As a reminder, gluten is the elastic network formed by wheat proteins. It is particularly used in the food industry to make bread rise. It is found in wheat, rye, oat, spelled and barley cereals and in all derived foods: wheat semolina, bread, pasta, pizza, biscuits, cakes...but also in certain industrial preparations. .
More and more people are removing this protein from their diet, which is considered harmful by some media.
But is this gluten-free diet for everyone?
Some people are affected by a stomach condition and they have no choice but to follow a strict gluten-free diet. Today 3 pathologies have been identified:
> Celiac disease : is a disease that causes an abnormal immune reaction, inducing chronic inflammation and digestive disorders. In 2018, it affected at least 600,000 people in France.
> Wheat allergy : is an immune reaction of the body against wheat proteins characterized by skin, respiratory and digestive symptoms .
> Non-celiac gluten hypersensitivity: it presents symptoms similar to celiac disease but does not concern the mechanisms of the immune system.
Today only 1% of the population is affected by one of these pathologies, detectable by a blood test.
In people without gluten-related pathologies (celiac disease, gluten allergy or hypersensitivity), studies seem to show that the gluten-free diet leads to a reduction in bacteria beneficial to our health, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
But then, everything we hear about gluten is false? Well, not quite. The problem lies in the gourmet amount of gluten one can eat per day; but also its quality, which has deteriorated in recent years. One of the foods containing gluten is bread. And between France and bread, it’s a true love story. We would consume on average 120 g per day, or almost… 44 kg per year, and yes!
With such a quantity, it may be interesting to learn about the different types of bread that are good for our health and our stomach. Let's go !
The bad student
You've probably already guessed it: white bread. The classic baguette, whose crouton we so love to bite into on the way home, is unfortunately not the richest in fiber. It is also not uncommon to find additives and added sugar.
On the other hand, if you don't want to do without it, prefer the traditional baguette whose name requires it to have no additives.
Obviously all derivatives of white bread are no exception, such as sandwich bread, bagels and round breads of all kinds, often sold in supermarkets.
The good students
- Wholemeal bread. Much richer in fiber, the flour used is made from whole grains not stripped of their husks. Be careful, still favor organic because the envelope is the part containing the most pesticides.
- To reduce the amount of gluten, while continuing to eat bread, turn to other flours, such as that of einkorn which contains very little gluten because it undergoes very little processing, thus retaining its vitamins and minerals. Namely, spelled flour is different from einkorn because it is richer in gluten and therefore less digestible.
- And the famous sourdough bread? Unlike baker's yeast, leaven comes from substances naturally present in bread. Sourdough bread is therefore more digestible and has a lower glycemic index, which allows you to maintain the feeling of satiety for longer to avoid cravings.
- For lovers of diversity, here are other alternatives. Buckwheat flour is rich in fiber, proteins, antioxidants and above all it has a prebiotic effect by stimulating the intestinal flora: we love that! Finally, rye flour is also low in gluten, rich in fiber and antioxidants.
We have never said that we should no longer consume breads that are less nutritionally interesting. We know to what extent a good baguette fresh from the baker's oven can be a great pleasure for the taste buds. It's just a matter of varying the different types of bread to take advantage of the benefits of each one to the fullest.
Sources :
[1] Mustalahti et al. (2002) Gluten-free diet and quality of life in patients with screen-detected celiac disease. Eff Clin Pract. 2002 May-Jun;5(3):105-13.
[2] De Palma G., Nadal I., Collado MC, Sanz (2009) Effects of a gluten-free diet on gut microbiota and immune function in healthy adult human subjects British Journal of Nutrition, Volume 102, Issue 8
[3] Fasano. 2011 “Zonulin and Its Regulation of Intestinal Barrier Function: The Biological Door to Inflammation, Autoimmunity, and Cancer”. Physiological Reviews 151-175.
[4] Hollon et al. 2015. “Effect of gliadin on permeability of intestinal biopsy explants from celiac disease patients and patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity”. Nutrients 7(3):1565-1577.
[5] Korem T, Zeevi D, Zmora N, Weissbrod O, Bar N, Lotan-Pompan M, Avnit-Sagi T, Kosower N, Malka G, Rein M, Suez J, Goldberg BZ, Weinberger A, Levy AA, Elinav E, Segal E. Bread Affects Clinical Parameters and Induces Gut Microbiome-Associated Personal Glycemic Responses. Cell Metab. 2017 Jun 6;25(6):1243-1253.e5. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2017.05.002. PubMed PMID: 28591632.
