The latest trend in the world of nutrition is going gluten-free. Regardless of a lack of serious scientific evidence and despite ignorance on the part of many consumers who don’t know what exactly gluten is, the food industry is exploiting an opportunity: supermarkets are filling up with gluten-free products and restaurants that serve gluten-free menus are popping up around the globe. The current diet of choice is the Paleo diet. Inspired by the menu of our Paleolithic ancestors, it is not influenced by the agricultural revolution and is therefore most definitely GMO- and gluten-free. It has been proved that a gluten-free diet is essential for people with Celiac disease, which is 1% of the population, but a further 6% is classified as gluten intolerant. As for the rest of us, the diet comes down to choice.
But what exactly is gluten? The word originated from Latin and probably came into English via old French with the initial meaning of glue. In this context, the word first appeared in a 1639 translation of the French book, Admirable Events, written by writer and bishop J.P. Camus. It’s here he writes: “The love of virtue (which was the cement, or gluten of their friendship)”.
Later, the word was used to name animal protein and vegetable fibrin and only in the beginning of the 19th century did it gradually come to describe the protein composite in grains. In 1830, Michael Donovan in his Domestic Economy, was the first to state that wheat contains gluten. Several years later, bread containing a large amount of gluten became a prescription for patients with diabetes.
Gluten is the substance which gives dough its elasticity and can be found in many types of grains including wheat, so those who want to stay gluten-free should stick to almond and coconut flour instead.
The gluten-free lifestyle goes far beyond food as it also affects drinks, cosmetics, beauty products and cleaning materials, not to mention your social life since most social events go hand in hand with gluten-rich fests. But it seems like it is here to stay, so expect to see many more gluten-free labels glued to your products for years to come.
