Beware, the dreaded gluten: is it in potatoes or not?

We come across the word “gluten” almost every day, and most often with the negative prefixes “without-” and “not”: gluten-free product, gluten-free diet, gluten-free baby food, does not contain gluten.

Why is gluten so scary that people rush to give it up? What products does it contain? And is it in your favorite potatoes? You will find detailed answers to these questions in the article.

Chemical composition, microelements and beneficial properties of potatoes

The chemical composition, macro- and microelements of potatoes make it useful for humans.

The table clearly shows the composition of the tubers:

The nutritional value of potatoes is 77 kcal per 100 g and consists of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, organic acids, starch, ash, saturated fatty acids, mono- and disaccharides. Starch helps people get enough of potatoes quickly. Its content in 100 g of product ranges from 13 to 36.8% depending on the variety.

Reference. The basis of potatoes is not carbohydrates, but water. Its content in 100 g of product is 78.6 g.

The beneficial properties of potatoes will not be lost if you boil them (without mushy), bake and eat them without sauces and bread, in their pure form.

When consumed raw, the beneficial substances are concentrated in the tubers, so they are used for medicinal purposes.

For example, rinse your mouth with potato juice. This normalizes the acid-base balance in the oral cavity. Eye compresses are made from grated potatoes to relieve tension. Potato decoction is used for high blood pressure, joint disease and insomnia.

What foods contain gluten?

Gluten is the name of a group of proteins found in cereal seeds. About 20 years ago it was called gluten. In its pure form, gluten resembles a powder, but when diluted with water, it forms a thick paste similar to glue.

Gluten is poorly and slowly digested by the stomach, and passing through the intestines, like a razor, it removes all the villi that help the absorption of beneficial substances. A person begins to have diarrhea, bloating, and as a result, the immune system suffers.

Gluten is found in cereals: rye, wheat, barley and oats. They are used to prepare the basis for many products:

• bakery products, flour and flour-based products
• minced meat, sausages;
• Cereal-based drinks such as beer, whiskey and vodka;
• chocolate;
• sauces, mayonnaise, ketchup.

Products with hidden gluten:

• candies and ice cream;
• breakfast cereals;
• ready-made instant soups;
• semi-finished rice products with seasonings and spices;
• store-bought French fries;
• crab sticks;
• chips.

Is there gluten in potatoes and in what quantity?

When asked whether potatoes contain gluten or not, The answer is clear - it does not. If you don’t believe me, let’s prove it with examples.

Are potatoes gluten free?

To detect gluten in products, the following experiment is carried out.Gluten, when in contact with iodine, changes its color to a dark blue or black tint. If you drop iodine on raw potatoes, they will turn these colors. But not due to the gluten content, but due to the fact that potatoes contain starch. It is this that changes the color of iodine. Potatoes are not a grain, and they cannot contain gluten.

Gluten appears in potatoes only when cooked. For example, French fries are cooked in containers that have remaining gluten on them. Or you eat potatoes with prepared sauce that contains gluten.

Is there gluten in potato starch?

Potato starch – It is a soft white substance that has no flavor or taste. It is produced by special processing of potatoes.

A tablespoon of potato starch contains 40 kcal: carbohydrates - 10 g, protein, fat, fiber - 0 g. When making starch from potatoes, gluten does not appear there in any way, because potatoes are not a grain.

Why is it suspected that potato starch contains gluten? Because of its properties. Starch is added when preparing sauces, jelly, and soups to thicken them. The consistency of the product is the same as when preparing it with gluten-containing ingredients.

Read also:

Beware of gluten: does barley contain it?

Dangerous gluten: is it contained in oats?

Is gluten really that bad and is it found in rye?

Does corn contain gluten? Is it in corn grits?

Why is gluten harmful and what are its benefits?

Humanity has been familiar with gluten since people began using cereal grains to make buns and bread. And the beneficial properties of gluten have been used for a long time.

Why is there anti-propaganda against gluten in our time, why is it so harmful to human health?

Why is celiac disease dangerous?

Celiac disease - celiac disease - is caused by gluten intolerance and is caused by a congenital or acquired deficiency of one of the intestinal juice enzymes. This is an autoimmune disease. What triggers it is still not clear.

With celiac disease, the lining of the small intestine cannot completely break down gluten proteins. Only a portion of the nutrients enter the body. Unsplit fractions are also absorbed through the intestines, but at the same time poison the body.

How celiac disease manifests itself: diarrhea and flatulence appear first. If the correct diagnosis is not made in time, exhaustion, hypovitaminosis and anemia, impaired mineral and water-salt metabolism, iron deficiency anemia, and osteoporosis develop. Against this background, immunity decreases, a person suffers from colds up to 6-7 times a year.

If the disease is not treated, mental changes occur in adults, and developmental delays are observed in children.

Important! Insidious celiac disease disguises itself as gastrointestinal diseases, dermatitis and even neurosis. Diagnosing this disease is not easy.

What experts say about gluten

There is a rumor among people that almost every person, to one degree or another, has gluten intolerance due to genetically modified cereals that grow in our fields.

However, in 2013, a study was published in the journal Agriculture and Food Chemistry that stated that gluten content had not increased throughout wheat breeding.Professor Donald Kasarda, Chicago, USA, states that genetically modified wheat with increased gluten content has not been grown anywhere in the world since its appearance on earth.

But here are the conclusions about gluten made by Vladislav Liflyandsky, professor, doctor of medical sciences, author of 18 books and 80 articles on proper nutrition:

1. The dangers of gluten are partly a publicity stunt. There are only 1% of people on our planet who suffer from complete gluten intolerance. They exclude gluten products from their diet for life. Another 2-3% of people have a relative reaction to this protein. They limit gluten consumption for a while - it is determined by the doctor. Everyone else can eat their favorite baked goods without fear of allergies, no matter how advertised it is in advertising.
2. If manufacturers remove gluten from, for example, buns, they add fat and leavening agents so that the product retains its shape and does not fall apart during baking. And to improve the taste, they also add sugar. The calorie content of a gluten-free product increases.
3. Do not remove gluten from your diet on your own. Its absence can lead to deficiency of iron, calcium and B vitamins.
4. Healthy children begin to be given gluten-containing foods at 4-6 months. Introduce 1 product at a time and monitor the baby’s condition. If this food causes diarrhea, rash, bloating, or constipation, consult a doctor to determine the cause of the reaction. The risk increases if someone in the family is gluten intolerant.
5. Gluten-free cosmetics are claimed to be non-allergenic and safe for the skin. Gluten-free shampoos, hair masks, and decorative cosmetics are produced. Salons offer the service of applying gluten-free makeup. This is all nothing more than a publicity stunt.Gluten is a high molecular weight protein; it cannot penetrate the skin and cause allergies.
6. Gluten does not increase the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other diseases. It can provoke an exacerbation of these diseases in patients with celiac disease who do not follow a gluten-free diet.

How to find out if you have gluten intolerance

It is definitely worth checking yourself for gluten intolerance if someone in your family suffers or has suffered from celiac disease. First of all, children whose relatives have it are tested. This will help create the right diet for them.

To diagnose gluten intolerance, Ig G3 and G4 are tested for gluten and other grain proteins.

To confirm the diagnosis, an elimination (gluten-free) diet is established for eight weeks. If diarrhea and bloating go away after it, the skin becomes clearer, and your nerves don’t get in the way, then foods with gluten are contraindicated for you.

Adults undergo a colonoscopy with a biopsy: the area with the affected villi is captured. When examined, submicroscopic intestinal lesions are detected.

Attention! Just because you haven't been diagnosed with celiac disease doesn't mean you'll never get it. The disease develops rapidly against the background of life stress, infectious diseases and other negative factors.

Conclusion

Gluten is only dangerous for those who are predisposed to celiac disease. For such people, gluten-containing foods are excluded from the diet for the rest of their lives. Potatoes remain boiled or baked in the diet. After all, potatoes are not a grain; they do not contain gluten, just like potato starch. Everyone's diet should be balanced, and gluten is an integral part of it.It makes no sense for a healthy person to give up potatoes and deprive themselves of the iron, calcium and vitamins they contain.