmful to health, and if neither the symptoms nor the respective diagnoses mentioned are present, the consumption of gluten will not, in general, cause harm to the person who ingests it.

ZESTY and gluten

However, ZESTY's mission is to produce gluten-free foods so that they can be included in a wide range of diets and, therefore, you can enjoy the best chocolates whether or not you have an intolerance/sensitivity to gluten!
Bibliographic references:

  1. Portuguese Celiac Association. Gluten-free diet. Available at https://www.celiacos.org.pt/o-que-e/

  2. Nutrimento. Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Diets. Available at https://nutrimento.pt/noticias/doenca-celiaca-e-dietas-sem-gluten/

  3. Nutrimento. International Celiac Disease Day. Available at https://nutrimento.pt/noticias/dia-internacional-da-doenca-celiaca/



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