A Brief History Of Gluten, The Protein In Baked Goods: How ‘Wheat Intolerance’ Has Risen Over The Years

From spelt in the Bronze Age to baked goods in modern grocery stores, wheat — and its corresponding protein component, gluten — has been a prevalent component of human meals throughout the ages. Yet the gluten-free diet has become an increasingly popular trend due to fears of gluten sensitivity and digestive problems. What many people don’t realize, however, is that gluten is a natural component of most whole grains, and we’ve been consuming it since we first started cultivating said grains.

Gluten is a Latin word that means “glue,” due to its ability to hold grains like wheat, barley, and rye together. It’s a protein composite that gives pasta, bread, and other wheat products their chewy, flexible texture. It’s also critical in making dough rise in the oven, resulting in leavened bread. This distinction between leavened and unleavened bread is perhaps the most telling about gluten, as breads that don’t contain gluten are typically flat (imagine communion wafers, or Jewish unleavened bread).

Read more here: http://www.medicaldaily.com/brief-history-gluten-protein-baked-goods-how-wheat-intolerance-has-risen-over-years-353244