Quinoa brings a lot of benefits. It is rich in protein, high on fibre and packs in lots of other nutrients required for our health and wellness. One of the otheraspects of quinoa that has made the grain endearing to many and spread its popularity around the globe is it being gluten-free.

Unlike other cereals, quinoa due to it not being a cereal, doesn't carry gluten. Quinoa is actually a seed of a goosefoot species and is classified mostly as pseudo-cereal.

Scientific studies have shown that quinoa contains under 20ppm of gluten. This will make it technically €gluten free'. The US FDA as well as the European norms specifies 20ppm as the threshold limit for a food item to be classified as gluten-free.

But What is Gluten?

Before we go any further, it is important to realise why gluten is so important a subject.

Gluten is a general term given to a group of protein composites in wheat or wheat type grains. Nearly all cereals - wheat, maize, oatmeal, porridge - contain gluten.

The composite is quite an essential ingredient. It is gluten which provides the elasticity to dough and makes dough rise up. In fact, gluten is commercially ready as an additive and can be added to all types of flour to make their dough rise up better. In the cereal, gluten is also the carrier of protein.

Going further, gluten is essentially a composite of gliadin and glutenin, two different kinds of proteins

However, not all people can digest gluten easily. And here is when we must also learn about Celiac disease.

Celiac Disease

Nearly one percent of all North Americans are affected by Celiac disease, also commonly known as as Coeliac disease. The disease is a genetic disorder in which the body gives an auto-immune reaction to certain types of proteins, including glutens, more specifically gliadins. The disease happens in the small intestine and people vulnerable to the disorder start showing affects from mid-infancy onwards.

People with Celiac disease display pain and discomfort in the digestive tract. They also suffer from chronic constipation, diarrhea and fatigue. However, the most important effect is vitamin deficiency which is a result of the smaller intestines not able to absorb nutrition from food.

Celiac disease is triggered due to gluten. Enzymes in the body react with gluten and modify the protein causing the small-bowel tissue to cross-react with the immune system.

The only solution is to have a gluten-free diet throughout the life. This is rather challenging considering all wheat or wheat-based staples including all-purpose flour, pasta and oats contain gluten.

Quinoa seems to be the best solution. The grain is not a cereal and does not contain gluten. It can be eaten as a staple and it can replace rice. It goes well as the base in any recipe or as the side in any preparation. Best thing is that it can be processed as flour and even moulded into pastas.

Research - the Spoilsport!

However, latest research is shattering the theory. According to a recent study around fifteen different varieties of quinoa, at least two variants (with unpronounceable names like 'Ayacuchana' and 'Pansakalla') stimulated an immune response very similar to what gluten causes.

This is concerning as quinoa, till now, had been recommended widely as a safe alternative to anyone looking at a gluten free diet.

Many researchers now believe that the 'gluten-free' definition needs to be overhauled to include a wider set of similar proteins not originating from wheat. Already grains like rice, corn, soy and even dairy products all cause inflammatory reactions in celiac disease patients. And technically all of them are gluten-free.

Another worrying factor is the quinoa growing and processing system. At times very small quantities of wheat may accidentally contaminate quinoa. The wheat may enter the quinoa due to winds or as contaminants at the processing units. Any which way, they potentially add gluten to a food traditionally thought of as gluten free.

Since this matter is now being investigated further by food scientists and since only two varieties of quinoa had sparked the adverse reactions, I suggest that those looking for a gluten free diet should sample a certain type of quinoa in very small quantity before committing to it as a staple.

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