What is Gluten? How Gluten Intolerance Could Impact Your Long-Term Survival

You might find yourself often wondering, what is gluten, as everywhere you turn it seems this topic is in the news, someone’s child has an allergy, or people are cutting it from their diet. If you do not know about gluten or eliminated it from your diet because it seems to be the current fad, you need to keep reading to get the facts, which may just help you survive should you find yourself in a crisis situation.

The truth about gluten can also protect you from making an unwise lifestyle choice, one that may make you weak, malnourished and unable to fend for yourself should all hell break loose.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is nothing more than a combination of proteins, specifically glutenin and gliadin, both of which you can find in wheat endosperm. The endosperm originates from inside wheat seeds and when harvested, it is the part of wheat used to make flour, which is the reason you need to avoid carbohydrates if you have a gluten allergy. Gluten proteins also exist in some other grains, like rye and barley, so even these substitutes can make you quite sick if you are sensitive to gluten.

Now that you have an answer to the question, what is gluten, you also need to know what it is not, as this is the part where there seems to be the most confusion. Gluten is something found in carbohydrates because flour is a key ingredient in these types of foods but gluten is not a carbohydrate. If you opt to go on a gluten-free diet, you need to know that it is different from a carb-free diet and you would have to omit other foods, like soy sauce, salad dressings, sauces and some supplements.

Survival

When you ask what is gluten, an important part of the answer you need to know is that it provides your body with important nutrition and is in foods rich in vitamins so if you choose to be gluten free, you need to up your intake of fruits, vegetables, fiber, lean meat and alternative forms of supplements. You can eat quinoa and amaranth to get your fill of grains but you still need to consult your doctor and monitor your health if you are eating this way.

In fact, eating gluten free is not healthier, can cause nutritional deficiencies and even make you gain weight, as the gluten substitutes are often higher in sugar and fat. If done incorrectly, a gluten free diet can make you weak and unable to prepare for, or survive, a life-threatening situation so if you do not have an allergy, you should consume products with gluten.

If you or someone you know is sensitive to gluten and must eat foods free of these proteins, then you must understand what is gluten so if you end up in a survival situation, you know which foods you can eat and those from which you need to stay away.

Fruits, vegetables and meat are all great and you can obtain these in nature but other foods you might normally eat that are gluten free but rich in vitamins are not items you can find if an apocalypse type situation arises. In this instance, it is important for you to come prepared and know how to grow the grains you can eat, as well as beans, since these are high in fiber, iron and healthy fats.

Now that you know what is gluten, you know that if you do not need to eliminate these proteins from your diet, you should not and if you have an allergy, know the foods you need to eat to maintain your health and strength when the world goes into a chaotic mess. Until then, keep preparing and stay healthy so you have the strength to survive should Armageddon happen in your life time.

Return from What is Gluten to Survival Medicine