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Home > Gluten


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Gluten is an amorphous ergastic protein found combined with starch in the endosperm of most cereals. It constitutes about 80% of the proteins contained in wheat and is composed of the proteins gliadine and glutenine . Gluten is responsible for the elasticity of kneaded dough which allows it to be leavened, as well as the "chewiness" of baked products like bagels.

1 Fabrication

Gluten can be extracted from the flour of wheat and other grains by washing the starch out. To do this, a simple dough of flour and water is rinsed with plain water and kneaded until the rinsing water remains clear and free from starch and bran. For chemical, non-food purposes, a saline solution provides better results. The remaining lump of gluten should have a stringy, sticky texture reminiscent of chewing gum.

2 Usage

Cooked gluten becomes firm to the bite and soaks up a certain amount of the surrounding broth and its taste. It is therefore commonly used in Chinese Buddhist and vegetarian cuisineVegetarian cuisine is cookery of food that meets vegetarian principles. This means food free from ingredients for which an animal must have died, such as meat, meat broth, cheeses that use animal rennet (some vegetarians will eat all cheeses and others no, where it is also called seitanSeitan say-tan is a popular vegan/ vegetarian food. It consists of wheat gluten and spices, and is often used in place of beef. External link .. Some consider it a convincing imitation meatImitation meat typically refers to any vegetarian food product designed to imitate the flavour and texture of processed meat. It also refers to meats produced by mincing a low quality protein to form an imitation of a higher quality protein. This process, when the broth is flavored accordingly.

In the process of bakingBaking is the technique of cooking food in an oven by dry heat applied evenly throughout the oven. The person that does the baking is called a baker . Breads, desserts, and meat (see also roasting) are often baked, and baking is the primary cooking techni, gluten is responsible for keeping the fermentation gasesIn its strictest sense fermentation is the energy-yielding anaerobic metabolic breakdown of a nutrient molecule, such as glucose, without net oxidation. Fermentation yields lactate, acetic acid, ethanol, or some other simple product. Fermentation is also in the dough, allowing it to rise. After baking, the coagulateCoagulation is the thickening or congealing of any liquid into solid clots. This article is about a specific medical usage of the term with reference to human blood's mechanisms for forming scabs over wounds. The coagulation of human blood is a fairly comd gluten ensures that the final product keeps its shape.

3 Maladies caused by gluten

Some people have an allergyThis article deals specifically with IgE mediated hypersensitivity. For other types of allergic or hypersensitive reactions see the main article: Hypersensitivity An allergy or Type I hypersensitivity is a immune malfunction whereby a person's body is hyp to gluten and must go on a gluten-free diet. In their case, the gluten damages the mucosa of the small intestine in a way that a normal digestion becomes impossible. After avoiding gluten completely, the intestine will return to functioning normally.

People with celiac disease have a hereditary, genetic predisposition to autoimmune reaction to gluten in their digestive system and must avoid it entirely. People with autism and autistic spectrum disorders, like Asperger's syndrome, may be sensitive to gluten and casein (a protein in milk). See more at gluten-free, casein-free diet. Another condition which may cause one to follow a gluten-free diet is dermatitis herpetiformis.

Gluten is found in most cereals (e.g., wheat, rye and barley) and their end products. No gluten is contained in rice, soybean (soya), maize (corn), buckwheat, and sunflower seeds, for example. Oats and Teffs do not contain gluten, but are usually milled on the same equipment as other grains that do, and so are commonly contaminated.



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