Wheat is one of the crops that have been cultivated since the ancient times. The raw wheat flour is used as an ingredient in almost all common foods like breads, crackers, muesli, pancakes, pies, pastries and many more. Even though wheat has high fiber content and protein, it also has major quantities of gluten and starch content. Depending on your body’s ability to digest gluten, you can either gain strength or become weak by consuming wheat.
An important glycoprotein known as gliadin is responsible for the formation of gluten. People who cannot process the gliadin protein ultimately become gluten sensitive. Moreover, this is the protein that gives the elastic structure to wheat and is responsible for raising the wheat dough. The medical complications that can arise from gluten sensitivity can range from mild inflammation in the small intestine to severe celiac disease. However, the intestinal damage begins to heal once you stop eating wheat-based products. Therefore, the only way to protect small intestine wall from further damage is to go for a wheat free diet.
Here are some more reasons on why you should go for a wheat-free diet:
1. Celiac Disease:
This disease is a major reason why many people go for wheat-free diet. This disease is caused by gliadin, a type of gluten protein. When you eat a wheat-based food, the gluten protein reacts with the bowel tissue and causes inflammation in the small intestine. This inflammation can damage the villi lining in intestine, which is responsible for absorption of nutrients. If the nutrients do not get absorbed, then it can easily deteriorate one’s health condition. This condition is shown by the inability of a person to gain weight. Recently, many people have been affected by celiac disease. When the absorption of nutrients by small intestine is affected by wheat, it is essential to stop consuming wheat products and opt for a gluten free diet.
2. Feeling groggy:
Some people give up wheat because they think that wheat makes them heavy and groggy. Moreover, this can be an indication of inability to digest gluten protein. Because, when gluten protein affects the intestine, the nutrients do not get absorbed into the body irrespective of how much nutritional food you eat. Moreover, when nutrients are not absorbed, the first symptom is tiredness and grogginess. Apart from this, some health practitioners also believe that wheat can create an imbalance in minerals, which can also deteriorate one’s health condition.
3. Weight loss:
The fiber and gluten present in wheat helps to develop strong muscles and help you to stay physically fit. But, some people end up eating too much of wheat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Moreover, they also munch on wheat-based snacks like crackers, sandwiches, pastries, and pies. So this results in too much of wheat intake and your body develops extra strong muscles. Such kind of food habit can also lead to weight gain within a short period. So if you want to loose weight, then it is essential to go for a wheat-free diet. You can find many healthy alternatives to wheat like barley, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, quinoa, chickpeas, and many more.
4. Reduce fluid retention:
Having too much of anything is good for nothing. This goes well with too much of wheat consumption. If you eat wheat-based foods for months, then your weight would increase drastically. This is because wheat aids in fluid retention in body. When fluid retains within our body, the body becomes puffy and gains weight easily. This can be overcome by switching to a wheat-free diet. When you go for a wheat-free diet, the accumulated fluids are naturally removed from your body and you can notice a considerable reduction in body weight.
5. Avoid preservatives:
If you cannot get natural organic wheat, then it is better to stay wheat-free. Because, most of the times, wheat undergo strong treatments like bleaching, conditioning and additives. So when wheat is processed, its nutrients are stripped away. So consuming it in that state can make create a health concern rather than making it a healthy choice. Moreover, most of the store bought food items like cakes, pies, pastries, cookies, and biscuits may contain additional preservatives along with wheat. So it is better to stay away from such wheat based food items.
6. Anxiety and depression:
When the gluten in wheat affects the small intestine wall, the pores in the intestine are damaged. This can result in undigested food particles and bacteria to pass through the intestinal pores and get into the bloodstream. This can be aggravated by intake of drugs, and other toxins present in the food. This type of condition leads to autoimmune disorders or malnutrition with regular fluctuation in mood. This can be overcome by discontinuing unwanted drugs and going for a wheat-free diet until the health condition stabilizes.