What is gluten?
Gluten is composed of two proteins – gliadin and glutenin – it is found in many grains (including wheat, barley and rye) but is in greatest quantity in wheat. Gluten gives wheat flour its elasticity and strength and allows baked foods like bread to rise. After kneading, gluten traps the carbon dioxide produced by yeast, resulting in expansion – or ‘rising’ – of the dough.
People often think oats contain gluten, but they actually contain avenin, which is a protein similar to gluten. However, research has shown many people who avoid gluten can safely eat avenin, although you should be aware that oats may be cross-contaminated by gluten due to manufacturing procedures. Oats sold as ‘gluten-free’ are produced without the risk of cross-contamination from other grains.
What is the difference between wheat allergy, intolerance and sensitivity?
A wheat allergy is an immediate immune response to a protein in wheat, which your body mistakenly recognises as dangerous. Symptoms associated with wheat allergy include chronic gastrointestinal disturbances, infections, asthma, eczema, acne, joint pains, fatigue and migraine. Having a wheat allergy does not necessarily mean you have an allergy to the protein gluten and need to avoid it.
A wheat intolerance doesn’t involve the immune system and occurs when the body has difficulty digesting wheat and therefore reacts to it. The symptoms are usually much less defined than allergy and may take several days to appear but may cause digestive and nutritional problems. Symptoms of wheat intolerance include bloating and wind, fatigue, headaches and joint pains. People who present mild symptoms may be sensitive, as opposed to intolerant to wheat, and they may be able to tolerate other gluten grains, such as barley and rye.
A fourth category is that of coeliac disease, this chronic auto-immune disease is caused by a reaction to gluten and it means that people with this condition must avoid all gluten-containing grains for life. For these people the immune system mistakenly attacks itself when gluten has been eaten, this causes damage to the lining of the gut and means that the body is unable to properly absorb nutrients from food.
For more information on gluten-free diets and coeliac disease visit Coeliac UK and read more about the gluten-free diet.
It is important for anybody who suspects they may have a food allergy/intolerance to seek advice from their GP prior to making any changes to their diet.
When avoiding wheat what should I look for on labels?
When reading labels be aware that wheat can also be known as:
- Bran
- Bulgar
- Couscous
- Flour (plain, self-raising, wholemeal, malted)
- Semolina
- Wheat germ
- Cereal binder/filler
- Modified starch
- Durum wheat
- Farro
- Kamut/spelt
When avoiding wheat which products should I be careful with?
Wheat or wheat derivatives may be found in:
- Baking powder
- Breakfast cereals
- Breadcrumbs/coatings
- Bottled sauces of all kinds
- Bread (unless specified wheat-free)
- Cakes, buns, muffins, scones and all baked goods (unless specified)
- Cereal binder
- Chapatis, poppadoms, naan
- Cheese spread/dips
- Curry powders
- Horseradish creams
- Instant hot drinks
- Monosodium glutamate
- Oatcakes
- Pancakes/waffles
- Pasta or noodles (unless specified)
- Pastry
- Pittas
- Pizzas
- Ready meals
- Rye breads and crackers
- Rusk
- Salad dressings
- Sauces and gravies
- Semolina
- Taramasalata
These lists are not exhaustive. For more information on wheat-free diets and resources visit Allergy UK.
What wheat-free alternatives are there for me to try?
Remember to always check the labels.
- Rice, oats (labelled ‘gluten-free’) and corn; for some people other gluten-containing grains may be suitable as alternatives to wheat, such as rye and barley.
- Gluten-free bread flours containing buckwheat, chickpea (gram), corn/maize, millet, potato, rice and tapioca flour. However, you should be aware that these are not always easy to use as they lack the elasticity of gluten. As a result, bread may rise (thanks to yeast or raising agents) but promptly fall again to produce rather heavy loaves. Xanthan gum (powder) can be added to gluten-free flours and makes a reasonable substitute for gluten. 100 per cent rye, oat or pumpernickel bread are good wheat alternatives (but will contain gluten).
- Oat cakes should be fine for anyone with a wheat allergy, as oats do not contain the protein that affects those with a wheat allergy.
- In wheat-free cakes and biscuits, use oats or millet flakes in combination with some of the finer flours. Ground corn/maize meal (polenta) is a useful alternative.
- There are now a large number of wheat-free pastas on the market made using corn, rice, buckwheat and even lentil flours.
- Sausages may be made with a wheat-based rusk, however, there are a number of 100 per cent meat sausages. Chorizo and other continental sausages may be free of gluten but still check ingredients carefully.
- Cornflour/starch, potato flour and arrowroot all work well as thickeners for sauces, both savoury and sweet.
- You can now get gluten-free beer, lager and stout.
Is wheat bad for you?
Wheat as an ingredient is very nutritious, however as a standard rule, refined wheat products such as white pasta, noodles, breads and biscuits use flour that has undergone a refining process in which the wheat grain is removed. By removing the wheat grain, the most nutritious aspects of the wheat (the bran and germ) are removed. As a result, many of the nutrients are required by law (calcium, iron, niacin and thiamine) to be added back through fortification. Unextracted, wholemeal (wholewheat) products naturally yield a good supply of dietary fibre and manganese. They also contain a healthy portion of B vitamins, vitamin E and folic acid.
For those eating wheat-free, opt for alternative wholegrains and starchy carbohydrates such as buckwheat flour, chestnut flour, corn (maize), gram (chickpea), millet, quinoa, potatoes, rice, soya and tapioca.
Wheat-free recipes to try
Wheat-free recipes
Gluten-free recipes
Gluten-free breakfast recipes
Gluten-free lunch recipes
Gluten-free dinner recipes
Gluten-free baking recipes
Read more
Spotlight on… gluten-free
Gluten-free foods: What to eat and what to avoid
Do you have a food intolerance?
10 foods you think are gluten-free but aren’t
This page was last reviewed on 17 October 2024 by Kerry Torrens.
Kerry Torrens BSc. (Hons) PgCert MBANT is a Registered Nutritionist with a post graduate diploma in Personalised Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including Good Food.
Jo Lewin is a registered nutritionist (RNutr) with the Association for Nutrition with a specialism in public health. Follow her on Twitter @nutri_jo.
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